With the summer 2025 wedding season coming to a close, experts have issued a warning
As the summer 2025 wedding season draws to a close, experts are warning newly-married couples about common oversights that could land them with penalties reaching £1,000. Tracy Mudd, matrimonial specialist at The Wedding Travel Company, revealed: “The 2025 wedding season has come to a close but while many couples think the wed-min is over, there are essential post-wedding steps to follow.
“With research showing that 56% of women choose to take their partner’s surname after marriage and an increasing demand for double-barrelled names, it’s vital that couples understand the steps involved in legally updating their name as failing to do so can lead to costly expenses and even fines.”
Below are five things you will need to update, as reported by Cornwall Live.
Bank account
Tracy said: “It’s important to update your name with your bank, credit card and loan providers as soon as possible after marriage. If your accounts don’t match the name on your ID, you could run into problems when making large payments, applying for credit, or even travelling abroad if your card doesn’t match your passport.
“Most banks will change your details easily if you show them your marriage certificate, and they’ll reissue your cards in your new name.”
Passport
“If your name changes after marriage, update your passport as soon as possible to match your new legal name. If your honeymoon is booked to take place shortly after your wedding, make sure to book travel plans in your maiden name as all travel plans must match the name on your passport otherwise you risk being denied boarding the flight or could face a fine.”
Driving licence
“Failing to update your name on your driving licence and vehicle registration in the UK can lead to fines of up to £1,000 for not notifying them of a name change. While the DVLA doesn’t give an exact timeframe to follow, it’s advised to notify them of changes as soon as possible, so we always recommend updating this within a few weeks of the wedding, once you’ve got your marriage certificate.
“If you fail to do this, you can be fined up to £1,000 under the Road Traffic Act.”
Property titles
“If you own a home, you’ll also need to update the property title with the Land Registry to reflect your new married name. Keeping the title in your maiden name can create complications if you come to sell or remortgage. Updating this is free and requires a marriage certificate as proof.”
Council tax
“While not updating your new legal name on council tax records doesn’t usually lead to a fine, it’s best to update it as soon as possible so that it matches the name on your electoral roll. This way, it will help to avoid any issues with credit checks and avoid any problems when applying for loans or mortgages.
“Send your council a copy of your marriage certificate as proof of your new name for them to update it for you.”
How to avoid fines after getting married:
Request multiple copies of your marriage certificate
“To change your name, many require an original copy of your marriage certificate rather than a photocopied version, so request multiple original copies when you apply so that you have plenty on hand.”
Make it a priority
Tracy adds: “Start by updating your name on core documents such as your driving licence and passport to avoid fines and disruption to travel plans. Next, inform credit card companies, banks and HMRC as failing to update these in a timely manner can impact your credit score as they may struggle to match your account properly.
“”Work through the less-urgent items such as utilities and medical records to finalise the process.”
