Wedding Planning

Weddings are many things. They are fun, they are expensive, they need much of preparation, but a wedding is as well most importantly a legal issue. And so, there are measures the couple have to accept so that the marriage is recognised in the eyes of the law. They will need a marriage license, but ahead of that, the bride has to make a significant decision – to accept her future husband's surname or to continue to use her maiden name.

You would think that a name was just a name and altering it would not be such a big deal, but it really is. With earlier generations whether or not a woman altered her family name was something that was not afforded a second thought. The woman accepted her husband's name and that was that. But of late, women have disputed this tradition. There is no law that says a woman's last name has to change in marriage, so actually this decision is a matter of personal choice.

For those women who do choose to change their last names, the process to change is not hard, but it can be time-consuming. As well as making the change with the federal SSA, which really where it all starts, a woman has to also change the name on her driving licence and registration, her charge card accounts, her bank and other financial/insurance associated papers, utilities, property deeds, clubs at which she is a member, and at her place of work – not only for HR and income tax purposes, but so that a new email address and new business cards can be produced.

And whilst you are carrying out the process of altering your name, you may wish to think about changing your address, too. You have just got to double-check the timing. If it does not work out right, you can pick up a change of address kit easily enough and fill out this when you come back from the honeymoon. It is not actually essential to start the process of changing your name till around two weeks before your wedding, so do whatever makes most sense. Another aspect of the name change process that needs some timing is planning your honeymoon. You may be better off making your bookings using your maiden name if you will not have official ID (or an updated passport) with your new name set up before you leave. You do not want to go through any unneeded holds ups.

While dealing with your marriage license, make sure to check the requirements in your state of residence early. Every state will vary with some states needing one or more witnesses and others calling for blood tests and/or physical exams, and yet others wanting something else like a waiting period. Irrespective of the state, expect to pay for a marriage license. Costs will vary from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $100 or more. You will both need to be present and you will probably need to bring a birth certificate and proper ID.