makelifehappen's Green wedding


07/03/2008
shocked
shocked
   
Ask a Question
For all you destination wedding planners....
I am wondering how many of you have seriously and thoroughly looked through the legal requirements, expectations and allowances for a wedding out of your own country.

My cousin was married 2 years ago in Dominican and felt confident that she did her research (coupled with the information provided from the resort itself). She had all of their documents translated and signed off on as a "true copy", etc They got married, she returned to Canada and began using her new married name.

In Canada you are allowed to "assume" your married name without having to legally change everything over. Your marriage license can be used to change over all the government ID, etc, but your birth certificate remains the same.

I understand that it is also true that you can elect to legally change your name (like anyone else), but you lose your birth name by doing so.

Anyhow, long story short...she has only JUST (after years) been informed that because she got married in Dominican she is unable to "assume" his last name. While the marriage is perfectly legal and recognized here in Canada, they refused her the right to "assume" the last name and suggested that if she wishes to continue to use the last name she make an application for a legal name change!!!!

*GASP*

Does anyone else know more about this?

It is so confusing because she also has a friend that was married away that has had absolutely no trouble getting everything changed over...

Would you still want to change your name?
destination wedding, out-of country, overseas, translating documents, assuming a name, legal, name change, rights
actions: comments 3 | fave it | bookmark/share | send to | permalink | visit: 39
 Leave a Comment
SIGN IN to link this comment to your account
email address is only for subscribing to this post, won't be shown to others.
irishpocahontas
 |  -, -, Ireland  |  07/03/2008
I am travelling from Ireland to Mexico to get married and I know that with the legal aspect that our wedding will not be official as such til approx 4 months after we get home the *official* wedding cert will be expedited home within 4 months after we return. The wedding co-ordinator is going to take care of all of this and we are also using two travel agents to help us out with all the various aspects as they specialize in destination weddings in particular. We have to get blood tests done when we arrive and pay for the translation of our birth certs into spanish, pay for the marriage cert to be translated from spanish into english........the list goes on! But I have researched it and do have 3 other people to help me out with it also I dont think I would feel completely at ease doing all the arrangements without a travel agent and wedding co-ord at the actual destination. Although in saying that I have little if any contact with her now I think because the wedding isnt until Feb 09 she will expect me to make alot of decisions and stuff when I get there which I DO NOT want I want to do as much as I can now and in the run up to the day so I can "relax" when I get there with our 50 guests!
irishpocahontas
 |  -, -, Ireland  |  07/03/2008
Haha after all that never answered the Q - yes I would still want to change my name.........
makelifehappen
 |  -, Canada  |  07/03/2008
I don't have to deal with it either...

In order to have an official religious ceremony in France you have to be resident there for 40 days prior to the wedding:)

Good thing we were not going for a religious wedding!

I am not so sure I would want to change my birth name...not that I have any particular attachments to the family tree...I don't know. Seems sort of insane really.

My cousin hates the idea of being without her married name, but hate the idea of leaving her birth name behind also...
contact me    
number of visits: 39