maiden name change

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!

5 New Years Name Change Tips

Happy New Year! Here are 5 New Years name change tips! Was changing your name part of your New Year’s resolution? If so, you’re joining the millions of newlyweds who opt to change their names after marriage. As with any resolution, to be successful you need to break the goal into small steps. Below are steps to changing your maiden name, and our suggestions on how to check this resolution off your list in the next two weeks and spend the majority of 2018 as a Mrs.!

Step 1: Find your certified marriage certificate.

Order 2-3 additional certified marriage certificates from the county clerk’s office. This is the legal document you need to file all of your federal and state name-change forms. By having more that one copy, you can file several forms at the same time and become a Mrs. much faster!

Step 2: Select the name change option that best suits you and your life.

You can option to hyphenate, take two last names without a hyphen, take your maiden name as a second middle name, replace your middle name with your maiden name, or take your spouse’s last name. If you’re torn between choices, play the Married Name Game to learn your ultimate last name.

Step 3: File your federal forms.

We suggest filing the SS-5 with the Social Security Administration first, and then file the IRS 8822, notify the USPS, and file the DS-11, DS-82, or DS-5504 with the State Department for your new passport in your new married name.

Step 4: File your state-level name change forms.

These include forms to update your name on your new driver’s license, voter registration, and vehicle title. Each state has different requirements, so we highly recommend researching what you need to file with your name change forms. Many states require proof of residence, your certified marriage certificate, and another form of ID such as your new Social Security Card or U.S. passport. Knowing the office requirements in advance will save you from making multiple trips to change your name.

Step 5: Notify your creditors.

Call the 800 numbers on the backs of your credit cards, go in-person to your bank branch, and then begin notifying your employer, utilities, mortgage providers, professional licenses, loan providers, etc. of your new married name.

Newlywed Life Hack.

Instead of re-inventing the married-name change wheel, use the MissNowMrs easy online name change service. They condense the tedious 13 hour process into 30 minutes… and after assisting over 400,000 brides with their name changes, they’re experts that can help you with any difficult situations or questions!

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!

Married Name Change: 3 Nuances Every Newlywed Needs to Know

Tis the season for weddings, followed by millions of brides changing their names. While it might seem like a simple process, married name change had a great deal of nuance. The MissNowMrs experts came up with the 3 name change nuances every newlywed needs to know.

Once a newlywed has decided they want to change their name after marriage, They need to choose the option that best suits their situation and personal style. Thankfully we created the Married Name Game for that! Next she has to file a series of state and federal forms to change to her new name, and then notify all of her creditors. Once again, we’ve got the solution: MissNowMrs.com. So where does name-change nuance come in?!

There are several nuances, or subtle differences, to the married name change process that make it different from the legal name change process. Read on for the big three…

1. Newlyweds cannot change their first name.

Using the married name-change process, women cannot change or even correct a mis-spelling of their first name. They can only use their certified marriage certificates to file for a change to their last names, and sometimes their middle names.

2. Brides cannot omit their middle name.

Women changing their names after marriage can take their maiden name as a middle name or as a second middle name in most states, but they cannot completely eliminate their middle name and just have their first name and new last name as their legal name.

3. Blending last names isn’t possible.

Unless the newlywed is a resident of California and wrote a blended* last name on the marriage license application, she/he cannot use the married name change process. In the 49 other states, taking a blended last name requires petitioning the court system for a legal name change order. *A blended last name is a mixture of both partners names. For example Faltrow.

Now that you know the nuances of name change, you can move forward with confidence. It’s a complicated process from emotions, to societal expectations, to the actual legal process, but don’t worry… the MissNowMrs team has your back! You can also reference our married name change checklist to understand each of the steps in your transition to Mrs!

Taylor Swift Married Name Change?!

Taylor Swift Married Name Change? How did we come up with this headline?Though she’s not quite a newlywed yet. Taylor Swift would be happy to become Mrs. Taylor Harris if she marries her current boyfriend, Calvin Harris. Insiders report that she is planning to replace her maiden name with Harris at least personally, while using Taylor Swift professionally.

Taylor is currently 25, which is a life factor that affects women’s married name change decision. The younger a bride is at the time of her marriage, the more likely she is to take her spouse’s name in some way. Taylor’s mega fame is a life factor that typically swings women towards keeping their maiden names, as women whose professional lives are tied to name recognition.

Finally, the factor of personal style affects a bride’s name change choice. Taylor Swift is a very classic and traditional woman, so I can see that being the factor that nudges her decision to taking Calvin’s last name and becoming Mrs. Harris.

Regardless of her name change choice when she marries Calvin (or whomever her future spouse may be), we wish Taylor the very best in life and love!

Curious what factors in your life will influence your married name change? Play the Married Name Game to find your perfect married name! If you’re interested in the idea of Taylor Swift married name change, because of your own. We’d love to help you with the MissNowMrs app or online service!

Help Me Change My Name

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