Name Change pre-wedding?

In Los Angeles County, it said to use your married name for what you want to appear on your marriage certificate. That becomes proof of marriage and the start of changing your last name.

No. You need your marriage certificate (recent marriage) or divorce to change it legally on documents, at least here in Florida you do. Trying to do so beforehand will cost money, courts and a whole complicated process..

The below link, and quote gives more information:

https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/600488/marriage-license-checklist:

"HOW TO SIGN YOUR NAME

Like any legal document, you need to think carefully before you sign your marriage license! Once you've completed and submitted your marriage license, the name listed as your married surname is legally binding. The only way to change it after the fact is to remarry (repeating all of the steps outlined in this article), which would be a huge bummer.

To really drive the point home, most offices explicitly state that updating your name on a marriage license after getting married is not considered "correcting an error," although for other changes, there often is a free amendment process. In other words, no amount of begging is going to work in your favor.

Now, here's how to ace it: Because you apply for your marriage license before you marry, sign the document with your maiden name, or, for the groom, his current name. The application will include a place for you to indicate whether or not you'll take a new last name, and that's where you'll sign the name you want to go by once you're pronounced husband and wife (see below for specifics). If you're keeping your maiden name, use the signature you've been using for years. Basically, your marriage certificate will state both your maiden name and your eventual married name, though if you elect to change your surname, your new name isn't legally effective until after your wedding ceremony. You are not allowed to alter your first or middle name on your marriage license, but here are your options for your married last name: the surname of either spouse; any former surname of either spouse; a name combining into a single surname, all or a segment of, the pre-marriage surname, or any former surname, of each spouse; or a combination surname separated by a hyphen, provided that each part of such combination surname is the pre-marriage surname, or any former surname, of each of the spouses."

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/how-to-legally-change-your-name-after-marriage

https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/changing-your-name-after-marriage

Name change in Florida
https://www.theknot.com/content/name-change-florida

In order to change your name without a recent marriage or divorce, you will need to get a court order approving your name change. You will need to file a Florida Petition for Change of Name of an Adult and a Final Judgement Change of Name of an Adult. It's a much more complicated to do prior to marriage as you need a fingerprint check etc.

Wow I never realized how many rules there are regarding this. At/after the wedding it is. I'm planning to keep my last name and middle name and add my maiden name as a 2 middle name. Thanks for the help.

You could change your name before, but since it would be before the marriage you would need to file it with the court and go before a judge... not worth the expense. Just wait til you get married. It’s much cheaper (just the cost of the wedding license)!

Your marriage certificate is supposed to state your maiden name. It is when you get married and take it to wherever to change it that the process begins and all your other documents show new name. It's like proof of your old name too. I've never seen anyone have their married name shown on their certificate

Changing your name for any reason other than marriage or divorce is generally harder and more time consuming. Here you have to petition the court, post it in the paper for like 2 weeks or more and then I think have a short hearing to grant it. So it’s just a lot more hassle.