Changing Your Name After the Wedding

There are many longtime traditions when it comes to getting married. Perhaps the oldest tradition is for the bride to take on the groom's last name once they have been wed. However, as time has passed this tradition is becoming less and less prominent among newlyweds. Women are choosing to keep their own name, or settle for the hyphenated version. If you're like me, I appreciate the tradition and my wife decided to take on my last name. There's a sense of pride when a woman takes on a man's last name. If you're planning on changing your name after you get married then there are several things you must do in order to make it legal.

First of all, decide what you want to do. There are several options such as keeping your maiden name, combining both names and hyphenate them, or just being traditional. I'll warn you now that the name changing process is not necessarily an easy one. Most women don't even consider the paperwork involved with a name change. Most consider it just a mental state with adopting the new name. There has been a recent trend where the man has taken on the last name of the woman. Though this isn't a popular trend, it has happened before and will happen in the future. This mostly happens if a man has an unusual last name and he feels that the woman's name would be better fitting for his situation.

There are several forms involved in a name change. When you decide to do it, you'll need father the following forms from these governmental agencies: valid driver's license form, voter registration form, an IRS form, employer forms, insurance company forms, utility company forms, US Passport Forms, and any other organizations or companies in which you are a member. The process varies from state to state, and you'll need to check with your local laws to see if there are any different processes. For instance, in my local city it's required that any newlywed file the change with the Social Security office. Thought it's a lot of paperwork, it's really not that bad. Once you've gathered all the forms you can simply fill them out and mail them in. You may have to run around town and visit a few offices like the DMV and Social Security office, but taking on the new life is well worth it. The sooner you get this process completed, the sooner you'll have the weight off your shoulders.

The biggest problem that most newlyweds have is if the bride changes her name before the honeymoon. For instance, if you're traveling to a different country and you bought the plane ticket months ago then the name on the airline ticket must match the name on the passport. If a woman changed her name immediately after the wedding and her ticket reads something different than the passport she may have problems boarding the plane. My advice is to simply wait until you return to change your name and be sure all of the plane tickets are booked in your original name. I know you can't wait to get it done, but just trust me on this!