Sweet Melissa

a little blog about a sweet life

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Wedding Series Part 7 – Miss to Mrs.

Congratulations! You are married! You have one last thing to do (besides write your thank you notes). Change your last name! Are you ready to go from Miss to Mrs.? Use this helpful guide to get started.

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When to change your last name

I waited about six months after marriage to change my name. We went on our honeymoon three months after our wedding and all the documentation (including my passport) was in my maiden name. We also bought a house shortly after our honeymoon and that was a long, drawn out process. I didn’t want to be in the middle of a name change and potentially have issues with travel or buying a house so I waited.

You can change your name today, tomorrow or never! It’s totally up to you when the time is right. If you are a professional and well known under your maiden name you may not want to change your last name. I know several doctors and lawyers who still go by their maiden name. If you are ready to make the change, though, it really is not that hard.

How to change your last name

You can do it the old fashioned way (like I did) or there are online services that do it all for you. Websites like hitchswitch, which is run by theknot.com, and missnowmrs.com take your information and do the work for you. I’m a little more old school and wasn’t too thrilled about putting all of my personal information (like, my entire identity) on the internet so I went step-by-step and door-to-door.

First Things First

You need an original marriage certificate that is signed, dated and stamped with a seal. I bought three from my town’s health department (usually it is Town Hall or wherever your license was filed). Scan the marriage certificate so you have an electronic copy handy. Make copies of the originals, too. Some places require an original marriage certificate (which is why I bought three) and some places will accept copies or electronic versions.

What you need to change

  • Social Security card – I did this first because there were a few items on my list that required my new social security card. You can fill out a form and mail it in or go in person. Call me crazy, but I went to the closest social security administration. I printed the form online and had it filled out and ready to go when I got there. The wait was surprisingly not too bad and I was in and out within a half hour. My new social security card was mailed to me within 7 days.
  • Driver’s License – Call me crazy again, but I went to the DMV at 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon right before they were closing up for the weekend. It was actually fairly quick, too! I went to my local DMV and made sure I had all of my points and proof of information ready (just bring EVERYTHING with your old name, new name and address on it!). When you are prepared the process is fast and easy.
  • Passport – Updating your passport is also pretty painless if you are prepared. I downloaded the form online and mailed it. The process takes up to two months but it’s really just waiting time and no action for you. I needed to mail an original marriage certificate and my old passport with the form. They send everything back to you but you will be without it for a while which is why I bought a few copies of my marriage certificate.
  • Bank Accounts – This is important, especially if you now have joint accounts. It took less than an hour for us to go to the bank and literally just sign a few pieces of paper stating I was changing my name. Again, I came prepared with my marriage certificate and new social security card and driver’s license (just in case).

Once you have a new social security card and driver’s license the rest is easy. You will probably just need to make a few phone calls and maybe electronically send a copy of your marriage certificate.

  • Employer/Payroll – If you want to get paid make sure this is updated!
  • Credit Cards – I literally took every card out of my wallet and made phone calls to change anything that had my maiden name.
  • Postal/Mail – I didn’t go to the post office to change my name. Instead, I kept track of the mail I received to see what needed to be changed and made phone calls from there. Now, if I get mail addressed to my maiden name I know it’s junk.
  • Electric/Water/Cable, etc. – I updated these when I got the bill in the mail but some companies are paperless now so be sure to double check.
  • Schools – This wasn’t necessary for me but it could be something you want to update.
  • Landlord/Mortgage Company – I updated this when I updated my bank accounts.
  • Insurance Companies – I updated these when I got the bill in the mail but some companies are paperless now so be sure to double check.
  • Vehicle Information – I updated these when I got the bill in the mail but some companies are paperless now so be sure to double check.
  • Doctor’s Office/Pharmacy – I updated this as I made appointments. Most of my doctors are in the same network so I didn’t have to make the change too many times.
  • Veterinarian – It took me forever to change this (poor Rocco). Every time I called I couldn’t remember if he was under my maiden name or married name and it got really annoying (for me).
  • Voter’s Registration
  • Investments
  • Memberships and Subscriptions – This includes things like magazines, gym memberships, etc.
  • Will – Only if you have one.
  • Email accounts
  • Return Address Labels

If you still feel like you’re missing something after all of this just be sure to check your name on EVERYTHING as a situation or piece of mail or whatever comes up. The hardest part about all of this is getting used to your new name! I still write or say my maiden name by accident. It’s a hard habit to break.

Check out my other Wedding Series posts:

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