After the Wedding: 5 Things You'll Love to Do Once You're Married

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When you're in the thick of planning your wedding, it's easy to get so focused on the to-dos and details that you forget about the end goal. (You know, your actual marriage.) If the stress of wedding planning is getting you down, just think about your future as a married woman—and these sweet newlywed firsts that you have to look forward to...


1. Make a dinner reservation under your married name. "I'd like a table for two for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, please." It both feels like an out-of-body experience and also so incredibly real and amazing to use your new name, officially, in real life. (Not to mention the fact that dinner dates are still important even though you're no longer actually dating!)



2. Say the phrase "my husband." For the first dozen times (and maybe two dozen), it will give you such a thrill to refer to this man you love as your husband—to a cab driver, to your hairdresser, or even your boss. Relish in that newness.


3. Brush your teeth together in the bathroom as a married couple. Even if you've already lived together before the wedding, doing everyday little things together will feel intimate in a totally new way. Anna, a newlywed reader in San Diego, agrees. "After the wedding, it was so special just to stand in the bathroom together and be brushing our teeth and know that we were brushing our teeth as two married people who'd be brushing our teeth together for the next 50 years and beyond. It still gives me goose bumps."



4. Buy some "Mrs." gear. Admit it: You've seen (and secretly coveted) those Kate Space "Mrs." necklaces and earrings, not to mention the Mrs." tee shirts all over Etsy. Even if you only wear it at home in your yoga pants, you'll beam when you do—even if you're a honest-to-goodness Ms.


5. Plan your one-year anniversary together. One of the most beautiful things you can do as a couple is dream together (and if you ask any relationship expert, they'll tell you it's not only the key to relationship happiness, but that you should never, ever stop!). Why not put your heads together and brainstorm some fun ways to mark the occasion of your first year together (even if it's 11 months away). Make a reservation at the nicest restaurant in town (the one that always books up months in advance), or block off some time on your work calendars to take a trip together.