The dreaded name change

[namechange106]

Hi all

im getting married in 5 months and I was going to make a start on changing my name with unimportant things like store cards and online retail accounts, but I’m not sure if any problems with arise from this? Everything else will take so long I thought I’d get a head start!

I have a few years left on my passport so was going to leave this in my maiden name, has anyone come across any problems doing this? I know passports are usually used for ID and it won’t match anything else once I change everything else. And Of course I would need to remember to book any holidays in my maiden name.
thanks 😀

You can apply to change your passport before the wedding. I think they use your notice of intent to marry. I assume other checked ID’s will do similar. Reward cards and what have you you’ll just change without proof because what do they care what your legal name is?

I think you have to show your marriage certificate as proof of your new name so you can't until you have it.
I have my husband's name and I'm very proud of it.

You can apply to change your passport before the wedding. I think they use your notice of intent to marry.

It's post dated though so that means OP would be without a passport for a while, which may or may not matter to her.

I assume other checked ID’s will do similar.

I have no idea actually, maybe they do, but again I would assume them to be post dated like the passport so if that happened with your driving license you wouldn't be able to drive!

Reward cards and what have you you’ll just change without proof because what do they care what your legal name is?

Yeah I actually misread the OP quite badly as this is what she meant.

Watching. I got married at the end of last year, and had said I would change my name....when I got back from honeymoon work had already changed my email address! I literally haven't changed any documents yet (because it feels like a headache) and I feel like I need to do passport first as that is presumably my 'proof of ID' for my other name changes, so it feels totally weird being my married name at work and I really don't know what to call myself half the time. I'm definitely putting off the massive amount of admin involved....partic with the passport office delays and I don't particularly want a Brexit blue passport until I absolutely have to

Change it all after you’re married, it really isn’t a big deal. Leave the passport until it expires but don’t forget to book I any trips in your current name. Millions of people change their names every year, it’s not a big deal.

Do not change your name after banns have been read/notice posted because you’ll have to get them done again and it’s a big faff. In general I wouldn’t do any of it until afterwards just in case the worst happens and for some reason the wedding can’t go ahead.

So rude. It's OP's choice to change. Respect it.

Sorry I'm with the "don't change your name" brigade, but if you are gonna choose to change your name, don't do it until you're married. You don't have any "claim" to the name before then anyway.

You can have the same name by your husband-to-be changing his.
Whichever one you decide on, you can change your/his name officially only (same name on docs, but not socially), not change it officially and just be called whatever you want socially, or both. Why does it matter what you're called on store cards? You can change these when they need to be renewed.

How else should you abbreviate son-in-law?

Just wait until you're married. My passport is still in my maiden name, if I need it as part of ID I include my marriage certificate.

The one I still can't sorted is my next account! I've given up trying now.

OH! That makes more sense!

Tbf, SIL is usually sister in law hence the confusion. Made for more interesting reading!

I really wouldn’t bother beforehand. It’ll just cause confusion and contrary to what people above say it’s not hard. Store points cards you just do as and when. They don’t matter

Haha true! 😂 That would need it's own thread!

My DP is! Although his last name is truly awful.

It was never a discussion what surname our ds would have, he has my surname and we can be a 'family unit with one name' when we get married but it will be my name.

I don't think you can preemptively change your name before you get married as they need a copy of the marriage cert to do this.
Even for store cards etc

You can however start a list of any post that comes for you pop in a pile then once you get married and have the cert you have a list ready to go.

@JaninaDuszejko I had a customer once who very happily took his wife's surname. No more Mr Smith😁.

If you change your name beforehand, you will need to do it by deed poll. I think that is then your legal name and would be on the marriage register as name when you married

You have a traditional view of things, but aren't you taking some of the romance away by changing your name beforehand? Wedding cards to Mr and Mrs Alreadyhavethesamename might not seem so romantic / exciting...

PS - never changed mine, so I am not saying this because I believe as you do - but do believe each to their own

Get him to change his surname to yours, that way he has to take on all the life admin instead. Start married life as you mean to go on, sharing the life admin load!

Has this whole post been about changing names on store cards 5 months before a wedding

Give me strength

I’m not legally changing my name before I’m married I was going to start some of the easy admin work, but most people recommend waiting until after the wedding 🙂

Has this whole post been about changing names on store cards 5 months before a wedding

Yep.

I changed everything after the wedding, my honeymoon was all booked in my maiden name. As long as the name on the booking and passport matched your fine.

I just travelled with my covid passport in my married name and passport in my maiden name, I took my marriage certificate just in case but they didn't bother checking it - they just checked the date of birth matched so not a nightmare at all 😊

OP, I changed most things quite quickly but haven't done my passport as you effectively have to pay to get a new one and as I still had 7 years left I decided I didn't want to lose them. It's been fine, you need to make sure your travel insurance and EHIC/GHIC match your passport though. I did update my driving licence though so had some id in my married name.

I changed mine in 2001 when I married, don't think there was too much to sort out.
However when I reverted back to my maiden name a couple of years ago there was a lot to change!
Best advice is to write (a long) list, go through emails and bank statements to find everything that needs to change, don't forget dentists( who were actually the ones that were really picky!)vets and gym etc.
Some will be easy as in retype your name on an online form others will be harder to do, many will also need ID, sometimes posted so it may take a while.
I think it's easier to do if you marry, less so if you divorce.