Your wedding has come and gone and although it was the most magical and amazing day of your life so far, you’re now left with the question of “How do I change my name on ALL these documents?!” Never fear! The Cue the Champagne girls are here to help. Keep reading to see the process we suggest for our clients changing their name post wedding.
First, figure out if you want to drop your maiden name or hyphenate.
Or none of the above! The choice is yours if you’d like to change at all. There is no rule or forced change, so if you want to keep your last name the same as pre- marriage, then more power to you. If you would like to change or hyphenate, both are considered legal name changes and have to be processed through the correct channels to become official. You will have to go through court ordered name change to drop it in the future.
Get your marriage license.
The certified copy of your marriage license is considered your legal document for changing your last name post wedding. Be sure to check your county clerk’s website to see if there are specific documents you need to bring or anything you can fill out online beforehand. Don’t forget the marriage license is only good for 30 days and you will need to apply for the license in the state your wedding is taking place.
Change your name with the Social Security Administration
You will need to fill out the Form SS-5 for a new Social Security Card and mail or bring to the local SSA office along with documents to prove your identity, support the requested change and establish the reason for change. These documents would be your marriage certificate, your TN Drivers license and your birth certificate or passport. Keep in mind you will need your original or certified copies of your documents. If you do not have the original or certified Birth Certificate, you can request a copy from the TN Office of Vital Records (if born in Tennessee).
Change the Name on Your Passport
You’ll want to wait until after the honeymoon to update this one, especially if you plan to travel soon after the wedding! The form you will need to fill out for this change depends on if you currently have a passport and if you do have one, if you got it within a year of receiving your current passport.
This takes some time for processing so it’s best to get this started as soon as you’re home from the honeymoon. You’ll need the correct form, – whether that be the DS-82, DS-11 or the DS-5504– your current passports for a renewal or correction, a passport photo and your certified name change document, aka your marriage certificate. The fees vary based on the shipping and if you want a passport card with your book, but more specific information can be found on the State Department website. Renewals can be mailed in, whereas new applications will need to be prepared for your at a local post office.
Update your Drivers License
You will need to visit your local DMV and bring your current license and marriage certificate to have your name updated here. There is a small cost associated with renewing the license, but this shouldn’t take too long to do!
Other Places Needing Updates
Once you’ve finished all the legal records and ID’s taken care of, there are still a few remaining locations you need to check. Remember to update the following:
- Bank and Credit Card Accounts
- Employee Records
- Insurance Policies
- Property Records
- Vehicle Title and Registration
Overwhelmed? Let a service do it for you!
If this all seems like too much and something you don’t want to stress over, why not let someone else do it for you? There are multiple options now for services that send you all the information needed to make this process much less painful.
You can use HitchSwitch, a site whose packages start at $39.99 and allow for you to print all the forms needed at home and have detailed instructions on the processes. Their basic package includes customized and pre-completed name change forms and some access to additional name change services.
Another option would be NewlyNamed, a site who has similar packages also starting at $39 if you print yourself or $89 to have the forms all printed and mailed to you. They also have the option to add the box to your Amazon wedding registry so you can be prepared for upcoming changes pre-wedding!
There are plenty of other options out there for name change assistance online. Let us know what you decide to go with and how your experience goes!
Cheers,
Kayley
Associate Wedding Coordinator | Content Creator
Kayley Russell
Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design Chattanooga Tennessee’s Premier
Wedding Planning and Event Studio Owned by Chattanooga Wedding Planner and Wedding Coordinator Shaun M.Teague
Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design offers Wedding Day Event Management Services formerly known as Day of Wedding Coordination, Full Service Wedding Planning Services, Chattanooga Wedding Flowers ,Elopement Planning and Event Design Services for all your Social and Corporate Events. Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design also offer Chattanooga Wedding Flowers for your wedding and event planning needs.
Cue The Champagne Event Planning + Design caters to Weddings and Events in Chattanooga Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia Wedding locations and Worldwide
