Ah... you've dreamt of being Mrs.-Michael-Smith all your life... What a joy it is to be able to check off the "MRS" box on applications and forms. And of course, to be introduced as, "Please meet my wife, Mrs.-Michael-Smith." A new life, a new name, a new alias if you please. And it all started when you practiced signing Mrs.-Michael-Smith on your yearbook pages, meeting agendas and the entire week before your wedding, some with a dotted heart and some without!
But reality will soon strike your name-doodling dreams to ensure that you're a LEGAL Mrs.-Michael-Smith. Here's the FAQs on how to become an official MRS. :
Q : When can I officially start signing my new married name on documents?A : Not until after the wedding! You'll be signing an official marriage certificate that will be certified by the State by your officiant. You should always request extra copies (I ordered three extra) in case you need to send an official certificate to your bank or work place. Once you legally sign your marriage certificate with your NEW name, the name change process begins...
Q : What are the first places I need to go to start changing my name?A : Once your official marriage certificate arrives in the mail, the first place you need to visit is the Social Security Administration. Be prepared to wait in line as the wait is normally between 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending. Unfortunately, you must go in person to take care of your name change so bring a book (hey, why not ready THE NEST now that you're hitched?) and a jacket (brrr.... it's cold in that office). Once your social security card has been changed to reflect your new name, you can head to the DMV (great thing is you get to take a new photo with your new married woman glow!). You will need to flash your marriage certificate, your old drivers license and your new social security card in order for you to get issued a new drivers license. PS- If you don't drive, you can skip the DMV and go to the State ID office and flash the same docs! And finally, you should obtain a Passport Amendment/Validation Application from the Passport office. Luckily, you can mail this in with the appropriate fee, a certified marriage certificate and your old passport (yes, mail the entire thing in!). This is a great link to get all the info on where you need to go to start this process.
http://hawaii.gov/ltgov/office/nameQ : What are the next steps after getting my IDs changed?A : Now that you got all the big stuff changed like your drivers license, social security card and passport, you can take your new ID and marriage certificates to your bank to update your name (and address if needed) on your statements, checks and cards. You can change the following by mail and a phone call/fax... health insurance, credit cards, paystub, car registration, mortgage statement, post office, utility bills and your voters registration. Be patient, your name change will probably take a full six months to a year to complete. Keep your marriage certificate handy and make a check list of anything that gets mailed to you so you can notify them of your name change.
TIPS and ADVICE!Learn from my mistakes...
- Now that you know how long the name change process can be, it may be wiser to keep your maiden name on your passport AND your plane tickets if you're planning on traveling for your honeymoon. Bryson and I cruised through Europe five months after my wedding so I kept my maiden name on my passport and didn't start changing my name until after I returned. Remember, the name on your passport, plane tickets and all travel documents must be listed under the same name.
- In Hawaii, we are SO fortunate to have friends and relatives who shower us with monetary wedding gifts. We received a bunch of checks written to TANNA DANG - my married name - although I did not change my name yet. When it was time to make a deposit, our bank wouldn't accept the checks because it was under a name that didn't exist in their records! YIKES! Solution? Bryson and I both had to countersign the checks and deposit them into a joint account with both of our names on it.
- Think outside of the box :: If you're not sure about whether to change your name, think outside of the box! So instead of simply dropping your maiden name and adding on your new married name, here's a few fun options. Option 1 - hyphenate. What a neat way to bridge your two last names together. Tanna Takekawa-Dang. (do consider the long name you will also be giving your children down the line!) Option 2 - Use your maiden name as your middle name. This is what I opted for. I went from Tanna Colleen Takekawa to Tanna Takekawa Dang. Simple, clean and happy! (you must be OK saying bye to your middle name!) Option 3 - Change both names - the brides and the grooms! Marriage is the perfect time to change both of your names as a unit. I have a friend who recently got married and both she and her hubby signed their marriage certificates with a new name... introducing, Mr. and Mrs. Gray!
