DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MY NAME?
No, it is completely optional – a custom and not a legal requirement. Approximately 85% of women choose to change their name when they marry.

CAN I CHANGE MY NAME BEFORE MY WEDDING?
Once you receive your marriage certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages, you are able to commence the name change process on all of your identification documentation. Our kit provides you with links to the forms you'll need and you can of course have these completed and ready to issue as soon as you're married!

CAN I LEGALLY HYPHENATE MY MAIDEN AND MARRIED SURNAMES?
Yes. To ensure that your hyphenated surnames are legally recognised, the Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages now requires that you go through an official ‘legal’ name change. The forms for this application are available through your state/territory's Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (links to these websites included in the kit). Once your legal name change takes effect you will be issued with a Change of Name Certificate which can then be used to change your identification.

DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MY NAME ON EVERYTHING?
No. Many women choose to retain their maiden name at their workplace, and use their married name in their personal life. This can cause some confusion however, so we have included everything you need to make a complete name change.

HOW DO I UPDATE MY PASSPORT TO MY NEW MARRIED NAME AND WHAT WILL THE COST BE?
If you have a current passport, you can apply to have a new one issued in your married name with the same length of validity on it at no cost. Passport applications can be done online and we have included the link for this and the detailed instructions in your kit.

However, please keep in mind that if you have an overseas trip booked for your honeymoon, you may be leaving within a few days of your wedding, and you may not have enough time to arrange for a new passport in your married name. If that's the case you should book airline tickets in your maiden name.

DO I HAVE TO NOTIFY AUTHORITIES OF MY CHANGE OF NAME IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER?
Basically, you need to apply for a standard copy of your marriage certificate first (forms included in kit) as this is required as proof of the name change. Then we recommend changing your drivers licence as your next priority. There is no particular order required for other organisations, but we have included a checklist for you to refer to.

OTHER INSTRUCTIONS
Where available, we've included links to the official instructions for each form for you in our kit. Changing your name is a simple process, there's just a lot of paperwork! Fortunately many of the forms can be completed online and printed.