9 Things to Do NOW to Make Your Life Easier Post-Honeymoon

Returning from your honeymoon can be pretty bittersweet. Hopefully you’ll feel relaxed and rejuvenated (and so in love!), but you may also be pretty bummed that your vacation of a lifetime has come to an end. The post-honeymoon blues can be multiplied if you have a massive to-do list when you arrive home.

Here are some ways to make your return to reality a bit less painful.

Get help with post-wedding tasks.

You shouldn’t have to worry about tying up any wedding-related loose ends upon your return from your honeymoon. Make sure that all of your vendors have been fully paid (and tipped!), your attire has been dropped off at the cleaners, and the top tier of your wedding cake is in the freezer. This is a good time to enlist your willing family members and friends to help you. Now, all that’s left to do is write your vendor reviews!

Delivery is your best friend.

Being “hangry” can ruin your post-honeymoon glow pretty quickly. Schedule a grocery delivery service to bring necessities to your door shortly after you arrive (if possible, place your order as you’re getting ready to leave your honeymoon destination). If those services aren’t available where you live, ask a friend or family member to bring a few must-have items to your house or apartment so your fridge isn’t completely bare when you return.

Enlist a house sitter.

While you don’t necessarily have to hire a house sitter while you’re away, ask a trusted neighbor, friend or family member to keep an eye on your home or apartment. Make sure they have a key and any alarm codes or other must-have information and phone numbers, so they can check in a few times to make sure everything is in order—particularly if there’s bad weather while you’re away. The last thing you want is to arrive home to find a flooded basement or other issue.

Cook in advance.

It may take a little time for you to get back into your regular routine post-wedding—and cooking might not be on your initial to-do list. Make a few meals ahead of time and freeze them so you’ll have pre-made dinners waiting for you upon your return. You can even see if a family member or friend can help by prepping a freezer meal for you.

Keep up with thank-you notes.

We are not recommending that you write thank-you notes while on your honeymoon (nobody’s got time for that!), but it is a good idea to make sure you’re caught up on all of your thank-yous for gifts you receive before your wedding. Of course, you’ll most likely receive gifts during and after your big day—try to get those completed within a month of your wedding.

Clean before you leave.

Coming home to a messy house or apartment will surely give you the post-honeymoon blues. Try to clean your place as best you can before you leave—or even hire a cleaning service as a wedding gift to yourself. Make sure you’re caught up on laundry, taken out the trash, changed your sheets, and generally de-cluttered. Your house might not be as dreamy as your honeymoon accommodations, but at least it will be clean and organized when you return!

Pause your mail and newspapers.

Put a hold on your mail and newspaper service for the time you’ll be away. Piled up mail or newspapers can make your home a target for thieves, so this is an important one. Your “house sitter” can also be responsible for retrieving any packages or wedding gifts that might arrive while you’re away.

Stock up for your pets.

You’ve probably made arrangements for your pets to be taken care of during your honeymoon, but make sure you’ll well stocked with pet food and other supplies upon your return. Your pet may need a day or two to get back into his or her routine, so be patient and loving with your furry friend.

Give yourself an extra day to recover.

When scheduling your honeymoon, try to arrange your travel so that you have an extra day to recover at home before returning to work. Yes, it may feel like a bummer to cut your vacation short, but you’ll be glad to have a day to recuperate from jet lag, reminisce about your amazing trip, post photos on social media, or just get back into the swing of real life before you head back to work—this time as a newlywed!