Real Name Change Stories

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

Michelle H’s Real Name Change Story

Are you ready for a new newlywed’s real name change story?! We are! Don’t miss the love at first sight story of Michelle H, and the factors that played into her married name change decision.

Greg and I met in a time of our lives where we needed someone to fill voids. When we met, I was not sure of him, it was at a restaurant and he wanted to get together away from our friends to talk. I think I was not sure, because I never felt such a connection to someone like I did with him. We spent the whole night until 3AM talking about us and from that moment we never spent a day apart.

Our wedding day was amazing. We did not focus on the guests (though they were very important) we focused on us. We wanted only very close friends and family because it was not about the show, but the feeling of the day. We were able to enjoy each other the whole time and focus on having fun with our friends and family.
We got married on the water and the day couldn’t have been more perfect. We also did not go over budget and kept the entire event under $4,000.

Changing my name was a given, because our boys have my husband’s last name, so my name needed to be changed to match them. There was no question about it. The best part of my name change is being a Miller. I feel whole, and my family is complete.
The hardest part of my name change was the amount of time it took. Though it was a long process, it’s well worth it. The information MissNowMrs gave me was very helpful with my name change, as well as the convenience of having all paper work needed for changing at all the offices.

Don’t do it for anyone else but you. Don’t cause unnecessary stress and keep it personal. No one will remember the napkins but will remember the people and moment.

Morgan’s Real Name Change Story

We’re so excited to share Morgan’s real name change story! How amazing is this first look photo?! Don’t miss how being best friends resulted in a 200 person wedding in Chicago, how Morgan cried (happy tears) the first time someone called her by her married name, and her advice for fellow newlyweds!!

Matt & I met when we were 18 through a mutual friend (who ended up being our best man). We remained acquaintances through college then when we graduated we both moved back to Denver & reconnected. We were both dating other people but we instantly became best friends. I could not get enough of him & we talked every single day. After about a year of being ‘best friends’ we realized we were supposed to be together. We went 0-100 which freaked some people out, but it was the best decision either of us ever made.

We got engaged in Nov 2015 the day before Thanksgiving. Matt was in law school so we set the wedding date for July 27, 2018 in Chicago, my hometown. We both come from huge families & have a lot of friends from over the years so it was a huge wedding at the Bridgeport Art Center in downtown Chicago. We had 20 people in our bridal party, 200+ guests & it was literally the best day of my life!

I always knew I wanted to take Matt’s last name – he is the most wonderful man I’ve ever known & his family is wonderful – I couldn’t wait to be a Bennett! We discussed hyphenating my maiden name & his last name, but ultimately I was set on changing it.The first time a stranger called me “Mrs. Bennett” I literally cried. I always called myself that among our friends/family but having someone who didn’t know me (and how obsessed I was with Matt & our wedding) but hearing it so organically was just the best.
I love my maiden name and I have a very big but close knit family. Not being a Kovacs anymore felt like I was separated from them for a while, but they know I’ll always be a Kovacs at heart. And they love Matt, so me becoming a Bennett was a big deal for all of us.
I’m what the call the ULTIMATE PROCRASTINATOR! I have lists & ideas for days but what I get accomplished is a whole ‘other topic! MissNowMrs put everything together for me, shipped it to me with the labels I needed to send them to the correct offices & all I had to do was sign & put it in the mailbox. They also covered things I didn’t think of like credit cards & other typical bills that I would have had to deal with. I’m so glad I found this site.

Being married is the best! The day after our wedding, waking up with my HUSBAND (and not having to plan a wedding anymore) was the best feeling I’ve ever felt. Cherish the little things and always remind yourself why you chose to marry that person.
Welcome to the club!

Photo Credit: Leslie Van Stelten Photography

Shaina’s Real Name Change Story

We all love a good love story, and as name-change experts we love the backstory of a good name change decision. Today’s Shaina’s real name change story has both! Read on for a story including high school sweethearts, broken bones, high heels, and a name change decision that spanned several years!

Mark and I went to the same grade school, junior high and high school. Our first date was in 2008 to his junior prom and we dated for 1.5 years after that. Mark went to college and I was still in high school, so we broke up for about 10 months. Then I went to the same college he did because I was continuing as an athlete, not just because of him. We dated off and on for most of my freshman year and then we took a long break, but we were constantly together, or texting, just like we were together. We officially got back together the second semester of my sophomore year of college, and have been going strong ever since!

