You’ve been planning your wedding for months—maybe even years! Make sure you soak up every minute of that post-wedding bliss, but don’t forget that there are still things left on your to-do list even after you’ve said, “I do.”

Once your vows have been said and the dancing is over, you will be exhausted—it will be one of the biggest (and longest!) days of your life. As the night comes to an end and guests begin to shuffle out, you will be wrapped-up in saying your thank-yous and goodbyes to even think about the things you still need to take care of.

New brides and grooms often get so swept-up in the exciting parts of the wedding planning process that they forget about the last step: the wedding aftermath.

If you are planning your wedding now, have you thought about the things you need to do after it’s over? To make sure you don’t forget even the smallest detail, the event specialists at Crystal Gardens put together a post-wedding to-do list.

Trust us—planning for these responsibilities ahead of time will make it easier to cruise into married life without a single note left on your list.

Decide what to do with your flowers and decorations

All those centerpieces, props from the photobooth, and random decorations need to go somewhere! If you have a use for some of the pieces, take them with you for home decor. You may even consider giving some items to your guests. Of course, if you can return some items, or even sell them (think eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace), go for it and put some cash back in your pocket.

As for the flowers, you may want to save some of them! There are many sentimental and creative things you can do with flowers and petals leftover from your wedding. Or, you might offer the centerpieces to guests at the reception. Some brides and grooms take them to nursing homes for residents to enjoy. Before you start giving centerpieces away, just check with the florist to ensure you return any vases or other items they might need back.

Sort your gifts and cards

Immediately after the wedding, the first thing to do is make sure you store your gifts and cards (which probably have money in them!) somewhere safe until you can unpack them all at home. Go through everything together, make note of any duplicate gifts from your registry, or any pieces you may need to buy to complete a set (place settings, towels, glasses, etc.) Remember to do this as early as you can, as many stores have a 30-day return policy.

Clean and/or preserve your wedding dress

Whether you are planning to keep your dress forever, or sell/donate it for another bride to wear, you should get it professionally cleaned. There’s probably a few stains left from the big night—spilled champagne, sweat stains and maybe some dirt on the ends from hitting the dance floor. As with any stain, the sooner you get it cleaned after the reception, the more likely it will come out. If you choose to keep your dress, you should consider getting it professionally preserved so it stays protected, which will make sure it stays looking as new as the day you put it on to walk down the aisle. We recommend calling The Dress Shop (517-546-3600) for all of your gown cleaning and preservation needs—they have a full team of experts to keep your gown looking its best for years to come.

Send your thank-yous

This task may seem daunting, but don’t delay! You want to make sure you send your guests some sort of thank-you note, whether it’s handwritten or digital. This should be a task you and your new spouse do together—block some time on your calendars and bust them out in a few days!

Order your wedding album

This is one of the most exciting items on this list—you probably can’t wait to get your hands on those wedding pictures! Many photo packages can be pricey, so take time to go through the entire set with your spouse and pick a selection of images that mean the most to you. You may choose to do an online album for photos that guests took—get that set up as soon as you can, so guests can upload their pictures and share memories from your Big Day.

Take down your wedding registry/website

Now that the wedding is over, it’s time to remove your registry and/or wedding website from the internet, otherwise they will still pop-up on search engines when your name is searched. If you were paying to host your wedding website, you’ll want to cut that cost immediately!

Give your vendors reviews

Along with your friends and family, your vendors were a key player in making your Big Day possible—it’s nice to recognize them for all their hard work. Leave them a review on Yelp! or their social pages, or even share a testimonial on your own social media accounts. Not only do these reviews help your vendors and their business, but they also help future brides and grooms when they begin their own crazy planning process. Looking for some good vendors? Check out a list of the ones we recommend.