The ever fabulous Francesca sent me a link to a NY Times article concerning post-nuptial bridal monikers. I’ve written here about the practical aspects of changing one’s name, but I can’t recall if I’ve addressed the alternative considerations. To take the name of another (or not) can be an intensely personal process and, as you’ve no doubt noticed in the comments section, one that many people find rather off-putting.

Said article opens with a anecdote about a family vs. family softball game intended to determine whether Jill Van Camp would take Darren Bloch’s name or vice versa…an idea that may have been invented by New Yorkers Sam Shaffer and Kathryn Neale.

Thanks to hyphens, a vogue toward creative morphing of names, and legislation in some states that has eased the process for a man to take his wife’s surname, there have never been more surname options…But brides, and bridegrooms as well, are learning that with choice comes complication. They are turning what was once an intimate conversation into an interactive dialogue with relatives, friends and even professional consultants.

The number of newlywed ladies opting not to become Mrs. So-and-So is rising, at least among those who are college educated. And more duders are deciding to take the name change plunge, leading some states to put legislation into play that makes it easier for guys to become Mr. So-and-So. The Governator even signed a bill that will allow domestic partners in California to easily swap monikers in 2009.

If you’ve gotten flack for your choice to keep or change your name, you have an advocate in the Lucy Stone League, an organization dedicated to “equal rights for women and men to retain, modify and create their names, because a person’s name is fundamental to her/his existence.” The league also pushes for the equal frequency of male and female name changes and equality of patrilineal/matrilineal name distribution for children, though I really don’t see either of those things happening any time soon. The site is worth a visit if you’re on the fence about changing your name–it discusses the history of name choice freedom, the importance of identity, and the many options brides AND grooms have.

Who won the softball match? You’ll have to read the article to find out! But before you scamper off to the Times, weigh on the name change issue via comment if, like many, you have strong feelings on the topic.

I’ve been burned before where thank you notes are concerned, and I can still rattle off the names of each and every bride and groom who didn’t make with the gratitude. So many nuptial etiquette rules were made to be broken, but the one about sending thank you notes in a timely fashion is not one of them. Being that you have to send them out anyway, why not make your thank yous as easy on the eye as possible by ordering from San Diego-based Ink Drop Design?

You’ll probably need a gel pen to write on the darker ones.

With the abysmal slush that’s falling ’round here, I am doing all I can to think warm thoughts. Add to that the fact that our only car just died quite completely, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for an absolutely terrible day. The good news is that I don’t have anywhere I need to go this very moment, meaning I have the luxury of sitting here, drinking coffee, and losing myself in pretty gowns. Nothing brightens up a blah day quite like a really colorful, beautiful gown, am I right?

So let’s give Twistie’s color wheel find a spin and see what we come up with.

A gown named Bird of Paradise is EXACTLY what I need right now. I think I’d have a seamstress pull off the filmy overlay on the skirt, if at all possible, because it seems almost tacked on as an afterthought and takes away from the loveliness of the bodice’s top. Anyhoo, you can thank British designer Catherine Davighi for this stunning piece of sultry bridocity.

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There’s a rather hypnotic tool over at brides.com to help you determine your wedding/reception color palatte. It’s called the Color Studio. You click your mouse on the color wheel, it spins around, and then spits out a fairly random combination of colors for your consideration.

I don’t know about you guys, but an easily amused person like me could play with this for hours.

Oh, and my favorite combination I landed on was Magenta, Purple, and Orange. Mmmm, tasty colors, but not for the faint of heart. Don’t worry, though, if your taste runs subtler than mine. You could also (and I did once) land on Silver, Blush, and Pearl.

One of the things I so love about blogging in the Manolosphere is how witty our readers are. Once again, you’ve proved my point. Last sunday, I faced you with this photograph:

And you guys came up with some brilliant captions.

There can, alas, be only one winner, though. So take a bow, Jennie, because it’s you for this gem:

If you help me find that short bastard that left me at the alter, I’ll help you find your car….

Congratulations, Jennie, and thanks to everyone who played.