"W" is for Wife!

I did it, hive!  I have successfully changed my last name!  

I hadn't spoken about my decision to change my name before, frankly, because I hadn't felt like I had anything new to add to the conversation.  All along, I knew I would take Sphinx's last name as my own, and switch my maiden name to my middle name.  Nothing fancy here.

When we came back from the honeymoon, I started with some easy changes - my Facebook profile and my work email.  I've been signing emails and documents with my maiden + married name since the wedding, to make the transition easier. Sure, there's been a lot of "Now how do you say your new last name?" around the office, since Sphinx's name is pretty rare, but I expected that to happen.

Photo from someecards

I gave myself a little time to gather up all the right documents and figure out how to go about making it official (this WikiHow page is pretty helpful), and here's a rundown of how I did it:



1 - Request a few copies of your marriage license (I received the request form when we applied for the marriage license).  I got two, but three would have probably been safer.  Gather any other identification info - passport, driver's license, current Social Security card, birth certificate.  You probably don't need them all,  but who wants to get turned away at the DMV for not having the right documents?

2 - Get the new Social Security card first.  I went into an office, but you can also mail everything in.  The SSA website provides a pretty good outline of what documents you need to provide to get a replacement card.  Except for a bit of a wait because I went on a Friday afternoon, the process was pretty painless.  Also, the replacement card is free!

• Note: my agent at the SS office said that I did not have to wait until my new card came in the mail to apply for a new driver's license.  She said the DMV would see the change in the system the next day, and I also had a letter showing that I applied for the change.  I opted to wait, but if you're tight on time, it might be worth a shot.

3 - Head to the DMV.  I went to a small one near my work at lunch, and I didn't even have a chance to sit down and open up my book!  I was seen really quickly, and I just handed over all of my documents and she was able to update everything.  I took a new picture and they printed it out right there for me!

4 - Start requesting changes everywhere else (currently a work in progress).  Each credit card is a little different (Discover let me submit a form online, but others might require faxing in information or visiting a bank branch), and I'm sure I'll be finding things to change for months to come. I'll need to look into changing my passport at some point, because my current one expires in February - anyone have any tips on that to share?  

Honestly, the whole process was much quicker and easier than I thought it would be, both logistically and emotionally.  I don't feel any longing for the loss of my maiden name, because it's still there.  I didn't kick my old self to the curb when I took on Sphinx's name - I just added on another layer that represents our new family.  And that gives me a case of the warm fuzzies.

Full disclosure: it makes me a little happy to still sign credit card receipts with my old name, but that's just because I haven't quite figured out how to sign a W without looking like it was done by a third grader.

Maybe I should print a few of these and get some practice in?/Photo via Study Village

Full, full disclosure - I'm not thrilled to be at the end of the alphabet after living all my life near the front, but I've heard from some people that there are advantages to being at the end as well!  Only time will tell.

Anyone else have a big jump in their alphabetical ranking after getting married?   Or did you decide to keep your name after getting married?