Calling OMs! Name change question and more related stuff?

You have the automatic right to change your name once you're married, there's nothing further you need to do if that's what you choose. No forms or anything.

You don't have to change your passport until your old one expires. I changed mine before the wedding purely because it didn't have enough time left on it before it expired to travel or I wouldn't have bothered! It's about £90 to change it so an unnecessary expense at the same time as the wedding!

As long as the tickets match your passport it doesn't matter the name. Lots of people have still travelled in their maiden name.

WRT the insurance, put Mrs Maidenname. Again, it matches your passport and tickets that way.

Yeh you dont have to change your passport, we booked our honeymoon with me in my maiden name, but if you have time left on your passport, leave it, you dont have to change it.

Ok you can change your passport to your married name if you want to up to 3 months before the wedding but you will only be able to travel on it from the date of your marriage so once it is issued until the wedding date you technically won't have a passport because you con't be able to travel. You do not have to change it, I didn't because there was 7 years left on mine & I think they are a rip off as it is without paying for a new one! You just need to book the honeymoon & all travel documents (ie insurance) in your maiden name, as long as it all matches it's fine to do that. You do not need to change your name by deed poll you can just change your name with everyone you need to, here's a rough list for you:

Employer
Inland Revenue (obtain your reference and address from your employer)
Department of Health & Social Security (write to the Contributions Agency at your local Social Security Office)
Local Authority (to change council tax and voting records)
Doctor
Dentist
DVLC (for your driving licence and any car registration documents)
Passport Office
Bank
Building Society (mortgage and/or savings accounts)
Credit Card and Store Charge-Card Companies
Finance/Loan Companies (cars, household goods etc.)
Premium Bond Office
Investment Companies
Companies that you have shares in (the name of the registrars should be on your certificates or paperwork)
Utilities (gas, electricity, telephone)
Mobile Phone company
Pension provider
Insurance Companies (motor, medical, life, buildings & contents, pets etc.).
Mail-Order catalogue companies.
Motoring Organisations (breakdown organisations)
Professional Institutes and Bodies
Clubs, Societies and Associations
Solicitors, financial advisers etc.
Internet Service Provider (if your e-mail address incorporates your old name, you may wish to change your e-mail address)
Magazine subscriptions

It is long winded & a PITA!

You'll be fine to put Mrs Maidenname on your travel insurance documents as your passport doesn't contain your title, only your first and last name. A friend of mine got married 4 years ago and hasn't bothered changing her passport yet as it still had time to run.

It's not illegal to travel with your maiden name passport. In fact, you're entitled to be known by any name you like, the passport etc is just evidence of your real name.

The list above is a good, exhaustive list of people to inform, but I wouldn't bother going to the trouble of changing everything until you need to. For example, I won't ring up my doctor as soon as I get married, I'll just wait until my next appointment and change it then.

Thank you so much ladies! I'm so naive when it comes to stuff like this. I'll stick with my maiden name until after the honeymoon at least!

*I would add telling credit reference agencies as well, so they link the files for Miss MaidenName to Mrs MariedName - my friend who got married recently got turned down for a credit card 4 months after her wedding as she didn't have a large enough credit history with her married name - she had a right faff linking the two files together...

Changing your name afterwards is such a faff. I've managed it on two things so far. I'm being held back through my lack of new signature as well as sheer laziness, though!

So far I have only changed my name at work, as all I needed to do was email IT!!

I have a long list and Mr C is a bit miffed that I haven't done it yet... but I feel a bit sad for losing my name, haven't decided on a new signature yet and don't want to send my precious marriage certificate anywhere!!!

Hmmm, good point, Mrs C. Wonder where our marriage certificate is.

?

You know.. This is really bad but we got married in October last year and I still have not changed my name on anything.. I just don't seem to get round to it.

Must start though. My passport runs out in a few months so good excuse to get started!

Hi all,

Could I just ask how you change your name on your passport before the wedding - don't they want to see the marriage certificate?

Many thanks

I believe it is just paperwork from your registry office confirming your wedding date but it doesn't make sense to me because how would they know if you didn't actually go through with it?!

I got married Sept 09 and I am only just starting to get round to changing everything now! I only changed my passport this year as it ran out in May, so thats kickstarted me a bit.

Still got loads to do!