Saturday, July 11, 2015

All in name...

So, last month I got married! It was a pretty low-key wedding, with a total of 8 guests. My brother-in-law made our cake and officiated the ceremony. My sister, friend, and now mother-in-law did the decorations. And everyone pitched in to take pictures.

Everyone asks me how it feels to be married, and for the most part it feels the same. Joe (my husband) and I moved from Washington state to Arizona in February. Moving across the county together and leaving most of our family behind felt like a big change. Promising to be together at a ceremony when we were always committed to each other didn't feel as life changing. Maybe if we had waited to live together until marriage it would be different, but for the most part, we went back to our normal life the next day.

One thing though, is different. I decided to take his last name, which is Leder. Now, I've considered hyphenating it with my maiden name, and I still might, but on a daily basis, I will now go by Genissa Leder. IT FEELS SO WEIRD! Of course, with time, it will seem normal (or more-so at least.) It's left me with a big decision though...

What name do I want to write under?

So far, my plan is to self-publish, and I want a name that will stand out, but still be recognizable. My first name is already complicated. You can't find "Genissa" on any pre-made key chains. My maiden name, Bornong, isn't easy either. I sometimes go by "Nissa," and have considered using it since it's shorter. My new last name, Leder, still isn't common, but it's shorter and less intimidating to try to pronounce (it's LEEder, for anyone wondering :)

So, with four options ahead of me... Genissa Bornong, Nissa Bornong, Genissa Leder, or Nissa Leder, I'm totally confused. Part of me wants to keep Genissa Bornong so that part of me is still alive. Part of me really likes the idea of using my nickname Nissa, because I don't use it all that often in my grown-up life and it reminds me of friends who would use it, and I want readers to be friends. And part of me wants to commit to my new last name because it's part of me now.

Needless to say, I'm still deciding... But to end on a happy note, here are a few pictures from my wedding!