Has anyone else's DP taken on your surname (to make a double barrel)?

[Margofthebride]

Not sure if that makes sense as a sentence but both myself and my fiancée want to take on each others surnames and double barrel them. He read somewhere that he should change his name by deed poll before the wedding, otherwise I would be starting married life as "Mrs dp-surname" and then we'd both have to change by deed poll. We're a bit confused about the whole process and I wondered if anyone had done this and could advise.

It would just seem really weird for loads of our guests to wonder why the registrar is asking if I will take "DPsurname - OPsurname" as my lawful wedded husband. Unless we send out a mass text to let everyone know before hand?

TIA

I'm only trying to understand the process, keep your hair on.

The reg doesnt need to sign it, you just need two witnesses so the witnesses you have for your marriage are enough without the registrar. Tbh you could do it in the car or pub later. It just seems nice to do it all at the same time!

The information on Gov.uk has changed fairly recently in that when someone marries (male or female) they can choose either surname or double barrel etc.

There was no big fanfare about this happening but he doesn't need to do anything just change his name everywhere using his marriage certificate as evidence.

Ah I think getting the Registrar involved is a mistake and I wouldn't recommend you do it the way they suggest - that would end up with DH2b saying "I (his-firstname new-double-barrelled-surname) take you (yourname)" in the ceremony which I am sure you wouldn't want - surely you want him to make his vows using the name he has had all his life, not the new name?

Registrars do get very uptight about stuff and it is best not to try to make them cope with anything unusual. If you are doing a DIY name change they don't need to know or care. We were able to do our DIY whilst signing the register because we were at a church so no registrar needed.

Don't do it before the ceremony. Get married with your old names in place. You sign the register and change to the new name during the ceremony with DH2b still starting the day and the ceremony with his old name in-situ.

If you are using a hotel venue with a registrar present, you just need to establish from them at what point in the proceedings is the "official bit" over, after which they no longer need to be involved. You can then plan for a 2nd "signing of" for DH's paperwork after that point (possibly just before you walk back up the aisle if you wish). If you are doing the ceremony in the registry office then perhaps the signing of DH's paperwork could be done at the reception venue - either as an official part of the proceedings (perhaps during the speeches if you want it to be a public declaration type thing) or if you don't want to make that much of a thing of it, it could be done quietly in a side room taking 45 seconds out of the general hullabaloo.

We tried 4 years ago and went double barrelled with surnames. When we had our meeting with the registrar a few weeks before the wedding one of the questions we were are was what name we intended using after the marriage and replied ‘Mr & Mrs my surname hyphen his surname’ it was added to their notes from the day.

On our wedding day, when they saw us individually before the ceremony, they checked with us each that there’s were no changes to previous information supplied including chosen surname. And, when we got our paperwork after the wedding that was it. No request from anyone to change DH name by deed poll or declaration.

*we married not we tried!!

Thank you everyone

Strange how everyone has their own version of doing things

I just want as little faff as possible

Some great advice here