The Name Changing Saga: Part 3

 
Wow whee! FASTEST. DMV. EXPERIENCE. EVAR.

Even though the lady from Friday told me I didn't need a number and just to see her, I decided to play it safe and get a number anyway. I got my number and headed up to the second floor and before I could even look for the lady who processed me last time, my number was called! Ridiculous! I hadn't even pulled my folder and forms out! And this is why you should go to the DMV at 10am on a Wednesday on a rainy day. :]

The lady was mildly pleasant. Perhaps it was still early and she hadn't had the chance to get pissed off yet. :oP Since I was already in the system (that makes me sound like a delinquent...) she just had to check my documents and make copies. I cringed at the sight of my photo on her monitor and resisted the urge to ask whether I could take another picture. After a quick swipe of plastic to pay my $100 fee, I got a small sheet of paper aka my "Massachusetts" license with my new name! I will try my best not to lose it or get it wet! Durable plastic card, please come soon!

Envision my face instead of this jolly man's face.  (Source)

Goodbye beloved California Driver's License! :( With my funny picture from age 17 (with some hair sticking out on the side) and my signature which says "Alvia" :-P Too bad they can't punch a hole in it or something so I can keep it as a souvenir.

What you will need (this may vary state to state):
- Your state DMV's form
(I was able to mark it as an "out-of-state conversion" and then added that I wanted to change my name)
- Old license to verify signature*
- Passport to verify birthday*
- Bank statement (or a bill) to verify current local address*
- Pay a fee

*You can use different documents to verify different things but these are what I used
     

The Name Changing Saga: Part 2

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Yesterday morning, I hopped on the bus and made it to the "new" Social Security Office. The wait wasn't too terrible and the person who processed my stuff wasn't too snarky. Actually kind of civil and nice. :oP I had my form ready, with my Social Security card, marriage license and driver's license. She inputted all my info into the computer, printed out a receipt thing that said I got processed today and said I should be receiving my card in the mail in 2 weeks. Whoo hoo!

But then she took my old card. My card of almost 25 years! Goodbye old Social Security card. Thank goodness it's the same number though. I'd hate to have to remember a new number. :]

For changing your name for your Social Security card, you'll need your:
- Old Social Security card (if you have one)
- Driver's License
- Marriage certificate
- Form SS-5
- It's free! (You're allowed 3 replacement cards per calendar year and 10 in a lifetime.)

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Incase you missed the notice,
come be my friend at my new blog
 The Orange Coffee Cup! 

     

The Name Changing Saga: Part 1

When I was visiting home a few weeks ago, I went to City Hall to pick up copies of our marriage certificate (since getting it done through the mail required notarization!)  After I came back, I started filling out my information on MissNowMrs.com.  Last week I printed off the driver's license form and made plans to head to the Mass RMV (they call it the Registry of Motor Vehicles).

I read somewhere on NewLastName.org that you needed to change your name on your social security first before going to the DMV.  But of course I read it under the "California" one and thought it didn't apply to Massachusettes.  Wrong.  Which was disappointing because it was the shortest DMV wait I've ever experienced!

So last Friday, I trucked downtown to the RMV with all the forms and documents, got a number and sat down to wait.

The lady at the window was mean and snappy.  :(  But for some reason, after she took my picture (which was hideous, and I did it twice), she warmed up and was... less mean.  And she said it was a great picture.  (The smile was ok but of course the hair I spent all morning combing was flat and wind-blown.  And my eyes were squinty.  >_<)  The she went to verify my social security and of course, I had not done that yet.  So she told me to come back next week.  And that I didn't have to stand in line!  (I hope she was speaking truth and that she will remember/recognize me and/or is working when I come in!)

