Newlywed Tips

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!

Married Name Change: Big National News

Married name change: Big National News… this phrase doesn’t happen that often. Name change has always been big news to MissNowMrs (for obvious reasons), but suddenly the whole worlds seems to be interested in this topic. From the Facebook survey indicating 65% of women change their names to Hollywood starlets contemplating taking their husbands’ last names, there is more and more buzz around name change.

Talking to feminists about name change after marriage can causing some serious soap box sessions about equality and spousal ownership. Personally, I am all for woman power and independence, but I don’t think changing your name indicates that you are subordinate to your spouse. I believe that the up-swing in married name change indicates that more and more women feel completely equal in their marriage and don’t need to keep their names to keep their identity.

Married name change isn’t for everyone, so if you don’t want to change your name…don’t! If you are curious about the idea of changing your name, there are many options available to brides these days. You can take your spouse’s last name, take your last name and his/her last name without a hyphen, take your last name and his/her last name with a hyphen, or take your maiden name as a new or second middle name.*

My most important suggestion is to talk to your spouse about your name change decision. They may feel very strongly about you taking their name in some form, or they could be open to taking your last name! Whatever married name change decision you come to, make it together. A happy marriage is built on communication and compromise!

*Please note that brides living in PA, WA, NJ, and OH do not have the option to take their maiden names as middle names based on state legislature. NY brides must file their forms in a specific order to take a maiden name as a middle name and CA brides must list their maiden name as a middle name on their marriage license to be able to change their names in that manner.

Have you seen married name change big national news in your paper or on television? What do you think about the hype?

Newlywed Taxes: Name Change, Returns & Expectations

Need some help understanding newlywed taxes? It’s that time of year again…time to sort through the folders of paperwork you’ve saved and file your taxes. As you prepare to file taxes jointly or separately as a newlywed couple, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Name Change and Newlywed Taxes

If you or your spouse changed your name after your wedding, be sure to alert the Social Security office by filing the SS-5 form. When the Social Security Administration issues your new social security card in your new name, they typically alert the IRS. Here’s another article on the topic of name change and taxes as newlyweds.

Worried that your name change might slip through the cracks? File the IRS 8822 (it’s free) and you can rest assured that you’ve completely covered your name-change with the IRS. The IRS 8822 form alerts the IRS of your new name, preventing them from holding your tax returns should they be confused about your identity (yes that really happens).

Mine, Yours, Ours

As a single woman, I loved to get my tax return and put a portion in savings and then use the rest to splurge on something great! Be it a purse, furniture or a trip, my tax return sprees took some of the sting out of what I handed over to Uncle Sam. When I got married, I suddenly had someone else’s return money and ideas to deal with.

Now that you’re married, I suggest having a discussion with your spouse about what to do with your returns. If you filed together, will you both determine what to do with the lump sum? Will you split it evenly? Will you split it based on who made what? Tricky questions to answer, but much better to hash expectations and ideas out now then fight about them when the check comes in the mail.

How are you handling newlywed taxes? Have you ever had an argument about it? Have you come up with a great solution?

Passport Name Change: Filing Secrets

Pssst we have passport name change filing secrets for you. Ready to change to your married name on your U.S. passport? After you complete your DS-82, DS-5504 or DS-11 form, have your new photos taken (hopefully they turn out lovely) and collect all of the supporting documents you need to file with, it’s time to mail the whole kit n caboodle to the State Department. Feeling a little nervous about mailing in your current passport? That’s completely natural.

Here’s the secret to problem free passport filing: send your envelope via USPS Priority Mail. FedEx and UPS will not deliver to a PO address, and that is exactly what the State Department address is. If you use one of those companies to ship your passport envelope, it will be returned to you as undeliverable.

This is bad for a few reasons. One, you’ve delayed the processing of your passport several days. Two, you’re out the money you spent to ship your envelope and must now go to the post office and pay their shipping fee. Finally, your passport envelope may be left on your front porch or out in the open where someone could walk away with it…scary!

Once you’ve mailed your envelope via USPS, you can rest assured that it will be delivered to the State Department and your new passport with your new married name will be created and mailed back to you within 5 weeks. Now you can start planning a fantastic trip to christen your new passport! Let us know where you’re headed now that you have our passport name change filing secrets.

Baby It’s Cold Outside: 4 Things To Do With Your Newlywed Spouse

Looking for things to do with your newlywed spouse? As arctic temperatures sweep the U.S., I think we can all utter a collective “BRRRRRRRR!” No need to let the cold spoil your newlywed time. If you’re stuck inside on evenings and weekends, use that time to your advantage.

Organize – The beginning of Spring is the last time I feel like cleaning. I want to be outside soaking up the sunshine! Use your freezing winter weekends to organize your closets, kitchen cabinets or any other parts of your house that are causing chaos and possibly a few squabbles. This way when Spring does arrive you’ll have your house in order and your weekend calendar free for fun things!

Play Games – Too cold to possibly go out for a date (seriously, no one wants to put on a dress and then multiple scarves, a parka, hat and boots…it does not feel sexy)? Break out some board games with your spouse. You can play by the conventional rules or mix things up with drinking versions of twister and scrabble or play naughty Jenga. Laughing together will make you both feel warmer and closer to each other at the end of the night.

Dream – I love to dream about what my husband and I will do when the weather is warm. Take picnics, visit the national zoo, go boating, plan a beach weekend with friends…the list is endless. If you can get your husband to help you “dream up” some warm weather activities with you, the happy result is a list of fun to-dos that will actually get done this year. Tape your list to the fridge to remind you that Spring is coming and to help you make time for your planned activities on the calendar.

Work Out – Nothing warms you up like a serious work out! Browse Amazon for a new DVD (I’m loving Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown), and when it arrives prepare to break a sweat. Come spring break time and swimsuit season, you’ll be really glad that you did your Winter workouts instead of sitting on the couch with cocoa.

How are you handling the cold as a newlywed couple? We’d love to hear your suggestions for things to do with your newlywed spouse this winter.

Name Change After Marriage: Going From Miss to Mrs

Contemplating Going From Miss to Mrs? Whether you’re about to walk down the aisle or enjoying life as a newlywed, changing your name change is a big question. Should you…shouldn’t you…what are your options?

Decided to take the plunge but not sure where to start or what name change forms to file first? Fortunately for you, Danielle Tate the founder of MissNowMrs.com, created an app and online name change service for brides.

It simplifies the tedious process into 30 minutes, auto-completes the necessary forms and helps women understand their state laws and what options are available to them (ex: some states don’t allow maiden to middle name change). Check out a video of Danielle discussing name change after marriage on Better TV.

Still have questions? Feel free to call or email the name change experts at MissNowMrs.com. Or, should you need assistance going from Miss to Mrs, we’re happy to help!

Help Me Change My Name