Weddings signify many changes in a couple’s life. One such change is your name. Will you be taking on the groom’s last name, would you prefer to keep your own surname, or do you want to be hyphenated?
If you’re feeling a little hesitant on taking your partner’s last name, you’re not alone! Many women have chosen to keep their maiden name, whether they’ve established a successful career with it or are simply not wanting to give up their family name just yet.
Another reason is that women are voting to throw some traditions out the window in today’s modern times. Then, of course, there’s also same-sex couples who may have a hard time deciding whose name to use. In all of these cases and more, the perfect solution for you may be a hyphenated surname, using a combination of your maiden name and your new, married name.
The Ins and Outs of a Hyphenated Last Name.
A hyphenated last name is when a bride decides to use both her maiden name and her new partner’s last name. It’s fairly simple, once you’ve chosen to hyphenate you just follow the same name-change process. A hyphenated name is legal, however, the tricky part is that you’ll need to stick with it. All your formal documents require your exact identity and will call for both names and the hyphen. In other words, you can’t flip-flop between your maiden and partner’s name for the fun of it when signing forms!
The best part of hyphenating your last name – is not having to make the choice! By combining your names you get the best of both worlds. This always allows you to keep your professional identity (yay for the corporate women!). The only negative backlash is the hassle of signing all the documents with your double barrel name and whether or not your children will have to do the same, too.
How to Hyphenate Your Name
To start you’ll need your marriage license to initiate your name change, so when you fill out and sign your license make sure you use your hyphenated last name. However, if you want to save yourself the hassle of mountains of paperwork and long standing queues at the department of Home Affairs, try using your marriage officer to beat those queues.
Hyphenated Last Name Examples
Honestly, which comes first? Thankfully, there are no set rules when it comes to deciding how you hyphenate your last name. You can stick to the traditional route, with your maiden name coming first or twist it and have your maiden name listed last. Or you could try to bribe your Hubby into hyphenating his name to match yours too!
Just remember that no decision you make regarding your name, won’t leave someone having their own opinion about it but whether they love it or leave it, the choice is ultimately up to you and is something you ‘wear’ for the rest of your life.
With all these added worries and things to consider things can get a little overwhelming. Contact us to help you take the stress out of planning your wedding.
At The Marriage Meander Company, we believe that match-making is essential when planning your big day. Let us connect you with like-minded suppliers and specialists in a personal and reliably sourced manner ~ with integrity, passion, and experience.
For more information please contact us today on:
Gauteng: (082) 901-4301 or info@marriagemeander.co.za
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KwaZulu Natal: (083) 369-4748 | marriagemeander@wol.co.za
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