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!

Newlywed Love Is Being Stupid Together

Newlywed love is being stupid together! Most weddings I attend (including my own) have a reading from First Corinthians “Love is patient, Love is kind…” While this scripture is very true, I feel that the strongest newlywed couples understand that love is also being stupid together.

In a world that emphasizes and idolizes “perfect couples”, it’s freeing to know that being goofy is okay. In fact, silliness and inside jokes helps cement your relationship. If you haven’t laughed or been stupid together in a while, here are a few suggestions:

Rent a Comedy – Plop on the couch and reconnect as you laugh at actors antics. You may even pick up a movie quote that will make you both laugh for years to come.
Play Charades – This game is guaranteed to have you both laughing hysterically as you try to guess what your partner is acting out.
Play With Small Children or Animals – There’s nothing like little kid laughter or puppy antics to make you smile and have a good time.
Have a Squirt Gun or Water Balloon Fight – Who can keep a straight face when they’re chasing or being chased by their mate armed with liquid ammo?

How do you enjoy being stupid together with your fiancé or spouse? We’d love to hear them in a comment!

Wedding Dresses: Pre and Post Wedding Advice

Pre and post wedding advice is important, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. Are you recently engaged and looking for your wedding dress? There are so many dresses to choose from, at so many different stores and at so many different prices! Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s a tip: check out PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com to find your dream dress at an amazing price. This site has over 20,000 new, sample sale and used designer wedding dresses for sale. Their site is gorgeous and allows you to search by designer, size, price point. location, and silhouette! You can also browse for bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses and accessories.

Newlywed and wondering what to do with your gown? You can preserve it for posterity (mine’s currently in a lovely museum quality box in my closet.) Or, you can pass your dress along to another bride. Over 60% of brides say they will consider re-selling their wedding dresses after saying “I do”. Interested in making a little cash back post-wedding? You can list your dress for a one-time fee of $25, and it will remain posted on PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com until it sells. There are no other fees or commissions to pay!

I’m curious…are any of you readers planning to sell your dress or considering purchasing a used gown? Did our pre and post wedding advice on dresses help you? Let me know in a comment.

Becoming a Wife = A New Life

Becoming a wife truly gives you a new life. The transition from single to engaged happens when a ring is put on your finger. And, the transition from engaged to newlywed happens with the words “I do.” The transition to wife can take some time to fully register. Who are you now? You’re the essentially the same person, but you may have a new name or address, or both! You have definitely chosen to tie yourself and your soul to another being, which is a big deal.

I remember getting ready for a large event right after returning from my honeymoon and wondering “What would a wife wear?”. It sounds silly, getting married changes your perspective. You now have someone else to consider as your actions reflect upon them too. I may not have the whole wife thing completely down, but I do know what sort of mate I want to be.

My goal is to be a wife that is loving, honest, compassionate and fair. Those may not be your “wife goals”, but sorting out exactly the kind of wife you want to be will make becoming that person easier. You might also want to share your goals with your spouse and see what they think. They may surprise you with their answers.

What was your biggest challenge as a newlywed? We’d love to hear from you in a comment!

The Panty Game

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Engagement season is in full swing and you newlyweds know what that means…..bridal showers! Big, small, fancy, casual, almost anything goes for showers these days, which can be fun or overwhelming. How does one throw a unique shower that the bride will love? The panty game is a great start!

I ran across the Panty Game on Pinterest and thought it was a cute idea.Every guest wraps a pair of panties that reflects their personal style and as the bride opens them she has to guess who they’re from. It’s an amusing game and the bride ends up with fun undies for newlywed life. The best part will be seeing what the grandmas purchase (you’d be surprised!)

If your newly engaged friend’s family is a bit too straight laced for the game you can use it at her bachelorette party. Truth be told, my bachelorette party had a lingerie theme and I made my husband guess which ensemble was from which friend on our honeymoon (it was fun and naughty!)

Did you play the panty game at your shower or are you planning to play it at friend’s this year? You could also use the Panty Game for your next birthday to keep newlywed life hot.

If the bride-to-be is thinking about changing her name. Be sure to share this 20 Step Name Change Checklist with her!

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Make a Mega Change in 2014

Ready to make a mega change this year? As newlyweds it is easy to “get comfortable” and let gym memberships and healthy habits slip. Juggling a new marriage, in-laws, careers and friends can be hectic and leave you with less time for yourself. Less personal time doesn’t have to mean more pounds though.

Megaformer Pilates condenses cardio, strength training and intense ab work into a concise 50 minute class. Sound too good to be true? Stars like Sofia Vergara swear by Megaformer workouts. If you live in LA, New York, D.C. or Bethesda, MD you’re in luck…Megaformer studios like Sculpt Studio are waiting to help you sculpt a longer leaner self this year!

If you don’t live in a location with Megaformers, Pilates reformer workouts are the next best thing. I have to admit that I have spent 5+ years taking reformer classes twice a week and weigh the same as when I got married (after being pregnant to boot)! Now that Sculpt Studio is opening I am delighted to take on an even more intense workout in the same amount of time.

What is your favorite form of exercise? Let our readers know what keeps you fit as a newlywed in a comment!