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Speaking of name changing, I never really touched on what a process it’s going to be. So I decided I’d get a little head start. No, I’m not going to start going by my new name…do you think I’m crazy? I did, however, “reserve” my new e-mail address on Gmail. And by reserve, I clearly mean that I just registered for a new one.
What?
I was afraid it would get taken by someone else between now and May.
This is what I was welcomed with upon logging in. I read that first e-mail about importing your contacts from your old e-mail, and I’ll admit that I’m already overwhelmed with the thought of changing all my e-mail subscriptions, getting the word out to friends and family that I have a new address, and I’m sure a million other things connected to my old e-mail. Not to mention, the official name-changing process and all that entails.
I mean, God forbid I miss one mass e-mail from Anthropologie or J.Crew. That would be tragic.
Any suggestions for making this process easier?
PS: I haven’t even told Mr. Oatmeal that I did this yet. Hehe.
i did that about a week ago! and no, my fiance doesnt know either 
You don’t actually have to change your email ADDRESS to get a different display name in your email. If you want to keep your old email you can just change your preferences so that your new name shows up with that email.
I’m definitely keeping my old email address, and I think I am going to just go by MyLastName HisLastName, since so many people know me as my last name, it would be an incredibly pain to switch. I just kept my old email address and changed the display name–problem solved!
I will also note that I have been married for almost 6 months now, and I still haven’t exactly figured out what I am going to do with my name!!
my DH signed me up for 3 different email addresses before he proposed so I would have options! i think having an email with your name is the easiest, but you don’t have to do this if you’re not changing your name or you don’t have an email address with your maiden name.
i still haven’t changed all my accounts over to my new address… and it’s been almost 10 months since we got married! oops.
I totally did the same thing! It’s hard when your name is changing from a less common name to a WAY more common name.
I was just trying to decide what to do about this. Right now I’m leaning towards making a new gmail account that forwards to my old one. That way I can send emails from Myfirst.hislast@gmail.com, but still have all the setup that it’s taken 3 years to perfect with my maiden name email.
You could forward your old email address to come to your new one. It’s really easy in gmail and it will even label it for you so that you know which address it came from. That way you can take your time redoing all your subscriptions and you won’t miss any messages!
oh, miss oatmeal, I have really become a fan of your blogs 
you are a girl after my own heart. I think I made my new gmail address 2 weeks after we got engaged! (that was over a year ago, and still 8 months to go til the wedding)
A tip though - of course I didnt start using it then, then what do ya know, I try to log into it a couple months later, and I cant! And gmail said they had no record of me creating it! Even with the stupid “confirmation” number they send you once you create one!
For such a small thing, I was REALLY annoyed. I had firstnamemiddleinitialto-belast name, and now its GONE!! You can be sure I went straight to gmail and made up 5 more email address’s for my future name. of course, none of them as perfect as the first 
…I don’t know what happened but it might be a good idea to not let that puppy go idle until after the big day.
[...] On Getting a Head Start | Weddingbee weddingbee.com/2011/01/26/name-changing-process/ – view page – cached Speaking of name changing, I never really touched on what a process it’s going to be. So I decided I’d get a little head start. No, I’m not going to start [...]
I went ahead and registered maidenname.hislastname@gmail.com
You could set an out of town reply on the old one letting people know of the new address. When I created my newest email I just checked it like normal and when I had the time, when I received an email I went to the site right then to sign up my new email. You might even put a tag (GMAIL) or put it in a folder (Yahoo) that reminds you to go unsubscribe in a week or two… just so you don’t miss anything.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has done this, and not the only one who got mad when it wasn’t available! I currently use first.last@gmail.com and first.fianceslast@gmail.com is taken! I still check it periodically though on the off chance that it becomes available!
I have been trying and trying and trying to get a decent email address because mine is totally name-based. And it does. Not. Exist. Feel my frustration.
I did what @Lauren suggested. That way you can do it a little at a time. Not that bad.
haha i’m uh not engaged and did this.. yesterday. we must be on the same wavelength! probably sounds silly to do so early but his name is so much more popular than mine!
I kept my old email address, which gets a ton of junk emails, as my ’signing up for websites’, getting sales notifications, etc, and a new email with my new name that I only give to people I know. It’s workign out well.
And yeah, I ‘reserved’ that one soon after we got engaged. My maiden name is pretty common so my email addresses always had to have annoying numbers and stuff. My new one is just firstname.lastname@gmail.com. I didn’t want anyone to take it first!
I agree with others above - Gmail makes it super easy to link multiple accounts, receive to the same inbox, and send from either address. I did this with my college email and could easily send messages from either address from Gmail.
I did the same thing when we got engaged…I just signed up for myfirstname.hislastname@ gmail and forwarded it to my current email
I actually changed my email to a combination of my first name and middle name several years ago, just so that I could keep my email address when I got married. Changing emails is SUCH a pain!
Such a good idea! I wish I had done this earlier because mine is no longer available I’ve tried all the various iterations of it too! curses!
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Miss Oatmeal, Fresno, CA Age and Occupation: 25, Medical Device Sales Representative Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Police Officer/Captain in the US Army Engagement Date: February 16, 2010 Wedding Date: May 2011 Venue: Private Residence, Fresno About Me: I am a toast-loving, list-making, occasionally crazy California girl getting dangerously close to marrying her crime-fighting, patient, man's man fiancé. I’ve never left our hometown of Clovis, CA, I love Anthropologie so much it almost hurts, appreciate promptness, love that our 4lb. Chihuahua, Murphy, smells like Fritos, am irritated by windshield wipers that move too fast for the amount of rain, love me some cold weather, have an unhealthy obsession with boots, and wholeheartedly think that my family is everything. Mr. Oatmeal is, oddly enough, my brother's best friend. He's also the best thing that's ever happened to me, and together we are planning a vintage chic, backyard, spring wedding with a few nontraditional touches while trying to keep up with our crazy lives.
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