So (yay useful iPhone) I quickly looked up the nearest Social Security Office, hoping I could get that done the same day.  The SS website listed an address in Davis Square, so (after a short stint at H&M, hehe) I hopped on the T and went down there.  Only upon getting there did I find out that IT FREAKIN' MOVED.  Good job SS website.  At that point, it was like 2pm and I hadn't eaten anything all day.  So I grabbed a small fries from the McDonalds across the street, comtemplated how tired I was and how I wasn't sure how to get to the new location anyway, and decided to go home, and try to get to the new office on Monday.  I wasn't too keen on spending $1.70 taking the T back to Havard Square ONLY to then walk A MILE back home.  So I decided I should burn off those fries anyway, and walked the 1.7 miles home (for free!) straight from Davis Square.

So lesson of the day: do your Social Security before anything else!  Especially your driver's license.  And read things carefully.  haha.

Also, especially for this young and tech savvy generation, do all your forms beforehand (print from internet) and in general, have all your crap forms and documents together and ready to go.  It will make everything go smoother.  (This I had no problem with.  My parents trained me well.)

       

Changing the name

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I've always known I wanted to change my name afer I got married.  I like having the same name as my husband and especially as a family when there are little kiddies.  (And I've decided to move my maiden name to my middle name, since I've never had one!  So it's like... best of both worlds.  :oP)  But I never imagined it'd be so annoying.  >_<  There are so many forms!  I've been in a weird spot since we got married in California and then jetted off to New York and now reside in Massachusettes.  I tried ordering serveral copies of our marriage certificate through snail mail so I could begin to contemplate how I wanted to go about this but then I somehow missed the part (or it was unclear to me or I just can't read) that a mailed in request was required to be notarized!  Turns out I'll be going home for a short visit so I will go get copies of our marriage certificate in person, which in theory should be less painful.  :]

I want to keep my California driver's license but I know you're suppose to convert to the state you're currently living in.  My reasoning is that we will someday  move back to the great state of California.  :]

So while I contemplate what I should do, let me share two great (aka "free") resources for this seemingly complicated ordeal.

1) Most brides have probably heard of MissNowMrs.com.  They charge $29.99 for their services.  You fill out your information in one form and they project all that info onto the forms you'll need for the various agencies you'd need to change your name with (driver's license, passport, social security, etc.)

TIP: If you sign up for an account on Weddingwire.com and after the wedding write five (5) vendor reviews, they gift you with some sort of certificate (I chose a $5 giftcard from Amazon) and a gift card to MissNowMrs.com (valued at $29.99)*.  I thought free and free was a pretty good deal.  :]  Otherwise, from some reviews I've read, it's not really worth the $29.99 -- if you know how to read and mail in forms.

* This deal was true as of Summer 2010 but their offerings may have changed.

2) The Free Name Change Guide.  The fact that "free" is in the title should make it a winner!  I found this site on Google.  The main page lets you pick the state you want to change your name in and then it provides a checklist and all the forms required.  You have to read (!) and click through some stuff but it seems pretty straightforward.  I think it's a great resource if you don't want to bother writing the 5 reviews for WeddingWire.  :-P

I will probably feel much better after I'm all done with this.  It's been the one annnnnooying wedding related thing that I haven't done.  (Ok except the thank you cards, which I'm 98% done with.)  They should just provide a box you can check on your marriage certificate that'll do all this for you.  :-P

                     

Don't you just love weddings?

   
"Don't you just love weddings?"

An entertainingly-phrased post by the Reverend-Know-It-All that I found on Miss Zebra's post on how many weddings seem to go down these days.

He speaks of the modern method of marrying and that "It is stupid to spend more time and money preparing for the wedding than you do preparing for the marrige!!!"
        

orange & navy!

Hostess With the Mostess just posted a modern orange and navy baby shower party. But I think the colors would work great for a wedding! I really like the orange against the bold navy mingling with the white napkins, vases, plateware and chairs.

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That's definitely a baller baby shower!  :]  I think I also like this because orange and blue used to be my favorite colors.  :oP
                          

James Bond cake!

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Ridiculous awesomeness.  :oP  A James Bond cake.  LOVE IT  :]
(Click on the picture to see it full size.)

       

I can't believe it's October already!  It's hard to think that we've only been married for four months!  It's felt so much longer.  In a good way of course.  :oP