Once the big question is popped, a bride will take up a whole lot of issues surrounding the marriage. One of the choices that you will have to make is what to do with your surname. There are several options for changing your name and possibilities to start the process. As a bride, you have several legal options for taking a new name after marriage. First and most popular is to change your surname to your partner’s surname.
Second, you can opt for a double barrelled or hyphenated surname, where your husband’s name is added to your own. You may decide to keep both your maiden and your married name at different places. This might be convenient for women who, for instance, have already set up a career or reputation under their maiden name. Finally, you can decide to not change your name and leave it as it is. If you decide to change your name, you will be assuming your partner’s name, meaning your name does not legally change. Therefore, no formal application is needed and you can easily revert back to your maiden name if required.
The name change gurus at www.easynamechange.com outline the 5 steps a bride can follow in order to change her name.
1. Order your marriage certificate Most organisations will change your name on their accounts and memberships on presentation of your wedding certificate. In many cases the ceremonial certificate presented on your wedding day can’t be used for name change as it’s missing some security features. You should order your official wedding certificate from the registry.
2. Do the company research Once you have your certificate, you’ll need to make a long list of every possible place you can think to change names. You can download a free checklist here. Next, use that lovely long checklist to call each listed company to learn their name change process. You’ll be told where you need to send a letter or fax, send an email or visit a branch. Set aside a mid-week morning when wait times are lowest, otherwise this research can easily spend half a day of your time as you wait on hold. This is by far the most time consuming process of changing names. If you have a large number of companies, consider using a name change kit.
3. Updates done in person Start off with name changes that must be done in person, such as bank accounts and driver’s license. It’s recommended you change your passport and/or driver’s license first so you have updated photo ID. Some companies will request this instead of a marriage certificate. You are always required you to show your original marriage certificate and occasionally photo ID when changing names in person.
4. Send name change notifications by fax or mail Many companies need your name change request to be sent in writing, so you’ll probably have some faxes and letters to write. You’ll be told this when you call each company to learn their name change procedure. Name change kits usually provide these letters and forms in a ready to send format. Otherwise set aside half a day to get this out of the way.
5. Notify other companies You can update your name with smaller companies on your next visit, or it may not matter if your records are updated at all. These companies include your local library, sports clubs, alumni, church, wine club and more.
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