What happens after the wedding? (process of name change, joining accounts, etc...)

Don't know about name changes, sorry. But about the accounts - you can do that whenever really that's at your discretion. My husband and I opened up one joint savings account so we can put money in it towards shared things before we got engaged. It's helpful!
For the thank you cards maybe you can send them email thank yous? There's some nice ones that can be sent.
Other things for you to consider would be things like changing your health benefits or life insurance, etc. I didn't get to those til later where I got off my employers health benefits and got on my husband's since his are better and I wouldn't have to get any costs deducted from my salary since his are free.

We already had a joint account setup going into the wedding, since we already bought a house together a couple years before. I don't think this is very urgent so long as you communicate with your spouse on how expenses will be shared.

After the wedding, we reached out to our vendors via e-mail to request the best physical address to send their thank you card (and gratuity) to. Some provided a business address and others provided their residential address.

I looked a my local dmv website and it said I needed to go to the social security office to change my ssc first before changing my name on my DL. You may want to check your local dmv website and see what it says.

1. Social security has to be first
2. You never have to have a joint account, but if you want one you can do it any time forever.
3. I would just reach out and tell them you want to send a card where can you mail it.

You have to change your name with the SSA first. Then you can do DMV. From DMV, you do banks, loans, rental agreements, etc. (in any order).

You never actually have to have joint accounts, however, you can open them as soon as you like, even before the wedding if you wanted. However, if you get your joint accounts before you change your name, then you'll have to change your name on those accounts, as well as any you've kept in your own name.

I would just write reviews of your vendors, thanking them within the review. They'll see the review.

1. May vary by state, but general: social security first. This should be free, and easy. They basically just process a form. Then you get your card in the mail and can go to the DMV (in some states I’ve read the social security office can give you a form that says you’ve changed your name with them that the dmv will accept, but in my state, I had to have new social security card in hand). This will cost the cost of a license in your state. Once you have your photo ID, you can change all other paperwork— anywhere that has your name (Bank, credit card, utilities, W2, etc etc...some of these things will be simple, just changing online. Others may require you sending in proof. The little things take time to remember. I only recently went to buy a train ticket and realized I didn’t update my Amtrak rewards account!). That’s all free. The only thing besides a license that should cost money is a passport— that costs what a passport costs EXCEPT if you only just got your passport within the last year. IF you got your passport within the year, the name change should be free.

Whoops forgot the rest! Haha

2. No. This is between you as a couple and you can do it literally whenever you want even if that is never. We opened a joint account right away to put wedding money in, but we still maintain personal accounts as well. There’s no right or wrong way to do this (well, there is a little bit of a wrong way and that’s hidden finances, but, different things work for different couples, not everyone does the same, and nothing is required)

and 3. I would just ask them. As I was leaving I verified I had a mailing address for my DJ. He gave me his home address. For my caterers, I asked about it, and my coordinator gave me the office address and said she could distribute anything for us, so I sent a big envelope filled with smaller envelopes labeled with each individual staffer’s name. Although I don’t prefer tipping in checks, we did in THIS instance only, just to make sure the right person got their money.

View Quoted Comment Good point about name change and accounts!
i had begun my name change process when we opened our joint account , but I hadn’t received my photo ID yet. Without the photo ID, it was a no-go, and I had put my maiden name on the account and then go change it later once I had photo ID to prove it

From what I’ve been told about changing your last name you have to do the social security card first. The reason being that the DMV/RMV will need proof of the name change. So, everyone in my family has recommended that I start with my social security card and once I have that switch everything else over. For the personalized cards for the vendor. Do you live close to where you got married that it could be possible to drop them off at the establishment? My sister had this problem and she drove to the places and handed them to them personally. Lastly, the joint account, my fiancé and I have had one since our 4 year anniversary of dating (we knew we weren’t every breaking up and getting married, just weren’t engaged yet). However, there are a lot of people who think having a joint account makes you fight over money. I honestly think it’s up to you if you want to do it or not. It doesn’t need to be done right away.

So I heard of something through here on wedding wire it’s called hitchswitch. where you can change everything at once.

for joining accounts my fiancé and I aren’t doing that. We are keeping our own accounts. We both pay bills and buy groceries. Give each other when we need it. So we don’t see the point in joining accounts. We might do one When we buy a house that’s only for household things.


you could write your notes and give it to the venue to distribute if vendors go to the venue often?

I would just send thank you emails to the vendors if they don't have addresses, and write great reviews. We had joint accounts prior to our wedding so that wasn't a big deal. As for name change, that's a mission for sure! I am in Colorado. I started with social security, then drivers license. Then bank accounts, utility accounts, filing a deed for our home, passport, car registration, credit accounts, student loan account, alumni accounts, social media, cell phone, etc. I just made a list and did a few everyday.