Texoma Bride Guide | Issue 007 | Summer/Fall 2020

CHANGING YOUR NAME
Following the wedding, you will need to take your signed marriage license to the county clerk’s
office to obtain your marriage certificate. The marriage certificate is a piece of paper that
proves that you are legally married. It does not mean your last name has legally changed. When
you are getting your license before the wedding, be sure to find out the timeline for filing it
after the wedding.
You will be required to present a copy of your marriage certificate to complete the process
of changing your name at government agencies as well as non-government institutions. We
recommend ordering three certified copies of your marriage certificate because you may have
to surrender a copy as you go about changing your name at different places.
The first place to change your name is at the Social Security Office. Then you may begin to use
your new name. We recommend going to the Department of Motor Vehicles next. Don’t forget
to change your name at these places as well:
Banks
Medical Care Provider(s)
Insurance
Mortgage Lender or Landlord
Professional License
County Tax Assessor
Credit Card Companies
State Tax Commission
Employer (fill out new W-2)
Dept. of Revenue
Retirement Documents
U.S. Passport
Postal Service
Investment Companies
Utility Company
Voter Registration
Legal Documents
Wills
A newspaper engagement announcement
is one of the first opportunities for a couple
to announce their engagement to the public
using their local and city press. With different
requirements for each newspaper and issues
of etiquette to consider, writing newspaper
engagement announcements can be tricky,
especially if you’re writing your own.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
requirements and whether or not they accept
photos. Some newspapers have a form for you
to fill out, which they then use to compile your
wedding details into their own newspaper
format. Others will allow you to write the
announcement.
Typically written in the past tense (since
the engagement has already occurred), the
announcement is from the point-of-view of
the party hosting the wedding, traditionally
the parents of the bride-to-be.
The first step is to contact the news source in
which you plan on placing the announcement
to find out their guidelines and any associated
costs. Be sure to ask about length
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