Relationships

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!

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Laura C. Cannon

Today I am excited to introduce you to Laura C. Cannon. She is the founder of Ceremony Officiants™ is ranked the #1 wedding officiant company in the United States with more than a decade of experience creating beautiful, personalized ceremonies for couples of all backgrounds. Her diverse and friendly team of experienced professional officiants has performed over 3,000 weddings and maintains a perfect 5.0 average for reviews on WeddingWire and the Knot. In 2013 Laura launched a sister company, DC Elopements, which specializes in stress-free, simple elopements and mini-weddings in the Washington, D.C. area.

So, if you’re trying to decide on a wedding officiant or are curious what a career in “marriage” might be like… don’t miss Laura’s answers below!

Have you always been a wedding professional? If not, what was your previous career?
I was not always a wedding professional, but almost! The first company I started while still in college was an event planning company and weddings were certainly part of the mix. I sold that business and went on a spiritual journey that lead me to becoming ordained as a non-denominational minister. I always had the heart of an entrepreneur and was fortunate to grow up with two entrepreneurial parents. But having gone to college with the thought of having a typical 9-5 career, I decided that I had to travel down that path to have that experience. I worked in higher education in a salaried position and stayed there while I continued to officiate weddings and preside over funerals on the side. Eventually I decided to make the leap into working full-time in the wedding industry. I grew from solo-preneur to a team of wedding officiants that now covers several states, has spawned several other companies, including the formation of the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants.

What inspired you to create your company?
I was inspired to create my company when a student of mine who knew I was ordained asked if I would perform her wedding ceremony. While doing her wedding I had what Oprah calls an “Aha” moment where everything became clear. I knew I was meant to do another wedding and that it was the perfect use of a variety of skills I had been honing for years. That first year I did a handful of weddings just from referrals. The business continued to grow and then I decided to bring on my first associate officiant. It’s now been almost 15 years and we’ve performed thousands of weddings!

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
While I am thankful for the fact that I did not experience and “failures” in my business, there were certainly challenges. I think as an entrepreneur starting out in a new industry the biggest hurdle to cross is dealing with the fact that you don’t know what you don’t know. Everything is new. I had the challenges of learning a business and the industry it was inextricably a part of all at the same time.

What do you love most about your job?
I LOVE LOVE. Seriously. Having the opportunity to bear witness to two people in love make a sacred commitment to each other is the greatest joy of my life. People ask me all the time, “Now that you are an author and a speaker and run all these businesses are you going to stop officiating weddings?” No way! There is a Sanskrit word, mudita, which means the joy derived from the joy of others. It is my favorite kind of joy and I get to experience mudita every time I officiate. It doesn’t get better than that.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
My #1 piece of advice for brides is to plan for your married life, not just a wedding. The wedding is one day. Yes, it is an amazing extra-special day, but ultimately it is really just the first day of your married life. We spend so much time planning for this event and we forget to put just as much emphasis on planning for a great partnership with our spouse. Spend some of your time considering what your married life will be like: What do you each need to do to contribute meaningfully to your relationship? How will you best support each other as life inevitably changes?

Laura C. Cannon’s best advice for newlyweds

COMMUNICATE. We often have different styles of communication and the way one person expresses love may not be the way the other person receives love. We have to learn how to explicitly communicate with our partner. Your partner is NOT a mind reader and yet sometimes when we are in relationship with someone for a long time we start to assume they should “just know” when something is wrong. No, they shouldn’t. It is up to each of you to be responsible for communicating your own desires and needs explicitly. Couples who communicate explicitly and frequently have deeper intimacy than those who don’t. And that deep intimacy with another human being is the true gift of marriage.

Photo Credits: Headshot – Denis Largeron, Wedding Couple Photo – Justine Ungaro

Did you love the story and advice of Laura C. Cannon? If so, don’t miss Valerie Hammer’s Wedding Pro Wednesday feature!

3 Newlywed Holiday Tips

Looking for newlywed holiday tips? Being newlyweds opens an entirely new life…a life together. Most of the time that is an amazing thing to explore. Occasionally newlywed life can be a little scary as you navigate two families and holiday expectations. The worst thing you can do is “go with the flow” and make everyone but yourselves happy. Your first holidays together and how you handle them with your family will set a precedent for the rest of your married lives. Read on for a few tips to make the holidays more comfortable as newlyweds.

Holiday Tip 1: Know what you want for “your” holiday
If you and your spouse never discuss what would make you individually and collectively happy over the holidays, you’re setting yourselves up for unhappiness. Understanding the key thing for each person that makes a holiday special and making sure you prioritize those two things is tangible goal you can set and work to achieve together. If you have made a holiday plan together, it will be easier to communicate with your families. Instead of stammering and somehow agreeing to a dinner you know your spouse will hate. You can say “We made a plan to spend Christmas Eve in front of the fire together as newlyweds.”

Holiday Tip 2: Set gift expectations
Even if you have been dating for years, marriage can change a person’s expectations around the holidays. Talk about setting a gift budget for each other and your families. You won’t lose the element of surprise, but you will mitigate the disaster of supremely mis-matched gifts and hurt feelings. Unsure what to get each other? Consider booking a trip or purchasing a gym membership together. Memories and good habits early on will influence your marriage for years to come!

