Just because the traditional way of doing things is taking your fiancé’s last name, it doesn’t mean you absolutely have to do that when you get married.

There are several important factors to consider before coming to the final conclusion about taking on your fiancé’s last name or not.

Reasons you should NOT take your fiancé’s last name

It’s a complicated legal process. You’ll have to go to the social security office to change your last name on all your official documents. You’ll have to do the same thing at the DMV. Changing your last name with your bank, college, and other institutions of business isn’t the easiest thing ever.

You don’t want to feel like you’ve lost your identity. You’ve always been you with the name you’ve always had. Changing your name after getting married could leave you feeling like you’re losing your identity.

Don’t cave into pressure from others. Your fiancé, your parents, their parents, any of your loved ones, and any of your friends might be telling you that changing your last name is a MUST. That still doesn’t mean you have to do it. Incoming pressure from others shouldn’t be enough to crack you when it comes to a decision like this.

What if you’ve already established yourself? When Angelina Jolie married Brad Pitt, she didn’t become Angelina Pitt. Why? Because she was already established before he came along. If you’re established in your career already, that’s a solid reason to keep your last name as is.

Lastly… if your partner wouldn’t take your last name, why should take theirs? Why is it automatically presumed that you have to take the leap alone and change your last name if your partner isn’t expected to do the same?

Reasons you SHOULD take your fiancé’s last name

Taking your fiancé’s last name in marriage is a beautiful way to solidify your union as a couple in the eyes of the law, your loved ones, and yourselves.

Officially sharing a last name means the two of you are family. This means your future kids (if you choose to have kids at all) will have the same last name as both of you. Of course, the argument here is that your kids can always hyphenate your two last times if you choose not to take your spouse’s.

You might not be a big fan of the last name you’ve always had. Maybe you’re ready to start anew with a new last name! It’s possible you were never a fan of your last name for its spelling or phonetic value. It’s possible you don’t want to be connected to your familial roots anymore Whatever your reason might be, you have the chance to change your last name in marriage.

You love your spouse’s last name. Taking your spouse’s last name might intrigue you because you genuinely love what their last name is. In your opinion, taking on their cool-sounding last name would be an upgrade for you, so why not?

You adore the idea of sticking to tradition. Some traditions are outdated and unnecessary, and many would argue that a woman taking a man’s last name in marriage is no longer important. Still, if the pull of tradition is tugging on your heartstrings, it’s perfectly okay to honor what you’re feeling.