Now more than ever, brides all over the world opt to keep their maiden name when they marry. Does the decision really matter? And if so, what are your options?
The question of whether or not to change your name when you get married is a good one. Now more than ever, brides from all over the world are choosing to keep their maiden names, and are doing so for a number of reasons. For many girls, the name change doesn’t matter. They are perfectly content changing their name right away, and many even look forward to it.
For others, though, they may struggle with the idea of giving up a part of their family’s legacy. Tradition suddenly becomes less important, and maintaining their legacy and their identity takes precedence over everything else. However you feel about the tradition of a bride changing her name due to marriage, there are a few good ways to decide if it is the right choice for you.
First, do you like the sound of your first name with your husband-to-be’s last name? If you think the new last name would be inconvenient in any way or that it would simply sound strange, it doesn’t hurt to consider keeping your maiden name.
Next, is the tie to your family’s legacy especially important to you? For many brides it is, but if you have a very particular reason for wanting to keep your family’s name on your record, then sentimentality is reason enough. You don’t have to abide by tradition if you don’t want to.
Finally, if you love the idea of sporting your partner’s last name for honor’s sake, that’s a perfectly good reason to switch names, along with the romantic nature of keeping the tradition. One option that many brides opt for is to hyphenate their name.
This may not work for every last name combination, but it’s a great option to consider if you want to make a compromise. The question of whether or not to change your name when you get married is something only you can answer, but it helps to take these things into account before you make a decision.
