Category Archive

last names

This is a perennial hot topic for our readers — is it un-feminist to change your last name after the wedding? Should you hyphenate? How is early is too early to start using your married name? And how the hell do you change your last name after the wedding?! (That one has an easy answer.)

puppetwedding1 alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Claire & Bobby’s puppet wedding

Our wedding was subversively quirky. We both went back and forth about certain traditions and our families had some say in that. I was in a big pouffy white dress with a veil for the ceremony and the boys were in tuxes. But there were puppets. Lots of them.

tet alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Kat’s Ottawa wedding was all about the offbeat details

The offbeat bride: Kat, Craftsperson Her offbeat groom: Kurt, Computer Engineer Location & date of wedding: Ottawa, ON (Canada), married at the Army Officer’s Mess. June 23rd, 2007 What made our wedding offbeat: Our wedding seemed fairly traditional on the surface — it was held at a popular local venue for formal events, the bride […]

groom changing last name alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Advice for dudes changing their last names

I know a couple men who’ve taken their wives’ last names in two different ways (one got rid of his last name, the other hyphenated), so I pestered them for some name-changing advice.

rainbow sprinkle bridal shower cake alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

People know me by different names — what do I put on the invite?

“My real name is Michelle Jennifer, but i grew up going by jennifer and then when i was 20-ish my friends started calling me Rainbo. My fiance’s parents don’t feel comfortable with the Rainbo thing, so they call me Michelle. So when sending out invites, do I do three separate designs, one for each name?” No, here’s what you do…

5124704003 c94b397330 b alternative wedding ideas from Offbeat Wed (formerly Offbeat Bride)

Husbands and grooms: let’s talk about men changing their last names

When researching the Offbeat Bride book, without a doubt the hottest topic among my labs rats was women changing their last names. One increasingly popular method of dealing with this feminist minefield is both the bride and the groom assuming a new last name. Seems to solve all the problems, right?

Well, turns out that in many states it’s significantly harder for husbands to change their last names.