6 Essential Things to Do as a Newly Married Couple
Tying the knot? Follow this checklist of things to do soon after the wedding.
After you've said "I do," you'd be surprised at how many things are still left to do. Here are a few tips to help you through your post-nuptial checklist.
1. Savor your honeymoon.
Unwind after your wedding at a dreamy destination. Since you’ll likely be exhausted from the wedding planning, logistics, and festivities, keep your itinerary loose and make sure to leave plenty of time to simply enjoy each other’s company.
2. Send thank-you notes.
Expressing gratitude is a fantastic habit to practice as a new family. Etiquette dictates you should get thank-you notes in the mail no later than three months after your wedding. Order some stationery that’ll get the two of you motivated to write together, sit down and knock out a few cards each evening until you can cross this to-do off your list.
3. Change your name(s)—or not.
If either of you decide to change your names, you have a good deal of paperwork ahead of you. To streamline the process, keep a few copies of your marriage certificate handy. Get a copy from a county recorder or clerk’s office in the state where you were married (many counties offer this service in person, by mail, and online for a small fee). First, you’ll need to gather your documents and apply for a new social security card. Once your card arrives, go to the motor vehicles department to update your driver’s license. Finally, notify your employer, banks, credit card companies, and any other institutions that will need to refer to you by your new name.
4. Insure yourselves.
Insurance isn't the most romantic of topics, but it’s a crucial thing to decide on together. The good news is that your recent nuptials may save you money on your home and auto policies. Whether you update your existing policy or start fresh, be sure to name your spouse as your beneficiary on all your policies. And if you don’t have life insurance yet, now’s the time to get it so your partner will be taken care of should anything happen to you.
Decide, too, if you are going to join your spouse’s health insurance policy or stay on separate plans—and update your auto insurance policies if you plan to share cars. (Don’t forget to put each other on all of your household’s car titles.) To get the most out of your home or renters insurance, take photos or videos of all of your belongings to create a home inventory, which will be important in case you need to file a damage or theft claim.
5. Get on the same page about finances.
When two become one it usually means combining financial goals, too. Get started on your shared financial future by taking stock of each other’s assets and merging them. You can also open and fund shared accounts to make things like paying rent or the mortgage easier. Set a household budget, and schedule a regular time to meet about money. (Whether weekly, biweekly, or monthly, add the recurring event to your calendar so you stick to it.) Consider consulting with a financial planner to help the two of you get on the same page about your household’s finances to create robust retirement plans, and start making strides toward your goals.
6. Put together a will or living trust.
Regardless of whether you have or are planning to have children, your brand-new family needs an estate plan. To ensure both your legacies, designate beneficiaries for your property and name an executor. If either of you dies without leaving a will, the court will need to get involved, and the probate process becomes much more expensive and time-consuming—a situation that can cause emotional disagreements. Without an estate plan, what you leave behind becomes public record, and can compromise your privacy and that of your heirs.
It can be easy to settle into married life and forget the endearing things that brought you two together in the first place. Regularly set aside time to have a special date night, chat about nothing and everything, and share your favorite joint hobbies.