Name Change Advice

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!

3 Ways to Know You Chose the Right Married Name

Changing your name after marriage is a very personal choice. You have to consider your heritage, career, and how you feel deep inside about changing your name. While 88% of U.S. brides opt to change their names, not all of them explore their options before making the switch. It’s important to use our 3 ways to know you chose the right married name.

Game Show Winner

You know the person the camera always pans to when a winner is announced during a game show? The crazy person jumping up and down and screaming. You can feel confident in your name change choice if you feel that same way whenever someone says your new name. Feeling that I-can’t-believe-how-lucky-I-am-right-now joy is a dead giveaway that you made a great choice.

Married Name Monogram Happy

Another indicator that you’ve chosen the perfect married name is your feeling toward monogramed or personalized items. Newlyweds who can’t help loading up on items like pillows, wine glasses, & ring dishes are typically happy with their new names. Think about it. If you’re purchasing items showcasing your new married name, you’re proud and excited about that decision and change!

Diner Delight

If you can contain your smiles as you make dinner reservations for Mr. and Mrs. Smith… guess what? You love your new married name! It is completely okay to revel in the newness of your marriage and name. Enjoy it! Hopefully as you are led to your 50th wedding anniversary dinner you will still smile as you hear your married name.

Now you know the 3 Ways to Know You Chose the Right Married Name. If you still haven’t changed your name, we can help! Use the MissNowMrs name change app or online service to streamline the process from 13 hours to 13 minutes.

Bravo TV & Married Name Change

There’s a running joke in the MissNowMrs office. When I come back from a meeting, I always ask “Did Martha call?” I’m a huge Martha Stewart fan. Occasionally, we hear from the editors of Martha Stewart Weddings, but Martha has yet to personally give me a buzz. So how does Bravo TV & married name change come together?

So, you can imagine my surprise when I asked if Martha called, and someone said “No, but Bravo TV did.” That’s one of the best parts of being an entrepreneur. The unexpected and incredibly interesting opportunities that stem from building a company and expertise in a certain area. Bravo TV isn’t launching a series chronicling married name change, but they were interested in my viewpoints on name change after marriage.

As I have spent the last decade helping hundreds of thousands of women transition from their maiden names to their married names, I’ve learned a great deal about the topic. I’ve seen shifts in naming conventions, such as maiden to middle name rising in popularity as hyphenated last names wane. There’s also a pretty incredible sociological shift occurring. Today’s brides are so comfortable in their equality in their relationships that they do not view name change as something that infers ownership or being a “lesser partner.” In fact, many of the brides I speak with see name change after marriage as a reflection of personal style or a way to symbolically show that they are “all in” in regards to their marriage.

If you’re curious what Bravo TV wrote about married name change, and the insights I shared. Here’s a link to their name change article. Happy reading!

Flower Man: A Modern Twist on the Flower Girl

Weddings that showcase a couples’ style are always the best. The non-traditional nods to the bride or groom’s personality are what guests remember and talk about. When couples do “them” the event becomes more intimate and personal. Recently, a couple decided to have a flower man… and it was perfect!

How does a flower man happen? The back story is that the bride and her cousin were flower girl and ring bearer together as children. She wanted to include him in her wedding, and he really wanted to re-create their childhood memory. So, instead of cute kids tossing flowers ahead of the bride, in this wedding a 28 year old flower man did the honor.

Guests were amused, and what bride could be stressed or worried after laughing at an adult flower man using the same flower basket she used as a flower girl years ago?! Hats off to this creative spin on the flower girl. We like it almost as much as grandma flower girls! To any bride reading this, don’t worry so much about what others will think. Plan the wedding that matches your relationship… you’ll thank yourself later!

Original Story: Huffington Post
Photo Credit: Erin Moore Photography

This Year’s “It” Bridal Bag

When it comes to weddings, most brides obsess about the dress. Then they use its style to tie together all of the facets of their wedding day. Wedding dresses are very important. But, so are the details ladies! Veils, shoes, jewelry, and purses allow you to further personalize your bridal look. Don’t miss out on this year’s “it” bridal bag!

While veils and shoes are often carried at wedding boutiques. Bridal bags seem to fall off of the wedding fashion checklist. Not to worry! We have discovered the chicest bridal bags designed by a woman entrepreneur. Laura Lee Designs creates hand-crafted purses that are absolutely perfect! The Stepping Out Clutch is an elegant purse with full beading and magnetic closure. Each bag is hand-beaded. And, it has upwards of 10,000 beads. Talk about beautiful attention to detail!