I had thought about my wedding day for most of my life. I knew I wanted a late fall wedding, on a 3 day weekend and my heart was set on November. I did just that. We had our wedding and reception in the same building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. It was a very chilly day, but when you’re so excited to marry the best person in your life, you don’t really care. Also, two weeks before our wedding day we went to a Halloween party. My foot was stepped on by someone who had had too much to drink and they lost their balance, pushing me over, while my foot was stuck under theirs breaking the top of my foot. I was in a boot for 14 weeks, but you better believe I walked down the aisle in my wedding heels, significantly worsening the break, but it was 100% worth it

We talked about name changes long before we even got engaged. At the time, I was sure that I would just take his name and that would be the end of it. However, the closer we got to getting married, the less excited I was about getting rid of my maiden name completely. I went back and forth for a year on what I wanted to do. In our state you have to get a new license at 26, so I said I would wait until then to change my name. But when the time came, I didn’t change it at 26!

I said we had to move before I would change my name, but the 2 year window of only having to provide your marriage license was quickly approaching, so I really sat down and thought about what I wanted my name to be. I wrote it out every which way, I thought about if we had children how would I want them to have their names. I even thought about how I felt growing up when my mom married my step-dad and I was the only one who didn’t have the same name in their family. Did I want to spend the rest of my life feeling like that with my husband and children? Finally I decided, I was going to have two middle names. My middle name and my maiden name. It felt like the perfect combination of keeping who I am and my grandfather’s family name, but being a part of my family that I am creating with my husband.

I had finally come to a decision, filled out my MissNowMrs paperwork, took it to the DMV and every time (three times to be exact) they went to change my name the computer system froze! I was there over an hour and didn’t get to change my name. Talk about karma lol. I am returning this coming Saturday to try again. I think I will be excited about my name change once it happens, but I have a lot of apprehension when it comes to change. I am a creature of habit, so this will be out of my comfort zone for sure. I correct people when they call me Mrs. because that’s not my name. I think I’ll have to work hard to break that habit. All I had heard was how time consuming changing your name can be, probably can add that to the list of why I put my name change off. MissNowMrs got the paperwork completed in under 20 minutes, I printed it out and took it with me to the office and boom it was done! I honestly wish I would have done it sooner.

The advice I have for newlyweds is to enjoy your time together, don’t rush into what you think the next step needs to be, just be spouses for a while. It’s really awesome! Even though we lived together for a couple years before we got married, there is still some excitement and happiness that comes with even getting to say that you are going home to your husband. I just want us to build a life as two people and enjoy every part of that.

Photo Credit: Nick Goodin Photography

Brittany’s Real Name Change Story

We love love, and you’re going to love Brittany’s real name change story! Don’t miss her story of love at first sight, an island proposal, and of course the thoughts and factors that went into her name change decision.

My now-husband and I first met online through the popular dating website, Plenty of Fish, just over two years ago. We both remember it very fondly because we met on February 29th that leap year! After talking online for about a week while I was out of state visiting my best friend, we finally met in person on March 10th, 2016. The rest, as they say, is history. I remember calling all of my close friends after our first date and telling them “I am going to marry this man.” I just knew from that day forward that he was the man that I would spend the rest of my life with.

In June of the following year during a road trip from Texas to Florida, he proposed to me on a remote island about 11 miles off the coast of Biloxi, Mississippi. We were recently married on March 31st, 2018 at our favorite garden in the Dallas Arboretum and it was absolutely perfect. The entire day was filled with nothing but love, joy, and happiness and we truly could not have envisioned a more perfect wedding day! It is a memory that the two of us will cherish forever.

We discussed the idea of changing my name very early on in our engagement. I have always been extremely open to the idea of changing my name after marriage, so there was really not too much for us to mutually consider.

For me personally, the best and most exciting part of changing my name is what it symbolizes. It is not only symbolic of me coming into a new and loving family, but it also marks the beginning of the creation of our own new family.

My maiden name is not the name of my birth father, so I do not possess any particularly strong ties to it. I know that this is something that many new brides seem to struggle with (and rightfully so), so in a way I am rather fortunate that this has not been an issue for me.

Shortly after the “honeymoon bliss” had faded, I began to do some research into the name change process. I am not sure what I had initially expected, but I certainly didn’t expect the process to be so confusing, time consuming, and utterly exhausting! As an already extremely busy person, I could just feel my anxiety beginning to worsen each time I thought about how I was ever going to get everything taken care of.

