The By No Means Comprehensive But Nonetheless Quite Useful AnyWay Weddings Step-by-Step Name Change Guide

A note before we begin: when I was changing my name, the hubby and I were living in London so I had to change my work visa in addition to my passport. Therefore this guide applies to both US-based and expat brides. I've tried to make it clear which info applies to whom - please get in touch if you have any questions!

First and foremost: make sure you have several certified copies of your marriage license as you will need a lot of them! And pay close attention - for some name changes you can just send a photocopy, others you need to send a certified copy.

It is also useful to have your birth certificate available, so pick up a few certified copies of this as well (which you should already have in order to get your marriage license).

Now then, let's get started with The Three Biggies (four if you are an expat). Here is the order I recommend:

1. US Passport

• Click here and here for info
• Of course there are a couple different forms depending on your situation (they can't make it that easy!) but I used form DS-82 
• You also need to provide two passport photos (if you are not in the US make sure you get the US size - who knew passport photos come in different sizes depending on the country?!) and a certified copy of your marriage certificate (don't count on getting it back, as I don't think I did)
• Depending on your whereabouts and travel plans, it might be worth paying for an expedited service - otherwise these things can take a long time. Check with your local US Embassy for more information.

1a. Visa - for expats only!

• Look up your local US Embassy online for info. This step has to happen after you change your passport since your embassy will likely require your new passport - but check on the web to make sure!

2. Social security card

• Click here for info - you will need to provide proof of your name change (i.e. marriage certificate), citizenship (i.e. birth certificate or new passport), and identity (i.e. new passport or drivers license)
• All of these must be either certified copies or originals!
• Fill out Form SS-5 and follow the additional instructions

3. Drivers License

• If you are in the US: Go to your state's DMV website and follow the instructions
• If you are an expat: Do a web search for the authority who has granted you your license and follow the instructions

So those are The Three/Four Biggies in that they take the most time and require immediate and focused attention. While you're working on those, other items you can check off your list are below. For each of these (except those which only required a phone call) I included a cover letter with my old name and old signature, new name and new signature, and also any associated account number(s).

Bank accounts

• You can change your name by going to your bank in person with your marriage certificate. Relatively painless.
• If you are an expat with US accounts, you can call your bank and have them send you a form - but I would recommend waiting until your next trip to the US and following the instruction above. Much easier and less room for error.

Insurance

• Call your insurance company. For me, all it took was a simple phone call and the company changed my name in their records and sent me a new card. Totally painless. (Thank you Cigna!)
• Once you have your new insurance card, the next time you see your doctor make sure to change your name in their office records as well

Credit cards

• This varies widely. Call each of your credit card companies. Some you can do over the phone, others you have to send a letter and/or marriage certificate.

Cell phone

• Call your provider. Mine needed a marriage certificate sent to them, which I attached with the cover letter I describe above.

Frequent flyer programs

• Note: this must be done after you get your new passport!
• As I mentioned yesterday, this was surprisingly annoying. Call each program to see what they need. Some require a photocopy of your new passport and a marriage certificate, others just require the marriage certificate. While both of my programs got the name change WRONG, they did correct it over the phone (so I did not have to resend the forms). I wish you better luck than I had!

And don't forget...

• Any other financial accounts (savings, retirement, etc.)
• Student or other loans
• Gym membership
• Professional affiliations
• Business cards
• Email addresses
• Utilities, mortgages, and all that grown up stuff

PHEW! If you've read this far down the post, I hope you are not hyperventilating. As I've said, this is a process that can be fraught with complexities and annoyances big and small - but it is well worth going through!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I am here to help!

Cheers,

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changin' Your Name: It's Worth the Pain!

I had a big moment yesterday, courtesy of Facebook. I changed my personal profile name from Jennifer Beckmann Butler to... drum roll please... Jennifer Butler (Beckmann). Yes indeedy. My maiden name has been subjugated to parentheses and my married name has taken center stage.

Call me old fashioned, but I love that I changed my name as soon as I got married. I love sharing my husband's name. It makes us feel like an invincible little family unit of two, and that makes me rather insanely happy.

How I became a Butler

The name change process, however, was rather fraught with loads of paperwork and surprising levels of incompetence. The biggest pain for me was not my passport or UK visa (we were living in London at the time) or social security or anything that you might think would be bad - but my two frequent flier programs!

I completed all the required paperwork, submitted all the info they needed... and yet both Virgin and Delta got it wrong. Instead of Jennifer Beckmann Butler, Virgin decided I was changing my name to - wait for it - Jennifer Beckmannbutler. Delta preferred verbosity over preposterosity: Jennifer Beckmann Beckmann Butler. Uy yuy yuy. SO not hot.

Of course you don't have to slog your way through it alone, as I did. There are services out there that can automate much of the process for you. Chief among these is MissNowMrs.com, one of the best known (and cutest-named) web services out there. For only $29.95, they alert everyone from the passport office to the post office, submitting all the necessary forms for you. They will also draw up a number of letters you can send to various other folks such as your insurance and utility companies. See below or click here for their full list of services.

Ok, yeah, so this looks a little neater than my list...

I think it's great that a well-priced service like this exists. And yet I will freely admit that I was WAY too Type-A to let anyone else do this for me. I liked knowing that it was all in my hands. Either way, it's important to know that any automated service is not going to cover ALL of your name change needs. And just when you think you've thought of every place your maiden name was lurking, you will remember something else ("Ah! My gym membership! Eureka!").

Just keep in mind that this is a process. It's not foolproof, and it won't be painless (Beckmannbutler?! REALLY???). But try not to get bogged down in the paper. After all, if you choose to change your name, then from the moment you say "I do" you are a Mrs. Woohoo!

At least Facebook makes it easy.

AnyWay Weddings Step-by-Step Name Change Guide is comin' atcha tomorrow! Keep your eyes peeled!

Cheers,