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Your essential After-the-wedding checklist

Your wedding day flew by like a dream, and you are finally a “Mrs.” The past few months may have been a whirlwind of activities, and you may be relieved that it is finally out of the way. However, there are a few pending tasks to complete, before you can put aside all your wedding responsibilities, and settle into your new life. Let us look at what they are.

Preserve your wedding gown

via Best for Bride

You may have worn your wedding gown just once, but it is a treasure trove of memories which has to be saved and put aside carefully. Who knows, it may serve you in the future when you renew your vows, or your daughter may someday want to get married in it! It is best that you do not attempt to do this yourself. Instead, have your wedding dress sent to a professional for preservation. Make sure you do this as soon as possible, so the stains and dirt do not set and become difficult to remove. If you will be going on your honeymoon soon after the reception, ask your MoH to take your gown to the cleaners, as early as is possible. Till then, store your gown in a dark and dry place, and keep it airtight and place it far from stains and dirt.

Sort out your gifts and send out your thank you notes

It is a good idea to create a list of the gifts as soon as you begin receiving them, and note down who sent what. This will allow you to prepare your thank you notes faster. Sending out a hand-written thank you note will be better appreciated than sending a printed one. Don’t delay mailing them, make sure your thank you notes are on their way within a month of your wedding. It will help you to have the stationery and gift list ready. You could even write them before the wedding, soon after you receive the gift, and get a head start on it.

Review your wedding photographs and videos

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Get in touch with your photographer and videographer and find out how your wedding photos and videos are coming along. Review the prints and choose ones that you want to frame and display. Also, edit your video, so it doesn’t drag on for ever but includes the important highlights. While at your photographer’s, you may also want to get a few prints to share with your older guests who aren’t tech-savvy and cannot see your photos online. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Get your name changed

Now that you are officially married, it is time to inform all the necessary authorities of your name change. Collect your marriage license and visit the concerned government agencies to update your records with your change of name. Do the same at banks and other financial institutions. Also update your insurance plans and change beneficiaries where your deem appropriate, now that you are married.

Once these tasks are out of the way, you are all set to focus and enjoy your life together as a married couple. It is going to be a great journey ahead, so congratulations and all the best!

For more wedding tips and advice, visit us at Best for Bride.

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Capture the Magic: Compelling Reasons Why a Wedding Video is an Absolute Must-Have!

You have booked your wedding photographer, and you are pretty certain that photos are all that’s needed to capture your milestone event. Many brides who took a similar stand, now regret not having had their weddings videographed. So, before you make this decision, look at why you should consider a wedding video, even when you already have a wedding photographer.

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Videos capture moments as it is

However capable your wedding photographer is, photos are what they are called—Stills!

To remember and enjoy the exact moment as it was, a video is better. It also captures all the in-between moments between photos. Another thing to remember is that videos are not choreographed, and so it is the best way to capture people naturally. If you are a bride who is conscious in front of the camera, you do not have to worry about looking stiff and posed in a video, like you do in photos.

It is a keepsake of the beautiful moments at your wedding

Your father’s speech, the tears of joy that rolled down your mother’s eyes as she watched you walk down the aisle, the laughter and cheer while dancing at your reception, the commotion when you threw your bouquet—there is no way photos can recreate this like a video can. Videos have sound and motion, and hence allow you to preserve every moment of your wedding day as it occurred. It is the perfect way to remember the day as it was, and you will enjoy watching it again on your anniversary or other special days in the future.

Keep it short and it will be interesting

Your videographer may have been around for the entire day, but that doesn’t mean your wedding video should go on forever. Have him capture and edit the highlights, while also adding the special moments and interesting things that happened. Videos also allow you to remember the fun moments on the day, like the jokes you shared with your bridesmaids as you dressed up. Another factor is that it is almost impossible to get your video wrong. While the quality of your photographs depend on how talented your photographer is, you can be certain that your videos will cover it and make up for anything your photographer may have missed.

It allows you to remember everyone long after they are gone

Photos can achieve this too, but videos are the way to remember the older members of your bridal party as they were in flesh and blood, long after they are gone. Similarly, children at your wedding party would love to see how they were, long after they’ve grown up. Your video holds the key to the past, and it will be wonderful for your children and grandchildren to see all the people they’ve only heard of, when they watch your wedding video.

If you are still wondering if video is a must or a maybe at your wedding, we say go for it! After all, it is not everyday that you get married. So, capturing every moment of your big day is worth every dime you spend.

For more wedding advice and tips, visit us on Best for Bride.