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!

Turks & Caicos: Your Perfect Honeymoon Destination

Engaged and deciding where to honeymoon? If you’re looking for somewhere gorgeous, warm, and Zika free, Turks and Caicos is one of the most fabulous destinations in the Caribbean, and ideally suited for newlywed bliss!

Warm (we’re talking 82 degrees warm) turquoise water stretches out from white sugar sand beaches, perfect for floating, snorkeling, diving, and sunbathing. You can stand up paddle board through the mangroves, or get a couples massage at the top-rated spa in the Caribbean and then head to dinner at one of the island’s 100+ restaurants.

Whether you’re looking for eco-chic or sumptuous luxury, Turks and Caicos has something to meet almost any couple’s needs. Once you’re there be sure to check out What To Do in Turks and Caicos, a travel blog that gives readers the inside scoop on restaurants, activities, and the best beaches on Provo. It’s like having a best friend that lives on the island and so much more up to date than a travel book.

Happy travel planning newlyweds! If you have any concerns about how your name change might affect your travel. Check out this honeymoon travel tip article created by the MissNowMrs name change experts.

Should you be post-honeymoon phase…TCI is the ultimate vacation destination for any couple regardless of how long they’ve been married!

Married Name Change: Why Now Is Better Than Later

Most newlyweds wait a few months to change their names after marriage, so after the Spring/Summer wedding boom comes a flurry of name changes in the Fall. While not every woman should change her name, it is advisable for newlyweds intending to make the legal switch to Mrs. to do so as soon as they can.

Why? It’s pretty simple: the more things with your maiden name on them, the longer it will take you to change all of them to your new married name! The longer you wait to change your name, the more “stuff” you accumulate with your maiden name on it.

This “stuff” includes big things like mortgages, leases, vehicle titles, insurance policies and smaller things like airline miles and gym memberships. Outside of the entities mentioned, as the holidays approach “other stuff” lurks….stuff like holiday cards, mis-engraved gifts from family members (seriously), and company awards (I have a massive plaque showing a hyphenated last name I never took).

So, if you’re married and pondering name change, now is the time to pull the trigger. You can DIY and figure out the SS-5, IRS 8822, Passport 5504 and other government form gems using our free married name change checklist or save 13 hours of name-change form research, completion, and filing by using the MissNowMrs online name change service. We condense the 13 hour process of becoming a Mrs. into 30 minutes for $30…..which seems like a very nice pre-holiday gift for you from you!

Name Change After Marriage & Voting

Newlywed and trying to figure out how name change after marriage & voting impact each other? It is very important to understand how changing your maiden name may affect your ability to vote in the presidential election. This isn’t a scary article. It’s a heads up so you can exercise your right to vote regardless of your name-change status!

Every state has different voter identification laws. But, most require photo ID in the name listed on your voter registration records. If you’ve already begun changing your name and have updated your voter registration with your new married name, you’re in the clear! You can rest assured that come Election Day you can cast your ballot and participate in electing our new president.

If you’re planning to change your name, but haven’t filed any legal paperwork for a new driver’s license or U.S. Passport in your new married name, you should consider waiting to change your name until after the election. This will ensure that your forms of ID match voter records and you will be able to vote without issue.

What if all of your identification documents have been changed to your married name, but your maiden name is still on file with the voter registration office?

Option 1: You can call the office to see if you can update your name on your registration. Depending how close you’re cutting it they should be able to assist you.

Option 2: Be prepared to sign an affidavit on the poll sheet asserting you are the same person.

Now that you know your options…take the avenue that is best for you, but please vote. Countless brave women made tremendous sacrifices to ensure you had the right, as a woman, to elect government officials. Make them proud ladies!

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Blending Last Names: The Inside Scoop on Unconventional Name Change

The concept of blending last names after marriage makes sense. You were two independent people with different lives and different names. As you marry, you begin to blend your lives, finances, goals, families, and dreams together. A blended last name is a tangible representation of your newly blendedness (yes I made that word up).

While a combined last name may seem like a great option as newlyweds, the government doesn’t agree. As a name change service, we know all about the red tape associated with legal married name change, but it isn’t common knowledge. So here’s the scoop.

California residents are the only engage people in the US that have the option to blend their last names using the married name change process. BUT both partners must write the new last name on their marriage license application. If you think of blending after your wedding… you’re out of luck. Make that one more reason to discuss name change before saying “I do.”

What if you don’t live in California and still want to blend your last names? Traditionally both partners have to petition the court system for a legal name change order. Those documents, once issued, will allow you both to go through the name-change process and change your names. It’s not fun, but it’s how it’s done.

I recently read an article about a newlywed couple in Brooklyn who combined their last names from Franklin and Reed to Franklin Reed. They petitioned the court prior to their wedding and the judge granted their request. They celebrated with the #FranklinReedNoHyphen hashtag at their wedding! This goes to prove that where there is a will, there is a way. Even in married name change!

Should you need help changing your name, the MissNowMrs App and service can save you 13 hours of hassle.

Photo credit: Rachel Kara

Will Newly Engaged Pippa Middleton Change Her Name?!

The world is abuzz with the news of Pippa’s recent engagement to James Matthews! We all know she looks lovely in white! The couple made it official on July 17th, and while most people are curious when and where the wedding will be (and if Prince George will be the ring bearer.) We’re curious will Pippa Middleton Change Her Name?

Will Pippa change her name after marriage? Let’s look at the facts. Pippa is 32 and benefits from name recognition as a socialite, author, and columnist. Those two factors would point to her keeping her name or perhaps hyphenating, which is called double-barreling in England.

Romance and tradition are two factors that cannot be plotted scientifically, so as wild cards they could change Pippa’s decision and have her carrying the new moniker of Mrs. Pippa Matthews after her wedding. We think James’ opinion on name-change will come into play as the newlyweds begin to make life choices together.

While we’ll have to wait and wonder will Pippa Middleton change her name. We wish Pippa a lifetime of love and happiness in her marriage! And, should you need to change your name. The MissNowMrs app and service can save you 13 hours of hassle.

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