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!

Wedding Pro Wednesday: Valerie Hammer

It’s Wedding Pro Wednesday! The day I showcase a wedding professional’s startup story as well as their advice for brides-to-be and newlyweds. Who better to give that advice than the professionals who work with engaged and married couples 365 days a year? The professionals behind dream weddings deserve a little limelight themselves!

Today I am excited to introduce you to Valerie Hammer, an amazing DC-based makeup artist and the founder of Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry. I heard about her from a circle of girl friends, you know the ones you turn to when you need a really great recommendation. I was looking for someone to do my makeup for a photoshoot for my book cover, and every single friend said I had to call Valerie Hammer. So of course I booked an appointment! When I met Valerie I was immediately put at ease by how professional yet approachable she was. She listened to what I wanted, and worked her magic (which includes an entire armoire drawer of false lashes). I looked like a better version of myself… and felt like a super model business woman for the day!

If you are curious about professional makeup for your wedding, or makeup artistry as a possible career, Valerie’s story and advice are perfect for you. Read her answers to my questions below!

What inspired you to create your company?
I spent 9 years working in the credit industry during the week, while building a freelance makeup business on weekends. As the bridal niche kind of “found me” I decided to leave the credit industry in 2014 to dedicate more time to my makeup clients. I was inspired to create Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry because I knew I wanted to spend my life doing something I truly enjoyed. There is nothing more gratifying to me than making people feel absolutely beautiful.

What was your biggest obstacle and failure in going from idea to business?
My biggest obstacle was the thought of leaving the “security” of my corporate job. I had a 401k, stock options, medical benefits, PTO and sick days, and a steady/dependable paycheck. The idea of transitioning to a career that was highly flexible without the security was terrifying.

What do you love most about your job?
From a literal perspective? It’s the reaction that I get from a client when they look in the mirror after their makeup is done. On a larger scale? I love knowing that my clients will look back on their wedding/event photos years down the road and remember that they felt beautiful on one of the most important days of their lives.

What is your best advice for brides related to your area of expertise?
Don’t be afraid to speak up during your trial run. Remember that this is YOUR day, and your vision is my #1 goal. As a professional I will help guide your vision into what flatters your features and will ultimately compliment the rest of your look. What’s most important is that YOU feel beautiful, and your makeup artist can only accomplish that if you tell us what you like and what makes you feel comfortable.

What is your best advice for newlyweds?
Always remember that you and your spouse are a team. You may not always agree on everything (because having your own opinion is also very important.) But make sure you consciously respect each others’ opinions because in the end, you guys are building a life together….as a team. The larger life decisions are ultimately much easier to make when you and your spouse are working together to make them.

Photo credit: Elisenda Llinares Photography

The Perfect Bridal Shower Gift Formula

Are you searching for the perfect bridal shower gift this season? Before the big days of friends and family members comes a flurry of brunches, teas, and afternoons filled with celebrating the bride-to-be. While every event may be different, you do need a shower gift. Not to worry, we have the perfect formula to help you bring the best shower gift for each of your friends!

Something Nostalgic + Something Helpful + Something Beautiful = The Perfect Shower Gift

Something Nostalgic
The first component of your gift should be something that will remind the bride of your friendship or her new relationship. If she met her fiancé in Spain, a tapas cookbook or a gift card to a Spanish restaurant would be perfect! If the two of you spent hours at a particular shop or spa, a goodie from that establishment is a great way to remind her of all of the good times you have had as friends.

Something Helpful
If you’re already married you have amassed married knowledge your friend needs. Think of something that was difficult for you as a newlywed or something you wish someone had given you. A MissNowMrs gift card is a perfect component for your perfect shower gift. It saves the bride 13 hours of hassle on her name change! Instead of standing in long office lines and stressing about what form to file when and where, she’ll breeze through the process in 30 minutes! You will absolutely receive a thank you note for this gift!

Something Beautiful
Weddings are filled with beauty, so of course wedding shower gifts should have a beautiful component. This can range from a mini perfume with floral notes for her wedding day, to gorgeous wrapping paper in her wedding colors, to your favorite bridal beauty item. Again, think of your friend. If she isn’t into super fussy things, skip the lace and give her elegant stationary or an engraved business card holder in her new name.

We hope this formula helps you create perfect personalized bridal shower gifts for the amazing women in your life. Enjoy this season of love!

70% of Americans Believe Women Should Change Their Name After Marriage: A Name Change Expert Sounds Off

70% of Americans believe women should change their name after marriage. And, half of the citizens of the United States believe a woman should be required by law to change her name after marriage. Those are insane statistics and beliefs… right? A recent article in the Gender Issues Journal raised some eyebrows. As a name-change expert who contributed to a name change journal article on the topic of name-change predictors, I was very curious to learn more about the study. Here’s what I learned.

Ms. Emily Fitzgibbons Shafer’s abstract states that she surveyed a diverse sample of 1,243 individuals to evaluate how committed they think a woman is as a wife by her last name choice. And whether a woman’s last name choice causes individuals to hold her to different standards (known as a backlash effect.) I understand the key life variables that impact a woman’s name change decision. But, have not studied how her choice might impact how others view her. So this is interesting sociological stuff. I’m also curious if Emily’s double last name is from her parents or due to her own married name change decision.

