As we’ve mentioned in the past, it can be easy to forget to make plans for after your wedding. There’s such time, energy, and excitement involved in preparing for the day itself that we sometimes forget all about what comes after. It’s important to be aware of this, as some of the challenges you’ll face in the days immediately following your wedding are not insignificant. If you remember to plan for these adequately, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your honeymoon a little bit sooner! In this weeks blog post, we’d like to discuss a task that you’ll almost certainly find yourself dealing with after your wedding day. It’s one of everyone’s favourite topics — cleaning up!

Between the ceremony and the reception, as well as anything else you have planned for the occasion, your wedding will be large affair. Like any event of this size, it will generate a certain amount of mess. This mess, of course, will need to be cleaned up by someone. This person is not necessarily you. However, you do need to be aware of any tidying up that will need to be done, as well as who will have responsibility for doing so. Ensuring that everything is cleaned up after your wedding is not just a necessary courtesy; it’s also important for the environment.

Communicate With Your Vendors

The chances are that you’ll be hiring vendors to help with your wedding. Make sure you communicate effectively with them, so that you have a clear idea of who is responsible for cleaning up. If you’re hiring a venue and a separate caterer, these will usually do their part of the clean up. However, you need to be clear about this and ensure you know exactly who is responsible for what. You don’t, for example, want a situation where your venue and your caterer are each expecting the other to take care of a particular job. Something like this could lead to unecessary stress and work for you, which we’re sure you’d rather avoid on your wedding.

Be Considerate of Places of Worship

If holding your wedding ceremony in a place of worship, be mindful of the fact that these places often have limited cleaning staff. If you’re adding your own decor, make sure that you have a clear idea of who’ll be responsible for removing it. Have a discussion with the custodian to find out how much cleaning up will be required, and how much help you’ll need to provide. You may need to assign some of your friends and family to assisting with any tidying that’s needed.

Respect the Outdoors

Outdoor spaces belong to everybody, and they should be treated with respect. This applies equally to the grounds of a place of worship and to those of a reception venue. If any portion of your wedding takes place outside, make sure that the space will ultimately be left as you found it. In particular, confetti, streamers, and ribbons must always be cleaned up. If left in place, these constitute litter and a threat to the environment. Don’t hesitate to use these things to add fun and gaeity to the occasion, just make sure you know who’s responsible for cleaning them up afterwards.

Remember to Recycle

Recycling is one of the best things you can do for the environment. After your wedding, there’s likely to be a great deal of recyclable materials around. From drinks containers and glasses, to paper plates and plastic balloons, many of the trappings of a wedding can be recyclable. Make sure you have a clear recycling plan for any and all waste collected at your ceremony venue, reception venue, home, and any other location involved in your weddings festivities. Bear in mind that it’s important to continue recycling for many years after your wedding, too!

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