After the Wedding To-Do List
The joyous day has passed and you're now officially Mr. & Mrs. Congrats!
But wait! Remember that wedding to-do list you obsessively checked about a million times? Well, guess what? There's another to-do list you and your spouse now need to work your way through, too.
What You'll Need:
- Multiple official copies of your wedding license - about two or three should do. Note: Your wedding license is not the pretty certificate you received at the temple. You need to go to your city or county offices to request (and pay for) copies of the official license.
- Any bills or papers that include contact information for the below organizations.
Once you have your marriage licenses, you're ready to start tackling your to-do list. But first, I suggest you grab some of your favorite comfort foods while your work on this dreary task. As always, I highly recommend chocolate!
After the Wedding To-Do List
You will need to change your name and update your new address at the following places:
-The Social Security Administration
-The Department of Motor Vehicles
Note: If you're traveling for your honeymoon then your tickets should be in your maiden name. Wait until after your traveling is complete before changing your driver's license or the airline may not let you check-in. This actually happened to me. I actually had to have a manager approve my check-in because my ticket was in my married name but my driver's license was still in my maiden name. Be sure your documentation matches your traveling ticket info.
-The U.S. State Passport Services Office
Note: See above driver's license info about traveling. The same applies to Passports.
-Voter Registration Office
-The Post Office
-Your Bank
Note: This is also a good time to combine or close accounts, if needed.
-Mortgage Company
-Insurance Companies
Note: While you are making address and name changes, be sure to ask for forms to change your beneficiary preferences if you'd like to change them to include your spouse.
-Your Employer
Note: You may want to make changes to your W-2
-Managers of Retirement Accounts (401K, etc)
Note: While you are making address and name changes, be sure to ask for forms to change your beneficiary preferences if you'd like to change them to include your spouse.
-Health Insurance Company
Note: Ask about options for adding your spouse to your plan.
-Credit Card Companies
-Student Loan Companies
-Your Stockbroker
-Your Lawyer
Note: Make any necessary changes to your Will at the same time (changing beneficiaries, etc)
-Doctor's Offices (medical, dentist, etc)
-Order New Checks and Address Labels
-Utility Companies
- Ward Clerk
Note: Check that names were changed correctly and that you and your spouse were linked together on the Church system.
-Your College & Alumni Association
-Any club or organization with whom you hold a membership
While you are making all of these changes, take the time to organize all the contact information into a spreadsheet for easier access for future reference. My hubby was smart enough to look ahead and do this and we've used his spreadsheet many, many times since our wedding day!