Dear Bride,

Just when you think you’ve thought of everything, another question comes along! And this is quite a big one. Brides, are you keeping your maiden name or taking your married surname?

There is no legal obligation for the bride to take her husband’s surname upon marriage. It is a tradition that has been carried out for centuries and was for a long time seen as the norm. More women are making careful choices about whether they will take their husband’s name, whether to keep their own or even opting for the double-barreled surname. 

If you decide to take your husband’s surname then there are a number of things you will have to do in order to change your documents and formalize your identity.

The best advice I can give is to get several Marriage Certificates in order to send to all the parties who request them. Remembering this early will save you a lot of time and hassle. The Marriage Certificate legally entitles you to change your name and is all the evidence you need of this.

For most places you will be expected to send in a copy (or original) of your marriage certificate with an accompanying letter explaining your name change request. Some institutions may have a separate form for you to fill out – but this shouldn’t be too complicated.

I found this great list of places and people you should notify on Wedding Chaos at: http://www.weddingchaos.co.uk/changing-your-name.asp

·  Employer

·  Inland Revenue for tax and NI records (obtain your reference and tax office address from your employer)

·  Bank (mortgage and/or saving accounts)

·  Building Society (mortgage and/or saving accounts)

·  Credit card companies

·  Finance/loan companies

·  Local Authority (Council tax and register of electors)

·  Department of Work and Pensions (if you are entitled to any benefits)

·  Police (if you have any criminal actions against you or are on the Sex Offenders’ Registry)

·  HM Land Registry (if you own land or property)

·  Pension providers

·  Passport Office (apply for a name passport)

·  DVLA (apply for a new drivers license)

·  Motoring organisations (breakdown organisations)

·  Utility services (ie. Gas, electricity, water and sewerage providers)

·  Telephone provider

·  Internet provider

·  Mobile phone provider

·  Royal Mail

·  Insurance companies (buildings, life, motor, endowments, contents etc.)

·  Premium Bonds Office

·  Mail-order companies

·  Doctor

·  Dentist

·  Vets (if applicable)

·  TV license Office

·  School/college/university

·  Professional Institutes and bodies

·  Library

·  Clubs, societies and associations

·  Magazine subscriptions

·  If either or both of you have a will, this should be reviewed after you are married.

One very handy tip for you is that you can change your Passport in advance so that you can jet off on honeymoon with your new name! You can apply for the new passport up to 3 months before the wedding – but it won’t be valid until after the marriage. For more information on passports visit http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/index.htm

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Dear Bride and Groom,

The most important thing you need to remember for your wedding day (apart from turning up of course) is the wedding license (marriage license). Without this document your marriage cannot go ahead or be seen as legal in the eyes of the law.

Obtaining a wedding license is not difficult. Although it may seem like there is a lot to it, it is actually very simple and easy to do.

Depending on where you live in the UK the formalities of obtaining your wedding license are slightly different. So although I am going to give you a basic outline please check http://www.direct.gov.uk for up to date information and links to your area.

In order to obtain a wedding license you must first give notice of your intention to wed. In England you must give notice in the registry office of the district that you live in – and you must have been living there for at least 7 days. If you live in a different area to your partner then you will still give notice to the registry that is local to you, even if you are not getting married there. (In Scotland you give notice in the district where you will be married and you do not need to be a resident)

The minimum notice period is 15 days before your wedding and the notice itself is valid for one year from submission. To complete the notice you will be required to provide your name, age (bring a birth certificate if you can), address, nationality, occupation, current marital status and the venue for your marriage. It is advisable to take any supporting documentation that you can to prove you are who you say you are!

Registering a marriage in the Church of England or Wales operates slightly differently again so it is always best to speak to your local registrar or officiant, or conduct research online before making any assumptions!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Dear Bride and Groom,

Have you ever had that experience when you are engaging someone to carry out some work for you – whether its fitting a bathroom, servicing your car or excavating your garden – that you have a ‘feeling’ you are not going to get on with them?

That is not you being picky. That’s just your common sense kicking in highlighting that in some way your personalities clash. It could be something small and it may not affect the job at all, but you hesitate nonetheless. I’m not necessarily talking about trust here, but about the way you can communicate.

When you are engaging someone to provide a product or service for your wedding I think it’s important that your personalities match. Why? Because you are probably going to have to speak to them a lot – and during some times when you are fairly stressed out!

I would always advise my brides (or grooms) to ‘interview’ at least 3 different vendors before making a decision. A simple conversation can be enough and usually your gut instinct will tell you who you should work with.

Let me give you an example.

I was working with a fairly successful, strong-willed and organized bride about 6 months ago. We were visiting a number of florists that day and I had picked 2 for the morning that I thought she might like.

The first florist was a local vendor, fairly new to the area having just branched out on her own, but very experienced in wedding flowers. She talked through all the ideas with the bride, explained different options and showed examples. She then talked through how she would sketch out designs and send email them to her for approval so they could discuss changes without having to see each other face to face. Everything was very detailed, clear and the florist seemed totally in control.

The second florist, also a local vendor, but more established with a number of awards under her belt was much more informal. She asked about colours and flower types, took an address and said she’d be happy to send on a quote. She offered a few books to look at and point out anything that the bride liked. The whole encounter was very informal, chatty and pleasant.

Can you guess which florist my bride chose? Of course, the first! Although she thought the second florist seemed great she realized that her laid back personality would just send her into a panic. She felt the first had a reassuring business-like quality that she could relate to.

Don’t worry about judging people. They completely understand! And remember its just as hard for them to do their job if your personalities are clashing!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner

Luxury Weddings in London, South East and the UK