Don't forget to do these 5 things after your wedding

So your wedding day is over. The excitement, laughter, tears, joy and bliss of your big day are now behind you, as is the busy wedding planning stage.

Now is the time to relax and enjoy your early days as newlyweds, be it heading off on your much-anticipated honeymoon, moving into a new home or simply taking it all in as you head back to work.

First, though, there are a few items you need to tick off your post-wedding checklist.

Have your wedding dress dry cleaned

First things first, your wedding dress is an often-expensive wedding day investment, and caring for it beyond your nuptials is important, whether you intend to keep it or sell it.

Find a dry cleaner that has specific expertise in wedding dresses, and has a long list of happy customer reviews to prove it. Dry cleaning a wedding dress isn’t like cleaning a doona, and the utmost care has to be taken. After you pick up your newly cleaned wedding dress, store it carefully and securely, away from the elements, pests, smells or anything that could lead to damage.

Freeze leftover wedding cake

The likelihood is you may have some wedding cake leftover from your big day. It’s important to freeze it as soon as you can, whether you intend to consume it later or to keep it as a memento of your nuptials to eat on your first wedding anniversary – as many newlyweds do!

There is an art to freezing wedding cake. Firstly chill it in the fridge. Then, cut it up into slices and wrap each slice tightly in multiple layers of cling wrap. Finally, store in zip lock bags. Most wedding cakes are high-quality and can be frozen and then consumed for up to a year.