New Travel Agency Site & Changing Your Name: Honeymoon Edition
Bonjour all! These past few weeks have been particularly busy, and accordingly we must first announce the official launch of this, our new dedicated jo•vage Travel Agency website! We are most excited about this launch and hope this helps better convey the range and depth of our French-inspired exclusively tailored travel design services. Especially as we better outline our Preferred Partners as well as some example Inspirational Journeys that we can provide our clients (from all-inclusive Caribbean stays to private yacht charters and behind the scenes at Paris Fashion Week to Oberammgerau’s once in a decade Passion Play and more).
We will also be discussing recent engagements with our preferred partners and more in our newsletter (including our new partner in Central America and also the many attractive, including highly affordable, options that exist for private yacht charters). You can subscribe here or on Joy de Voyage anytime to receive those regular updates.
What to Consider When Changing Your Name: Honeymoon Edition
Additionally, as one of jo•vage’s specialities include designing idyllic honeymoons and anniversaries (and also as a member of Wed Society in both Georgia and Oklahoma) we thought to highlight our recommendation when it comes to changing your name and planning your honeymoon. In our opinion, it really comes down to timing and when (or how far away) your honeymoon is after your wedding ceremony. We have highlighted some important considerations below as you evaluate your own situation and timeframes. But please note that as every individual situation is unique, the below provides strictly a general and not all-inclusive overview of what we view as key considerations when planning your own respective wedding, honeymoon, and legal name change. (We would have to individually assess each case to provide a more tailored recommendation, which is beyond the scope of our article here. See the full Scope Note at the end.)
Honeymoon Timing Considerations
For those who intend to change their name upon marriage, if the honeymoon is in close proximity (or immediately after) your wedding, we recommend waiting until you return from your honeymoon (and when you may have a decent timeframe where you won’t be traveling internationally) before changing it. Conversely, if there are several months between your wedding and honeymoon, this would be a better window to explore if changing your name immediately afterwards is the right decision based on your particular situation. To investigate if this is the right option for you there are a few specific factors and resources we primarily consult.
Passport Application Processing Times
First, the current State Department processing times can be found here (currently at ~2-3 months for the complete process), and once submitted you can check your application status. Additionally, you can consult your local Passport Agency, to include for urgent travel and scheduling an appointment. For example, and for those also based in Atlanta, you can find their Agency’s site here. Personally, we recommend (1) incorporating an additional buffer of time beyond the currently assessed ~2-3 month application processing timeframe and (2) continuing to check this assessed timeframe prior to making your own decision on when to submit your application. It is also important to ensure that your legal name is accurate across all your identification as well as travel documents and accounts, especially for international travel. Thus we similarly recommend (3) ensuring your name is also changed to the new legal one with the airlines as well as TSA Pre-check, Global Entry and/or any other similar programs you use when traveling as well. Finally, we always recommend (4) only using the official U.S. State Department website for passport name change(s) and renewals.
Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)
Hopefully this may help some of our brides-to-be, and others who may also be making name changes or passport renewals, while also planning international travels. And as always, bon voyage and bisous !
Scope Note: We would have to individually assess each potential name change case to provide a more tailored recommendation regarding an evaluation of application submission and processing timing regarding a passport name change and planned international travel. An individual recommendation is beyond the scope of the article here, which only provides a general assessment, currently published State Department processing times, and generic tips for U.S. passport holders to consider when evaluating a name change and international travel for themselves and their specific situation.
