There’s so much confusion about what happens to your surname after you get married so here are a few facts along with a video that I hope make it (at least a little bit) clearer!

There’s a difference between ‘changing your name’ and ‘using your married surname’.

Legally changing your name requires you to go to ‘Births Deaths and Marriages’ (BDM) and get a ‘Change of Name‘ certificate. Using your married surname does NOT require a ‘Change of Name’ certificate. You can simply produce your BDM ‘Marriage Certificate’ and organisations will allow you to be known by EITHER your maiden OR married surname INTERCHANGEABLY for the rest of your life, totally up to you.

In Australia you can get TWO marriage certificates!

As you can imagine this causes PLENTY of confusion! The reason we have two certificates is simple enough though; MARRIAGE LAW is federal (national) legislation but the RECORDS of marriages are kept by the governments of the states (or territories). On your wedding day you will receive a FEDERAL government certificate. It’s ordered by your celebrant through a government agency (Canprint). It’s prepared by your celebrant PRIOR to the wedding and has a unique code. It’s official, you’re married and you have a pretty certificate to prove it!!

BUT… other than maybe putting it in a frame, I’m yet to find an actual practical use for that certificate, no-one seems to accept it for anything what-so-ever! So if you ever want to PROVE that you’re married it’s likely that you’ll want a STATE (or territory) BDM Marriage Certificate. These can only be ordered AFTER your ceremony has taken place. In some states your celebrant can help you order it.

How to get a BDM marriage certificate…

In some states (currently NSW and VIC) I can order it on your behalf. In QLD I can request that BDM contact you to arrange your certificate. Currently, in all other states and territories there’s not a lot your friendly celebrant can do… other than offer you sweet links to the relevant BDM certificate ordering page:

Click the state in which your ceremony occurred and you’ll be transported to the wondrous world of virtual paperwork!!! Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, NT, ACT, NSW, Victoria, Queensland

If you want to use your married surname I suggest the following:

Once you’ve got your BDM certificate, start by changing your drivers licence; it’s the most widely recognised of your ID’s and having your licence changed may make the rest of the process a little easier. Head into your drivers licence issuer with your BDM marriage certificate, fill out their relatively simple paperwork and you’ll walk out with a sparkly new drivers licence complete with your married surname.

Then tackle your passport, it’s likely the trickiest but it’s free!!! (provided your passport has over two years of validity) here’s a link to the friendly passport folks

Then, keep your Marriage Certificate with you so that you can pop into places like your banks, insurers and clubs etc as you ‘do life’ rather than having to make special trips.