We have an announcement!

November 5, 2007 12:29 PM

My partner and I are in the process of changing our surnames. When this is done, we'd like to send out some announcement cards to friends/family etc to let everyone know. Where can I find cards to that effect?

I've googled "name change announcement," "name change card" and several variations on this, but all I get are letters announcing the change of a company/business name. I'm looking for something classy and cheery saying something like "arcticwoman and otherarcticwoman would like to inform you that they have changed their surname to..."

If pre-made cards like this don't exist, we'll have to make our own. What would be the easiest way to do this, and, other than the dry and perfunctory way I said it in the above paragraph, how would I word such an announcement?

posted by arcticwoman to shopping (18 comments total)

Couples calling cards!

(Plus a little happy photo for the friends and family.)
posted by mdonley at 12:36 PM on November 5, 2007

You can probably find nice cardstock in the office supply store (look with wedding invitations) that you fill in with your own text using a laser printer at home (or work). Probably much cheaper and more appropriate. You can also order card designed for wedding or engagement annoucement in terms of size and design and then fill in your wording. This would cost more but you would have a wide choice of colorful designs.

How about something like
In celebration of our union, AW and OAW have chosen the new surname of Newname.
(signed)
AW Newname
OAW Newname
posted by metahawk at 12:53 PM on November 5, 2007

I think the card would be really cool if it illustrates your partner learning to sign her name with her new surname. That's really a challenge and would be fun for your friends, especially if you have a challenging name to write in your partner's cursive handwriting.
posted by parmanparman at 1:18 PM on November 5, 2007

You could also have the new names run on business card(s), so that friends and colleagues could feed their Rolodexes. Run off a press release from a fake PR firm announcing the "merger." ("Markets reacted favorably to the news, with share prices up sharply. No split is anticipated, but there is potential for new stock offerings....")

Affix real card to fake release.
posted by rob511 at 1:22 PM on November 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Here's what I ordered for an upcoming event that is different and yet oddly similar: announcing a wedding to which almost no one is invited!

I ordered Moo Notecards. I wanted to design a card myself, because all the pre-designed cards I found at any site were either generic/boring, or were adorable but showed two white people (we are not). But if you're not into designing something, and/or, you don't like the designs they have available, you can just use a photograph! And you can customize the message on the back so you don't have to write them all by hand.

Things I like about it:
1. The square format.
2. Designing it myself.
3. The type on the back is good-looking.
4. I was in a hurry and they're pretty fast.
5. You don' t have to buy a gazillion, but you can.

Things I didn't like about it:
1. A bit expensive (but cheaper than Crane, for sure!)
2. The options on the back were a bit limiting, in terms of font/layout/word count.
posted by lampoil at 1:26 PM on November 5, 2007

You could get some paper from Paper Source and just use an inkjet printer to print them out yourselves. I did that for my save-the-dates and they turned out pretty nicely, I must say.

Why not say something like "Arcticwoman and Otherarcticwoman are pleased to announce their new surname." You could riff off wedding announcements, too; I found this after some quick Googling:
We did it!
Hylie and Liam
are happy to announce
we are now
Mr. and Mrs. Liam Butler
We exchanged vows
Saturday, the sixteenth of July
Nineteen Hundred Ninety Eight
posted by sutel at 1:37 PM on November 5, 2007

Great ideas. We've been married 4 years already though, so maybe I could say something like "AW and OAW have finally gotten around to changing their surname. They are pleased to announce their new surname "Surname."

Too silly?
posted by arcticwoman at 1:43 PM on November 5, 2007

Try Fabulous Stationery. Or Oh My My! Designs.

I have also made the Moo cards, and mostly enjoyed them, with the same pros and cons that lampoil noted.

If you end up making your own, it could be very affordable -- a quarter-page design on letter-sized card stock, finished piece = 4.25" x 5.5", done with MS Publisher or Quark or even Photoshop... have your favorite Kinkos-ish printer cut them for you... get a box of A-2 envelopes from your local paper supplier... done.

