Lauren McPhillips is the writer and photographer behind
It’s been a few months since I tied the knot to my (now husband) Damien, and the question we get asked most frequently is: “How’s life changed since you got married?” Our response is usually a shrug of the shoulders and an honest, “Well, not a whole lot.” I still leave the cap off the toothpaste, he still puts his hands on the white walls when taking his shoes off (driving me crazy), and we still choose a Friday night of bingeing TV on the couch over going out to a party.
But as much as the day-to-day stays the same, there actually are some things that change when you get married. Committing your life to someone else has some pretty hefty life adjustments to go along with it, from sharing finances to changing your name and even beefing up your insurance plan.
So before you say ‘I do’, consider these five things that actually will change once you get married.
1 Your name
Sure, not everyone changes their last name to match their spouse, but even referring to your partner as ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ is a big change from before (and feels strange the first few times you say it)! If you do change your name however, make sure you update your important accounts and identification – Canada Revenue, passport and car insurance, just to name a few.
2 Your money management
Saying ‘I do’ means a lot more than just agreeing to share your life with someone – it means sharing everything. Now that we’re married, my husband and I have made an appointment with a financial advisor to discuss the best ways for us to combine our income and create a plan for savings, investments and retirement (and a little extra for travel plans, of course).
3 Your insurance
Insurance is something we didn’t even consider would need to be revisited after tying the knot, but with marriage comes expensive gifts for the house (not to mention a pricey diamond ring on my finger). After the big day, contact your insurance company to
4 Your taxes
Getting married means you’ll also need to make the decision of whether to joint file your taxes or do it separately. Each method has pros and cons, so speak to your accountant on what’s best for you and your spouse, as well as the several tax credits that may apply to you now that you’re legally wed.
5 Your goals for the future
With the craziness of wedding planning behind you, the question that comes up between most married couples is, “What’s next?” For some couples, it’s growing their family, for others it’s saving for their first home purchase. For Damien and I, it was adopting a dog and looking to