MissNowMrs has been not only a game-changer, but a life saver! Their service has helped to significantly ease the grueling process of name changing and I highly recommend their services to any bride looking to alleviate that post-wedding burden!

The greatest advice that my husband and I have to give to other newlyweds is “don’t sweat the small stuff”. Whether it is before, during, or after the wedding day, random inconveniences will inevitably arise. Do what you can to avoid them, but know that together you can overcome them!

Photo Credit: Pina Photography

Jeny’s Real Name Change Story

The Love Story

We’re excited to share the Real Name Change Story of newlywed, Jeny D. Read how this English teacher met the love of her life on stage in Baltimore, honored her late father with an ice cream bar at her wedding, and what made her decide to change her name as an ardent feminist.

Will and I met on the stage of a local theater, about 7 years ago. And although the stage was rife with mosquitoes and the sticky humidity of a Baltimore summer, I was instantly head over heels for Will. Will, on the other hand, barely noticed me*. The next summer, we again shared a stage, this time cast opposite each other.However, the following summer was different. The mosquitoes and humidity didn’t change, but I played opposite Will and we developed crushes on each other, which turned into friendship. Over the course of the summer we talked, flirted, and eventually had our first kiss. However, when the summer was over, he went back to college, and I back to work.

The summer ended, but our friendship continued. A few years later, we reconnected when I interned just down the street from his apartment. They decided to get together for a drink. A drink turned into a date. A date turned into a relationship. And a relationship into a marriage.

*Will would like to say that is categorically untrue; that he most certainly did notice Jeny, he was just playing it cool for the first time in his life. A little too cool, it would seem.

Our wedding day was perfect. We’re both art/literature people, and our ceremony included 3 poems and a short message about the beauty of marriage. Will and I had our first dance to a jazz rendition of the Harry Potter theme. We stayed away from top 40 hits and chose our favorite 80s, 90s, and Elvis songs that kept everyone on the dance floor all night.

My dad passed away about a year before the wedding. Will and I wanted to include something that would honor and acknowledge him, and celebrate his life and influence on us without it seeming trite or morose. So we decided to have the “Dan Timmel Memorial Ice Cream Bar”, a true celebration for the slender man who ate ice cream every day. Will wore a kilt, in honor of his Scottish heritage, and we decorated with an art deco motif, because, as my dad told us, “the theme of any wedding should be marriage.”

The Name Change Narrative

As an ardent feminist, I knew I would need a really cool last name to make me want to change my name! There are a few other factors: First of all, I am adopted, I am Italian, but “Timmel” is German, so while I am most certainly a Timmel, I’m not a Timmel, if that makes sense. My dad passed away a year ago, so to honor him, and the incredible impact he had on helping me become the strong, funny, independent woman I am today, I am changing my middle name to Timmel. Will, as in many things, was eternally supportive and said he would be happy whatever I chose, but he did encourage me to take Timmel as my middle name.

Honestly, the most exciting part of changing my name is getting called “Jeny Dalrymple”, especially when Will is around. We share a smile and it feels like we’re little kids in our own exclusive club.

The hardest part of changing my name was all the forms and the order in which they need to be filed. I’m a high school English teacher. I like to think I’m pretty smart and can figure things out on my own, but this was just too much for me to keep organized. It’s the kind of thing that I would have called my dad about and gotten his help, so I figured I had to either spend a couple Saturdays just pushing through or get some outside help.

I might not have ever changed my name without help from MissNowMrs. Not only supplying each of the necessary documents, but including information on what individual questions were asking, how to find information required, and a huge database. I can confidently say MissNowMrs saved me well over 15 hours of work. You’ve made it accessible, easy, and very user friendly.

IT’S WORTH IT! The stress of a wedding combined with the excitement, and stress of truly beginning a life together (whether you’ve lived with your partner before or not) can feel overwhelming. There are so many steps to take to change your name with everyone.

Newlywed Advice

My mom always told me with any major event (live moving) “Expect 3 things to go wrong. When the first one happens, you say, ‘There’s #1!’, and usually by the time you get to 3 problems, the move is over.” Don’t let glitches get to you. Remember, this is forever; the big picture is that you’re with the love of your life, for better or worse, don’t let little things become the “worse.”