A Quick Guide to Changing Your Name when You Get Married
Now that you have finally found the man of your dreams, Mr. Right or your very own Prince Charming - there's already an end to your quest of finding "the one". But after getting the guy and agreeing to his marriage proposal, should you take his name as well?
What are the Pros and Cons of Changing Your Name when you get Married?
To help you make a decision whether you should change your name or not when you get married, it is good to know first about the pros and cons of doing so.
First, let us take a look at the pros or advantages of changing your name after saying your "I do's".
Let's face it - there are just some romantics who, during their girlhood, write down their names as Mrs. Smith or whatever the name of your current infatuation is. Generally, taking the name of your husband signifies a legal, moral and 'soulful' union.
Another reason is that when people know that you are a newly wed, they immediately start addressing you as Mrs. Your-husband's-name. All the deliveries, your subscriptions to newspapers and magazines and pretty much everything else will be addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Your Name - so it's basically a lot easier to go with the flow.
Yet another reason why changing your name when you get married is advantageous is the fact that it will make you feel more like a family. Also, taking on your husband's name symbolizes a union that you and your husband are embarking on together.
A more practical reason why changing your name when you get married is advantageous is that it will help in the future if you wish to travel with your kids.
Since you are recognizable as being part of the same family, it will be easier to deal with when traveling, when the kids finally go to school and almost everything else that you need to deal with in society.
The downside of not changing your name is when your husband's last name is difficult to spell or pronounce - a burden which will be carried by your kids as well.
Moreover, the greatest disadvantage of taking your husband's name is if you have already established a career for yourself using your maiden name.
What Options do I Have if I do not Want to Take My Husband's Last Name?
It may sound celebrity-ish, but you can combine your maiden name as your middle name and your husband's name as your last name. For example, there's Courtney Cox-Arquette who's popular from the series "Friends". Courtney Thorne-Smith of "According to Jim" is another example of a celebrity who is using a hyphenated last name.
Finally, you can consider legally changing your name so that you can attend to personal matters a lot easier. If you want to, you can stick to using your maiden name professionally - but use your maiden name when it comes to dealing with legal matters.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|