The Name Game

There’s more to planning a wedding than the ceremony itself. You also have to consider things like living arrangements, shared finances and the ever-evolving process of name changes. Will the wife take the husband’s last name, keep her own or hyphenate?

And what if the husband wants to take the wife’s last name? The last option proved to be a major battle for one Los Angeles couple.

Before they tied the knot, Michael Bijon nee Buday vowed to his wife Diane that he would help carry on her family name. She was more than pleased with his gesture, but the couple was shocked to encounter the obstacles he faced when he initiated the process. Instead of paying the $90 fee that women pay to take their husband’s name, he would have to pay $350 and complete piles of paperwork. Refusing to pay for what they saw as discrimination, the couple took their case to the American Civil Liberties Union. The organization took the case to court, and after a change in California law, the now-Mr. Bijon was finally able to legally adopt his new last name.

If you're a groom, would you take your wife's name? If you're a bride, would you be ok with your husband taking your last name? [Reuters]