What are all the legal things that need to be done before a wedding?

[lisaclara]

I think you're asking about more than just legal things, but here it goes......

1. Before the wedding, you need to apply for a marriage license at your local county office and the officiant signs after performing the ceremony. They will tell you everything necessary related to your state and locality.
2. After the wedding, you need to apply for a new social security card reflecting your new name. You can get all of the info about it at the social security website.
3. After the wedding, you need to contact your DMV to update their records with your new name and find out if your state requires that your actual driver's license needs to be updated. You may be able to do this online.
4. After the wedding, you need to contact your mortgage lender and work out with your spouse if both of you will be on the loan. It is easier if you are in the case of one of you dying.
5. After the wedding you need to update your financials and ensure that everything such as bank accounts and investments are set up the way you and your spouse have decided to.
6. You need to update your utilities, insurers and any other people you pay bills to.
7. Most people change their usernames for e-mail, twitter, facebook and other internet identities so that you are going by your married name.
8. You need to update your alumni accounts such as high school and college if you wish to keep connected with your school buddies.

The first and most important thing to do is send Thank you notes. It's not just a social courtesy because older relatives need your name in order to add you as an heir if they are going to do that. You are never every supposed to talk about it - but relatives have wills and they want to keep the most important people on it. If you are on it - they might need to have your name written on paper again if they don't already have it. They will want to change your name on it or add your spouse and such.