Deed Poll

Traditionally upon marriage a bride will take her husbands Surname and her family name is given up.  It is very popular with the bride of today to keep a link to her family name, either by retaining the family name as part of a Double-Barrelled Surname or by adding her family name as a middle name.  This is also the trend for couples entering into a Civil Partnership.

If you wish to change your name using either of the above examples you will need to apply for a Deed Poll.  A Deed Poll is a certificate used in the United Kingdom to change a person’s name.  It is a certificate that renounces and abandons the use of the former name and declares the new name by which you wish to be known.

At Three Wishes Weddings we will prepare the Deed Poll for you.  All you need to do is complete the simple on-line application form, (16 years of age or above) we will then prepare your Deed Poll for you.  You will receive a Deed Poll pack that will include your Deed Poll certificate, comprehensive instructions, a list of Companies and organisations you may wish to inform and sample letters for you to inform them with.  To complete your Deed Poll you will need to sign it in the presence of a Solicitor, this will incur a small fee of around £5.00 to £10.00  The Deed Poll will then be accepted by all organisations, companies and government departments within the UK.

Double Barrel Surname

This is where both the bride and grooms Surnames are combined.  The Surnames can appear in any order and can be with or without a hyphen.  The two ways in which this can be done are;

1. "The husband to be" applies for a Deed Poll to double-barrel his Surname before the wedding.  The bride will then take on the new double-barrelled Surname upon marriage.  The Deed Poll must be applied for at least 8 – 10 weeks before the marriage, to allow time for documentation changes to be implemented.
2. After getting married, both the husband and wife each apply for a Deed Poll to double-barrel their Surnames.

Adding a Family name as a middle name

This is where the bride takes her maiden name and adds it in as a middle name.

Example;  "Miss Anne Smith” marries a "Mr John Jones” her name upon marriage will be "Mrs Anne Jones” however, by using a Deed Poll after marriage the wife could add  "Smith” as a middle name.  The wife will then have a new name of "Mrs Anne Smith Jones”, Smith as the middle name, Jones being the Surname.  If required, the husband could also take "Smith” as his middle name, by using a Deed Poll.  His name would then be "John Smith Jones”

Civil Partnership

You do not require a Deed Poll when both partners wish to keep their full names or where one partner adopts to use the other partners Surname.  

You do require a Deed Poll for any other changes as listed in our earlier examples.