Weddingbee Blog

I’m not the first bee nor will I be the last be to be discussing name changing! There are many different opinions surrounding the whole name-changing issue. I for one stand firmly in the pro-change corner. However, the name change does have its disadvantages!

Photo via The Mathematical Tourist

The legal limbo land…when you have changed some documents but not others…is painful. I am pretty sure that should be easy to overcome by keeping a copy of our marriage license in my wallet for proof of name. I say that now—talk to me six months after the wedding and I’ll see how that worked out!

Then there is the alphabetical change, the one I am finding the hardest. I have always identified myself as a top-of-the-alphabet person. Those at the top or bottom can understand, especially if you went to a high school like mine and your classes were basically divided based on last names. I will be moving from the character-defining top of the alphabet to middle-alphabet no-man’s-land. I won’t be going to the A–D section when I go to collect my race bibs, as my mister pointed out when I was accidentally trying to collect from K–O a few weeks ago. “Not yet, dear. Next year you can collect from there!”

I would love to have one of those first-name last names, like Ryan or Peters or Williams or something, as my maiden name so that we could then use that for our babies’ names! I love it when people do that; it makes the first name so special and meaningful. Unfortunately, my name doesn’t really lend itself to a first name, without undue ridicule anyway!

The best part about changing my name will be the sense of family. I can’t wait for Mr. Teaspoon and me to share a name and just be “The Teaspoons”! Our children will share this name—I am wholeheartedly on board! I don’t think it is outdated. I know Mr. Teaspoon wouldn’t be sad if I didn’t take his name, but he is happy that I am. Ultimately, of course, he left the decision up to me, ’cause he is cool like that! Also, I am older and wiser and I have a wonderful opportunity in front of me to change my signature!

Also, without being too convoluted here, my initials are currently a boring old combination of letters, but when Mr. Teaspoon and I get married, I will become S.A.L.—which is a nickname I received well before I met Mr. Teaspoon! I was working in a ski resort in Colorado, and a friend remarked that I only wore Salomon gear—skis, poles, boots, shoes, clogs, jumper, ski jacket, the list goes on. So from then on I was Sal! I didn’t think it would last long, as it is so close to Sarah and would get confusing. It did get confusing, but it stuck! Stuck like GLUE! Now eight years later, those friends from Colorado would never call me Sarah in a million years. Coincidentally, those friends who nicknamed me are also the same friends who introduced me to Mr. Teaspoon!

Who is changing their name and who isn’t? Any reasons either way?