Name Change
Some couples feel that changing their names after marriage signifies the melding of two personalities and lives to form a unified family bond. It seems to make the groom and perhaps his family well up with pride if you decide to keep his last name. In this situation, the couple needs to decide what name they’re going to use, and what matters to them most. For example, the bride can take the groom’s last name, the groom can take the bride’s last name, or the bride can keep her maiden and her married name. More often than not, a bride will decide to keep her maiden name along with her married name. The traditional choice is for the bride to take the groom’s last name. This name change will appear on your marriage certificate.
Today we hear often the options mentioned in the previous paragraph. In rare cases, the groom may take on the wife’s last name. This would be special to the wife and her family if she is perhaps the only child, or the husband dislikes his last name. The bride may use both names separated with a hyphen, and this would be socially and professionally acceptable. Both parties may be content with this, and may be a good compromise. Honestly some names just don’t sound good together. So choose what is best for you as a new family unit.
The next thing to consider is when to make these changes. Before your wedding contact the city or state clerk in your area to find out what the appropriate laws would be for your area. Wait until after the honeymoon to make the needed phone calls to change your name. Many will need to know this information, such as your landlord, your bank, the phone company, family, friends and more. Most importantly, inform the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you wait until after the honeymoon, this will save confusion for everyone. Decide on the name change that matters to you, enjoy your honeymoon, and make the appropriate phone calls when you return.