VistaPrint will accomplish the same: you upload a file, or put your design into one of their templates, and you can buy matching envelopes too... pay online, receive the print job at home.

Wording: how about something pithy? Put the Prince symbol in the center of your card, with some groovy purple text, "The Artists Formerly Known as OldName1 and OldName2 are pleased to announce..."

Or something retro-advertising-ish? A big "Same Great Product, Great New Look" logo in kitschy colors?

Or just simple, elegant wording -- maybe quote Shakespeare from "Romeo and Juliet":

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

And then below that, just

"Please note our new names -
NewName 1 & NewName 2"

On preview: maybe I could say something like "AW and OAW have finally gotten around to changing their surname. They are pleased to announce their new surname "Surname."

Not too silly. I like the tongue-in-cheek that comes with "have finally gotten around to it." I still think you'd help people out if you stated what both full new names are -- are either of you keeping OldSurname, etc.
posted by pineapple at 1:56 PM on November 5, 2007

Another cute way to do something like this is with postcards, if you can find ones that are fitting. We got married in NYC and used generic NYC postcards for our save-the-dates, and just printed on the reverse with our printer. Total cost: ~$30. The only thing to be aware of is the thickness... try to buy postcards that are slightly less beefy, or be sure your printer can handle the heavier paper weight.
posted by rachelv at 2:02 PM on November 5, 2007

They are pleased to announce their new surname "Surname."

While being clever is fun, please be sure to include your new names written out in the exact way you would like people to refer to you, because name-changing is a fairly common thing (with marriage and divorce and adoption), and it's hard enough to keep track of what to call everyone.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:23 PM on November 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

i don't think "finally gotten around to it" works for me, actually--it just seems a little blase. funny and cute are good, but you don't want to come off like you were slacking. i like metahawk's suggestion, above.

a goofy alternative: "now that you've gotten used to the idea of us being married, it's time to get used to our new surname!"

it might be a good idea to send them out on your next anniversary, if it's coming up, or for the holidays.
posted by thinkingwoman at 2:30 PM on November 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Other couple card option:

Fabulous Stationery Personalize Note Cards for Couples

You might consider something like "Announcing arcticwoman and otherarcticwoman NewSurname" on the front. Then on the inside you've got lots of fun text options. If my partner and I were going that route we might do something like this on the inside:

Hydrogen+Oxygen=Water
Yellow+Blue=Green
Jones+Partner's Last Name=New Surname
posted by mjones at 2:49 PM on November 5, 2007

We made photo cards from Photoworks for our save-the-date cards, which would also work for your custom cards. Envelopes came with, which was a plus. I just found a stack of leftovers when we moved, and they held up remarkably well for 3 years in various hot and dusty stash-spots.
posted by Lyn Never at 3:02 PM on November 5, 2007

The old-school traditional way to do it also works -- an "at home" card announces any new address you may have, but also notifies people of the names you've chosen to go by.
posted by katemonster at 3:42 PM on November 5, 2007

Tiny Prints?
posted by cwhitfcd at 5:32 PM on November 5, 2007

Thanks everyone! I think we'll be doing MOO cards with thinkingwoman's line "now that you've gotten used to the idea of us being married, it's time to get used to our new surname!"
posted by arcticwoman at 7:18 PM on November 5, 2007

This really doesn't concern the question, but in the event that you are not aware, this may concern you. If you change your name for any reason other than marriage, you will need to change the name on your birth certificate. A recent story in the Globe pointed out this anomaly. Email me if you need more info. This is true in BC, but perhaps not in Alberta.
posted by Neiltupper at 9:01 PM on November 5, 2007

Neiltupper: yeah, I know about that. It's been quite a gong show doing our name change thing since every registry in Lethbridge seems to think that homos have magical law-bending abilities so the typical regulations don't apply to us. What we're doing (after much contradictory advice) is my partner is legally changing her last name to another name that's traditional in her family (and getting a new birth certificate), and then I'll assume her new last name since we're married. The fact that we got married four years ago doesn't matter, apparently.
Thanks for the info, though!
posted by arcticwoman at 8:00 AM on November 6, 2007