After the wedding is over ...

Once the wedding and reception are over, most likely you'll be headed off on a romantic honeymoon.

But there are still plenty of things to take care of — some before your honeymoon, some after.

Here is a short list to help you:

1) Take care of details that might come up in your absence BEFORE the wedding.

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you don't overburden anyone with wedding-related tasks while you're on your honeymoon.

Good wedding planning software will ensure that you cross every "t" and dot every "i" — so that your mother, maid of honor, best man, etc. are not left taking care of details you forgot to handle prior to the ceremony.

Keep in mind that you will still receive presents in the first couple of weeks after the wedding, so you need to ask a trusted friend or relative to keep your wedding gifts safe and sound in your absence.

2) Plan childcare well in advance.

If you or your new spouse have children from previous relationships, you may or may not have chosen to take them along on the honeymoon. If you do not take along your children, of course you need to make arrangements for their caretaking while you are traveling.

A nice way to let your children know you care is to call them at a specific time each day during your honeymoon — and making home movies and photos of the sites you see is a great way to share the adventure once you return home!

What's more, as you well know, other complications can arise when your new marriage includes stepchildren, ex-spouses, etc.

Click here for recommendations on sites that will help you transition to becoming a second wife/step-parent.

3) Have your wedding dress and bouquet preserved.

Your florist can give you specific advice on how best to preserve the flowers in your bridal bouquet. And to make sure your memories of your wedding day live forever, you need to make sure that your wedding gown will stand the test of time.

Before you go away on your honeymoon, you should make arrangements to have your dress preserved. You may or may not be able to find a shop in your area that offers this service. (Many local shops send out wedding dresses to one of a small handful of national preservation services.)

SHOPPING TIP: Make sure that the cleaners you hire will handle your wedding dress properly. Some cleaners simply dry-clean your dress, but preservation includes special processing that makes sure your dress does not yellow with age, as well as vacuum-sealing to ensure that the dress does not decay.

Nowadays, you can send your dress to cleaners specializing in wedding dress preservation easily, discreetly and with a minimum of fuss.

4) Pick up your wedding photos!

After you return from your travels, you and your new spouse, as well as family members such as your parents, should select the wedding photos that you want to purchase to remember your special day forever.

The great thing these days is how easy it is to share the images. Many photographers will allow you to post digital copies of your wedding pictures on your wedding website so that everyone there on your big day can view them.

When you're deciding which images to choose, you should take a look at a couple of helpful wedding planning books that offer you tips on how to display your photos as beautifully as possible.

5) Get your new home ready and enjoy it.

Now that you're married, you need to get settled into your new household. There are literally hundreds of great sites that will help you make your first shared home as beautiful as possible.

Of course, you already considered what you would need when you registered weeks before the wedding. But there is always room for additional accessories to make your home beautiful.

You can check out our wedding registry page to find out which vendors we recommend.

6) Make sure your anniversary is special!

Weddings are celebrations of love — so you should enjoy your time with your spouse. Anniversaries are special days when you can celebrate your love for each other all over again.

One common tradition is to have a slice of your wedding cake on your first anniversary. Your baker can give you tips on how best to preserve the top layer of your wedding cake so that you will enjoy it on your anniversary.

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