Schafer writes about the suggestions that Hillary Rodham using her maiden name contributed to Bill Clinton’s loss in his 1980 re-election campaign. Her name change to Hillary Rodham Clinton did happen afterwards. So, there may be a kernel of truth or societal pressure there. Name change is a highly controversial topic before you sprinkle in politics, so on page one this journal article is explosive!

The Good News:
This study found among women and highly educated men, women’s surname choice seems to have little effect on their perceptions of women as a wife or the standards to which she is held in marriage. So, if you’re surrounded by highly educated women and men you won’t subject yourself to negative views if you keep your maiden name.

The Bad News:
Schaffer found “among men with low education, a woman with a last name that is different than her husband’s is seen as being a less committed wife than a woman whose last name is the same as her husband’s. Further, less educated men feel that a woman who didn’t take her husband’s name should be forgiven for fewer days late than a woman who has the same last name as her husband’s. And they believe that the woman’s husband would be more justified in divorcing her for her perceived neglect of the marriage (as measured through repeated lateness).”

So, if you spend a majority of your time with under-educated men and don’t change your name after marriage you stand a high likelihood of being viewed as a bad wife, deserving of less forgiveness, and those guys would totally understand if your husband divorced you for neglecting your marriage.

Name-Change Expert Opinion:
Because I founded an online name-change service to help women change their names after marriage, most people assume I’m a gung ho name change advocate. Yes, I do make money on name change, but I am also a female founder in tech. I view name change after marriage as a personal choice. It reflects each woman’s situation, heritage, and personal style.

Name change should not be correlated with being committed to a relationship, nor should it influence forgiveness… something that is vital to a healthy, long-lasting marriage. In my opinion we need to be having open discussions with our families and peers about name change as a personal choice, not a law.

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these stories from Elite Daily and Refinery29.

Kylie Minogue’s Married Name Change

First comes love, then comes marriage, and 88% of the time name-change is the next step. It seems like the very successful singer, Kylie Minogue, will be part of that majority when she gets married. In a recent newspaper interview the star opened up about her up-coming nuptials and her intention to change her name.

Why would someone who’s name has been linked with fame for over 20 years change it? Typically the older a woman is when she marries, the more likely she is to keep her name (Kylie’s 48). She is even more likely to keep her maiden name if it is tied to her career (um hi she’s a star). Outside of these key indicators of name change is that wonderful thing called love. When asked why she would change her name, Kylie said “It makes a statement.” Indeed it does. More and more brides today are choosing to change their names as an expression of commitment or of being “all in.” Another famous figure who recently changed her name after marriage, is Amal Clooney and we totally called that name change before it hit the news!

As name-change experts, we have a prediction for Kylie Minogue’s married name change choice. Based on her star status and interview statements, we think she will take her maiden name as a middle name and become Mrs. Kylie Mingoue Sasse. Mrs. Kylie Sasse has a nice sound to it! We wish her and fiancé Joshua Sasse a lifetime of love and happiness together.

4 Tips To Make Your New Year’s Name Change Resolution Happen

Did you make a name change resolution to make your married name change a reality in the New Year? Whether you were a New Years bride or have been procrastinating for months, January is an ideal time to change your name after marriage. So, if you’ve made the decision to officially switch to Mrs. how do you get started? Below are a few tips to ensure your name change resolution actually happens this year.

Name Change Resolution Tip #1

Decide on the last name that is perfect for you. You can take your spouse’s last name, hyphenate, take two last names, take your maiden as an additional middle name, or replace your middle name with your maiden name. Undecided? Play the Married Name Game and let its patent-pending algorithm suggest your ideal married last name(s) and factor in state laws, as some states do not allow all forms of married name change.

Name Change Resolution Tip #2
Request 2-3 certified copies of your marriage certificate. This is the legal document that you will need to file with your name-change forms. Having several copies will allow you to file at several offices simultaneously, and become a Mrs. that much faster. *Trust us, the faster you go through the process, the less hiccups you will encounter.

Name Change Resolution Tip #3

Determine the filing order for your state of residence. Different states require different forms of ID to be filed first. Some want you to file with Social Security 24-48 hours before filing for your new driver’s license. Some states want to see your social security card in your maiden name to process your new driver’s license application, and still others require that you bring your new Social Security card with your new married name (which take 2 weeks to process) before they will issue your new driver’s license. Understanding the filing order where you live will help you plot where you file first, second, and third. That knowledge will also help you avoid making mistakes that can result in standing in long government office lines several times. Feel free to use our detailed married name change checklist as you map out your transition to Mrs

Name Change Resolution Tip #4
Skip the stress of re-creating the name-change wheel and use the MissNowMrs.com easy online name change service. Sure we’re a little biased (it is our company) but honestly…wouldn’t you rather spend $30 to save 13 hours of tedious form research, completion, and filing? There’s a reason we have over 350,000 customers. Smart busy brides see the value in outsourcing their name change so they can spend more time doing fun newlywed things like decorating, celebrating, and spending time with their spouses!