Aside from the gorgeous exteriors. Our favorite part of Laura Lee’s bags are the luxurious interiors. Four pockets are sewn inside, with the embroidered words “Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue.” They are instant Instagram fodder. AND something you can carry long after you have walked down the aisle in style.

Imagine re-using your clutch for anniversaries and special events. You’ll be able to remember your big day. And, even talk about it when you receive compliments on your clutch years later. We’re declaring The Stepping Out Clutch and Bridal M Bags the “it bridal bags” of the year!

As you plan your perfect day, don’t forget your name change. If you’re planning to change your name after marriage, our name change app and service will save you 13 hours of hassle!

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee

Our Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee feature is not to be missed. I am delighted to introduce you to the founder of Bellajenna. Bellajenna is a small, woman-owned business that designs custom stationery and greeting cards. Jennifer’s designs are inspired by beauty, fashion and a whimsy for life. I love that she used her background in fashion to launch a company in a totally different industry that allowed her design skills to take flight.

So, if you are interested in starting a stationary company, or simply love stories of women turning personal hobbies and creativity into businesses, don’t miss Jennifer’s answers to my questions below!

Have you always been a wedding professional?

Before starting Bellajenna, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC which lead to a career in the Fashion Industry. Starting as a merchandiser at Tommy Hilfiger, I went on to be the fashion editor for a popular fashion magazine. I would be fortunate enough throughout my career to work with a number of designers and creatives, and spent my final 7 years in the industry as a merchandiser at Calvin Klein Jeans.

What inspired you to create your company?

While at CKJ I got engaged. I didn’t design our invitations (admittedly we ordered from a big stationery company) but I did notice I had a thing for stationery. I enjoyed envisioning our storyboard, colors and all the things that go into design. Which made me realize that my background in fashion could also be applied to designing stationery. I started playing around with creating invitations and cards. Eventually making wedding shower invitations and other stationery as a hobby for my New York and fashion industry friends.

Two years after getting married, my husband and I (along with our little long haired dachshund Sienna) decided to move to the DC area. This was a move that made me nervous at first. NYC had been my home for 15 years! And, not to mention, DC wasn’t a place rooted around the fashion industry and its corporate offices like NYC.
But, we made the move and I fell in love with DC! And just after 2 months of being here I decided to turn my hobby and love of stationery into my new career. So, in early 2009 Bellajenna was born.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?

I would have to say I was very fortunate when I started Bellajenna. Within the first month of launching the business and on a whim, I set up a booth in Capital Hill’s Eastern Market. That very first weekend one of my customers turned out to be the manager of a boutique store near the White House. She ended up placing an order for the store on the spot! Selling at Eastern Market gave me such great exposure. There I sold my greeting cards and stationery on the weekends and Bellajenna started growing organically. From my line of greeting cards clients started requesting wedding invitations, baby invitations and so on.

What do you love most about your job?
This might sound cliché but the best part of owning my own business is doing what I love to do, and making a living doing it. And the bonus is being a part of my clients very special moments.

What is your best advice related to wedding stationary?

Planning your wedding and dealing with all the choices does not have to be overwhelming. For me, I actually found deciding on our venue and cake easier than picking out our invitation design! My advice, and I’ll keep it simple, is first have a budget in mind. As with all your wedding planning, having an idea of how much you can or want to spend will guide you better through this process. Choosing your wedding paper is most often one of your first big decisions. Don’t fret, there are wonderful options that suit all budgets.

Second, think about your style – are you traditional or modern, what wedding colors are you considering, and so on.

Thirdly, if you have the option, work with a designer. Working with a stationer will at least make your life much easier. Whether you know from the beginning or not that you want to work with a stationer, a little planning with this decision will go a long way too. The internet makes everything easier today. And this includes researching your wedding paper and stationary.

My advice is to look at online sources like top wedding websites and blogs. These resources are a good source for information about stationery companies and other wedding vendors. You can check reviews and even see some designs. Then contact the stationer/s. Conduct your own interview – If they are local, is it an option to meet in person? Are they open about their pricing and services? Do you connect with this person? Do they seem easy to work with, or will every request be met with a fee?

At the end of the day, you should get the feeling that your wedding and invitations are as important to the stationer as to you. Pick a good professional with great style and they will guide you through this process with ease and care.

What is your best of advice for newlyweds?
My advice for newlyweds is to always remember the happiness and love you shared together on your wedding day. The love you build together should also be reinforced by the strong friendship you build with one another.

woman-owned stationary company Bellajenna

Did you love our Wedding Pro Wednesday: Jennifer Lavallee feature? We’d love to feature your wedding-related business too! Send our features department an email or message us on MissNowMrs.com.