WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO EAT & WHAT TO SEE IN ZADAR & SPLIT, CROATIA
From Wedding Bells to Building a Home: Your Next Chapter
It happens every time. The confetti’s barely settled, your wedding dress still smells like hairspray and champagne, and someone inevitably asks, “Sooo… when are you buying a house?”
Cue the internal screaming.
Nine years of covering weddings—intimate elopements in Cornwall, full-blown fiestas in Cabo, barefoot beach vows in Bohol—and let me tell you: the real story starts after the big day. The vows echo, the guests go home, and what’s left is the deliciously messy, hilarious, and heart-expanding adventure of building a life together. A real one—with laundry and late-night giggles and the occasional passive-aggressive dishwasher arrangement. In this post, as part of our post-wedding tips, we delve into the steps you take to build your home after the BIG day…
The Sweet (and Slightly Awkward) Shift to “Us”
That first week of married life? It’s strange. You wake up thinking, “Whoa. This is forever now.” Not in a heavy way—more like realizing you just got a lifelong roommate you actually chose. You’re learning how they load the cereal (yes, it’s a thing), which side of the bed they’ll claim long-term, and how their version of “cleaning the kitchen” is… interpretive.
It’s beautiful chaos. I remember thinking my husband was an alien because he folds towels in thirds. Like, what is that? But these are the quirks you come to adore—or at least tolerate with a raised eyebrow and a glass of wine.
The biggest surprise? The silence after the wedding planning whirlwind. You’ve spent a year obsessing over linen swatches and playlists, and now suddenly, you’re supposed to just live. It feels like stepping off a rollercoaster onto a yoga mat.
Breathe. This is where the good stuff begins.
Making a House a Home (Even if It’s a Tiny Apartment with Questionable Lighting)
Let’s talk about space. Your space. Whether you’re moving in together post-wedding or upgrading from the shoebox you shared during engagement, it’s time to blend styles and create something new.
My advice? Keep one wedding keepsake in every room. A framed vow, a dried flower, even a rogue bobby pin from your hair trial. It becomes an anchor, a little nod to the day your story got real.
Also, let go of the Pinterest pressure. Your home doesn’t need to look like a showroom. It needs to smell like takeout on movie night and have socks under the couch. That’s love. That’s real.
Watch this video to get some more tips:
Tip: mix your personalities into the decor. Are you a maximalist and they’re a minimalist? Cool. Embrace the chaos. One of my favorite couples, Grace and Leo from Brooklyn, turned their hallway into a gallery of thrifted art and old family photos, while their living room was all clean lines and calming neutrals. It looked ridiculous. It looked perfect.
Love + Money = Spicy Conversations
This one isn’t cute, but it’s crucial: money. It’s the leading cause of stress in marriages, according to basically every study ever, including this one from The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. But don’t panic—approaching it as a team can actually make you stronger.
Start small. Do a monthly money date. Light a candle, pour wine, and talk numbers. Look at spending habits, set savings goals, and (if you’re me) laugh at how many times you ordered bubble tea in one week. Hint: It was five.
Now, mortgages. Oof.
One of my favorite weddings last year was in a sleepy Connecticut town where the bride wore velvet and the groom cried during the first look (YES). Over brunch the next morning, me, still wearing glitter eyeliner, her husband leaned over and said, “We’re actually checking out Mortgage rates in Connecticut this week. We’ve been stalking Zillow more than we stalked each other pre-dating.”
I laughed, but I also loved that they were already thinking ahead. Mortgages are no joke, especially now. Rates are climbing like your aunt on the dancefloor when “Uptown Funk” plays. Check reliable sites like Bankrate to get a sense of what you’re getting into. Fixed-rate, adjustable, 15-year, 30-year—it’s a lot. It’s like wedding cake flavors: overwhelming, expensive, and everyone has opinions.
Pros? Owning gives you freedom, equity, and a place to blast 2000s R&B without a landlord complaint. Cons? Commitment, maintenance, and the sneaky fees no one tells you about (like “document prep” or “pest inspection”—seriously, who invited the termites?).
Here’s what I’ve learned: Don’t rush it. Build a budget, track expenses, and be realistic about your timeline. Renting isn’t failure—it’s flexibility. And you’ll know when you’re ready.
Making Big Decisions Without a Meltdown (Mostly)
Kids? Dogs? Staying in your city or moving to Bali to open a smoothie shack? The decisions don’t stop. And they won’t always align.
You’ll fight. You’ll compromise. You’ll learn to listen harder and talk softer.
One reader couple—Nina and Marc—wrote to me about their first year of marriage being “like assembling IKEA furniture with no manual.” (I felt that in my soul.) But by year two, they’d figured out how to make choices together without turning it into a cage match.
Here’s the trick: separate the emotion from the logistics. Ask, “What are we solving here?” That question saved me more than once.
Watch this video to get some more tips:
Keeping the Spark Alive When Your Grocery List Is Longer Than Your Love Notes
Passion changes. It doesn’t disappear—it just learns how to put the bins out and remember your coffee order.
But romance doesn’t have to fade. Keep doing the small stuff. Notes in lunch bags. Impromptu dance parties in the kitchen. I once surprised my husband with a homemade “anniversary scavenger hunt” that ended with him finding cupcakes under the bed. He was confused but touched.
And remember: intimacy looks different every year. Some days it’s wild kisses. Other days it’s folding socks and not killing each other. Both matter.
Creating Your Own Traditions (Yes, Even Weird Ones)
You don’t need to follow the rulebook your parents used. Want to have pancake Sundays? Do it. Want to celebrate your dating anniversary forever? Go for it.
Your traditions are little rituals that say, “This is ours.” And that’s powerful.
One couple I know watches Shrek every Valentine’s Day. Why? Because it was the first film they saw together and they ugly-cried during the swamp scene. Romantic? Arguably. Personal? Totally.
Build your life like you built your wedding—on intention, joy, and a little glitter.
Your wedding was beautiful. But your marriage? That’s where the magic lives. The shared glances at 7AM. The “I’ll take the trash out” without being asked. The dreams whispered in the dark when the world feels too loud.
This next chapter? It’s the real love story. And I promise—it’s the best one yet.