Holiday Tip 3: You can’t do it all
As you are building your married relationship, you can be tempted to do everything possible to make your spouse, family, their family, and friends happy. Don’t, it’s a recipe for burnout. Take this holiday season as a time to reflect on who is important to you and spend time with them. Not everyone needs a gift. Sometimes a coffee, cocktail, or email is all you need to spread cheer and good will.

As you enter into the holiday season with your husband or wife…remember how blessed you are to be spending it with the person you love. Don’t forget to tell them, take pictures, make memories, and have fun! Happy holidays newlyweds!

Newlywed Needs: What To Do After “I do”

Do you know what to do after “I do?” Newlywed life is pretty great. You just married the love of your life, most likely honeymooned somewhere amazing and now can look forward to spending the rest of your lives together. At some point, most newlyweds hit the “so now what” point. No need to feel lost…here’s a list of newlywed to-do’s to keep you moving forward in marital bliss.

Newlywed To Do #1: Make a Name Change Decision
Now that you’re a newlywed, one or both of you have the option to change your name. Discuss your thoughts on the topic and then make a decision together. The longer you wait to change your name (if that is your plan) the more places you will need to change it. As a newlywed you’re going to end up merging a few accounts and creating new ones. Having the name you intend to have for life prior to making those changes will save you the time and stress of having to change your name on both old and new accounts. If you’re overwhelmed with all the places you need to change your name, use the MissNowMrs online name change service to go from Miss to Mrs. in minutes!

Newlywed To Do #2: Merge Bank/Insurance Accounts
Now that’ you’re an official “household” you can use your newlywed status to score discounted rates on home, health and auto insurance! Do a little research to see what company offers the best deal and then delegate who changes what and who pays what. I suggest separate bank accounts and a joint savings account as a key way to keeping a happy marriage, but if one of you is a financial wiz, you may elect to merge all of your bank accounts.

Newlywed To Do #3: Handle the Holidays
Holidays (much like weddings) bring out the best and worst in families. Putting together a plan of where you will be for each holiday, and ideally which holiday you’ll host in your home, will help you navigate the holidays as newlyweds and set the tone for future family celebrations. Just “going with the flow” is a great way to enter holiday hell, upset family members on both sides and miss the true reason for whatever season you’re in.

Newlywed To Do #4: Create a 5 Year Plan
You’re newlyweds and the world is your oyster. Now is the time to decide what is important to you both and where you want to be in five years. Do you want to own your own home, get a secondary degree, purchase a pet, have children or travel the world in the next five years? The answers to these questions will help you map out your finances and goals. It’s such an exciting time…make the most of it and make sure you end up where you want to. You’re in charge of your happily ever after!

Once you’ve followed our tips for what to do after “I do.” don’t miss a list of our best fun ideas for things to do after the wedding.

5 Fun Fall Newlywed Activities

here are 5 fun newlywed activities that will help you enjoy fall and each other! As newlyweds, it’s easy to be so wrapped up in married life and the juggle of your schedules that you forget to take time to savor the seasons. Hence us making you a list!

Go Apple Picking – Wait for a crisp fall morning and head to a local orchard. You can spend the day picking apples together (hello photo op) and then come home and either eat them fresh or use them for pies or applesauce. Unsure where to go? Use this resource to locate an orchard in your state.

Attend a Football Game – Whether you opt for your local college/high school team or a professional team, get geared up and go to a football game. There’s nothing like cheering together and then snuggling under a quilt in the stands for building Fall memories together. Eat fun treats, enjoy the halftime show and head home knowing you didn’t miss out on a timeless Fall tradition.

Carve a Pumpkin – Remember making jack-o-lanterns as kids? Guest what? It’s still fun as an adult (especially if you add cocktails)! Stop by a local pumpkin stand or simply go to the grocery store to select your perfect gourd. You can have a competition to see who carves the best face or work as a team on a more elaborate design to grace your table. Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a good time.

Enjoy The Leaves – Take a walk through a park or plan a drive through gorgeous section of fall foliage. Admiring the beauty of the season is good for you souls. An alternate way to make the most of fall is to rake leaf piles in your yard and jump in them or use them to fuel a bonfire.

Plan Your Halloween Costumes Early – No one enjoys scrambling for a last minute costume. All the normal sizes and good ideas are always sold out leaving you to be over-sized Mickey and Mini or even worse Barney. If you start planning early enough, you can even make your costumes! Check out this site for 25 DIY couple costume ideas.

Whether you use our 5 Fun Fall Newlywed Activities or not. The important thing is to enjoy the season and each other. Taking time to make memories is never a bad idea and is always great for your relationship!

Did you get married this fall? If so, don’t miss our list of tips ideas, solutions, and tips for newlyweds!

Weddings: A Sparkler Moment In Life

Do you know what a sparkler moment is? As our country celebrates its independence, thousands of couples will be tying the knot over the holiday weekend. This photo made me think of how a wedding is similar to a “sparkler” in life.

It’s one of those exciting, life-changing events that will always make you smile when you think about it. Think of the fun you had as a child running with sparklers in the lawn. You felt that same thrill as you walked down the aisle and said “I do” to the love of your life.

Cherish the “sparkler moments’ in your relationship…they’re the best parts of newlywed and married life! This Fourth of July I suggest purchasing a box of sparklers with your spouse and saying one of your best relationship moments out loud as you light each sparkler. Then dance and run around like two little kids with fireworks in hand!