Images by Alexa Loy // Our Wedding Reception
 
All In A Name
 
When it came to changing my name on becoming married I was a little hesitant. Let’s rewind to 2010 when we had originally planned to tie the knot.
We had a 6 month old baby with whom I was desperate to share the same name. I wanted to be a part of this family unit, which at the time I had focused on being all in a name. The wedding was cancelled and I came to terms over the next 5 years with still being a miss and a ‘Baltruschat’.
When we spontaneously decided to tie the knot (4 weeks in the planning), I realised I hadn’t thought about officially being a Mrs and changing my name. My maiden name is quite unusual and so it’s really become a part of my identity. I remember at school every new teacher asking where my surname originates from, medical professionals often commented and I was always required to spell it out letter by letter in phone calls or upon registering for something new. It used to get tiresome and I would long for something short, snappy and easy. But when the promise of a new name appeared, I realised I would miss it after all. My surname made me feel unique and special. I loved retelling the story of where my name comes from. It was me. But I still wanted to have the same name as G and the boys, especially as they grow older and would notice the difference. G was keen to be traditional and for me to officially be Mrs Hollis. So I went about researching m...