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[+] considerations for the prospective groom

- gut check: are you  sure you are ready to get married?

- how do i know she's the one?

[+] all the groom needs to know about engagement rings

- a groom's guide to engagement rings

- diamond-buying
guide

- do you need GIA-certified diamonds?

- buying an engagement ring online

- surprise ring or blank check?

- how much should a groom spend on an engagement ring?

- engagement ring price calculator

[+] popping the question

- should the groom ask the father-in-law for permission?

- popping the question

- wedding proposal stories

[+] "pre" marriage things

- the prenuptial agreement

- pre-marital counseling

- pre-marital financial planning

a second marriage for the groom?

engagement announcements

the engagement party

dealing with cold feet or wedding jitters

dealing with bridezilla

eloping

a las vegas wedding

the name change: how it will get done

backing out of your wedding: a survival manual

tax consequences of getting married

the name change [Page 1 of 2]

When your fiancée suddenly becomes your wife, you will have to get used to a whole new introduction in social situations.   For you, it's not so bad.   "This is my... wife , Cheryl."   It will be a process of trial and error that will start with the occasional "girlfriend" or "fiancée" and will eventually become an automatic "wife."

When it comes to yourwife , however, being a married woman now means a potential rebirth in the eyes of every company on the planet with whom you're associated. It also means your wife may be shedding her family name forever, which carries its own set of emotions.

A University of Florida study by Diana Boxer involving 134 married women ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s who lived in various parts of the United States, found that only 18 percent had kept their own names, compared with 77 percent who took a husband's name.

Despite the trend to revert to tradition, you should know you have more than one option as a married couple as to what to do about the name thing. (And this choice is ultimately a personal one.)

The Old-Fashioned Option

The most traditional approach to post-nuptial naming is for the wife to adopt your surname and discard her own.   This may take some time for her to get used to, especially if she has a fondness (or preference) for her name. This will also require her to diligently change her name to yours on all existing accounts and documents.   This can be a long and tedious task, but there are services out there to lighten the load. MissNowMrs.com is one of these services. There you can enter the name change in one place and MissNowMrs.com will make the change for your Social Security, IRS, U.S. Passport, U.S. Postal Service, Driver's License and Certified Marriage Certificate(s) documents. This does require some entering of information, a fee, and some printing, but is far easier than tackling each document separately.

The Hyphenated Option

This approach to re-naming can be a good compromise for those women who wish to state that they're yours and also still themselves. It can conjure up images of royalty or power-hungry, self-important women, but in the end, the call is hers. For teachers and for women with established careers, this option is understandable. article continues...
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Deez
Tue, Apr.29th 2008
Rating:
I'm not Mister old fashioned, but there's nothing wrong with some traditions. If you want to take on your wife's name or pick some new name just to buck at conformity, so be it. But it seems lame to me, and a knee-jerk reaction to an alleged sexism that isn't necessarily there in every case. A woman strength and independence comes by way of her actions and character, not by refusing her husband's name.
Shannon
Thu, Apr.17th 2008
Rating:
My fiancé and I have chosen a new name that is significant and unique to both of us. It was an amusing and interesting experience trying to choose one that we both liked.
Louie
Tue, Apr.1st 2008
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My fiancé is discarding her middle name and going first name, maiden name, my last name. It is another option. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Dash
Mon, Mar.31st 2008
Rating:
When I got married, I decided to hyphenate our names, since I come from a family of all girls and the name would then end. My husband surprised everyone and hyphenated as well. We now share a name unique to us, and so does our daughter!
vince
Sun, Mar.2nd 2008
Rating:
the way me and my fiancee are doing it, we are sharing names, so we are becoming gelinas-ramsay
Rodney
Wed, Feb.13th 2008
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My fiancee' Chante' has a cool last name and it fits her wll, but She is going to be Mrs. Davis now, no way I will ever change my last name to hers!!
Dawn
Thu, Feb.7th 2008
Rating:
Definitely disappointed by the fact that you didn't include taking the wife's name. My fiance was all for taking mine (I have 2 sisters and my father only had sisters so there's nobody to pass the name on) but then his father wouldn't let us. It's a viable option.
Kyle F.
Thu, Feb.7th 2008
Rating:
NEVER ever take the womans name on. That is a horrible idea. I am the last male in my family to pass the name on, my wife-to-be has a brother to pass theirs on. If you take on the womans name you mine as well get a sex change and be lesbian with her.
mr soon to be wed
Sun, Feb.3rd 2008
Rating:
You know, a name change for men isn't a big deal , and if the stigma attached is ever going to be removed, more guys need to think about it. Also, there is the concern of "passing on the family name." Well, how do you think the father of the bride feels? FYI,Don Cherry's son in law did it.
j24
Wed, Jan.9th 2008
Rating:
What about a new name altogether?
GroomGroove.com
Mon, Dec.31st 2007
Rating:
Hey guys - Thanks for the comments. We will explore taking the wife's name and revisit the article.
Jon
Sun, Dec.30th 2007
Rating:
I know more than one man who has taken his wife's last name... so don't say that "no guy is going to do it." It's not the norm, but it's certainly done.
Fri, Dec.28th 2007
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For "Guy" - who is going to take their wife's name? I mean, really. Yeah, i'm sure it's a nice jesture and even if you have a long name, no guy is going to do it.
Guy
Sat, Dec.22nd 2007
Rating:
You left out the option of taking your wife's last name!
Nicholas S.
Sun, Dec.16th 2007
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Most definitely a very important step.
Evan A.
Sun, Dec.16th 2007
Rating:
I'm taking my wife's last name. We both like it, plus, her last name has more "clout".
Groom
Mon, Sep.17th 2007
Rating:
K - that's gotta be a first. But if his name is hard to spell or weird, fine, but his friends are going to make fun of him!
Dean H.
Fri, Aug.10th 2007
Rating:
The Hyphenated option sounds just like my fiancee!

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