In the digital age, a name change involves more than just updating a driver’s license. For many brides, it’s a complex decision that intertwines personal philosophy, family traditions, and online presence. Instagram, with its global reach, has become an unexpected player in this transition.
This shift is evident in the stories of Jasmine Polansky, Brooklyn Powers, Paige Paul, and Katie Garrity, each of whom approached their name changes differently, reflecting the diverse considerations at play.
Strategic Planning: The Instagram Handle Dilemma
At Jasmine Polansky’s Hannah Montana-themed bachelorette party earlier this year, the focus wasn’t just on celebration but also on strategy. The seven bridesmaids gathered to vote on Polansky’s new Instagram handle, a decision that required careful consideration. Polansky, a 24-year-old retail manager from Charlotte, North Carolina had decided to adopt her husband’s surname, finding it more unique than her maiden name, Smith.
The group deliberated over various options: an underscore between first and last name, all one word, or ending with four Ys as a nod to her previous username. The winning choice was @jasminepolansky. However, Polansky encountered an unexpected hurdle when she tried to switch handles on her wedding night. Instagram’s policy required her to wait two weeks to ensure the previous user (herself) didn’t want the username back. This delay led her to postpone sharing her wedding photos until the transition was complete.
“I wanted to be like, ‘Yep, it’s cemented and final,'” Polansky says. “Changing my name, that’s the next phase of my life.”
Announcing Change: The Power of a Username
For Brooklyn Powers, a 25-year-old plastics engineer in New Hampshire changing her Instagram handle served as a public announcement of her name change. Powers and her husband Kyle mutually adopted the surname of his grandfather, a decision they had shared with their families months earlier. However, the change wasn’t widely known until they updated their Instagram handles in the week following their February wedding.
“One of my aunts commented, ‘I didn’t know you guys chose that last name!’ even though she’d attended the wedding,” Powers says. “So I feel like it was a good way to let people know.”
This approach highlights how social media can facilitate communication and awareness, especially among extended family and friends who may not be as involved in the wedding planning process.
Balancing Personal Brand and Tradition
The decision to change one’s name can be particularly complex for those with established personal brands. Paige Paul, a 28-year-old influencer formerly known as Paige Lorenze, had built a significant following on Instagram, with 1.3 million followers, as well as her apparel brand Dairy Boy and home goods brand American Charm.
Despite the potential impact on her brand, Paul saw taking her husband’s surname as an honor and a way to share a name with their future children. Thanks to her business relationship with Instagram, she arranged for an employee to switch her username for her hours before her wedding to tennis player Tommy Paul last month.
In contrast, Katie Garrity, a 37-year-old writer and editor in Chicago chose to keep her maiden name 12 years ago when she got married. Garrity worried that changing her name would make it difficult for readers to find her past work. She also values the consistency of her online presence, having created her Instagram account “way before” she met her husband.
“Since I’m professionally online, it just makes sense to keep my name the same for consistency’s sake,” Garrity says. This decision reflects the importance of maintaining a consistent personal brand, especially in professional fields.
