I've come a long way (with passport stamps to prove it)

Once upon a time I was uber annoyed that my passport was due to expire in April 2010, and our wedding was a mere 5 months later (read: I'm changing my name, so I'd need an entirely new one AGAIN). My thought: like, seriously? These things expire once every ten years and within 5 months of renewal I'd have to file the paperwork and pay undisclosed amounts of money repeatedly. Ugh. Timing really is everything.

After whining about this to Mr. Seashell, he made a few suggestions:
1. Let's get legally married now, crazypants. Since love to get things done, he thought this would appeal to me for many reasons. I could have all my paper work completed, get a shiny new license, update my passport, etc. I considered this briefly, but my romantic side won out. "Then the formal wedding will just be a show. It won't have meaning! I want our wedding day to be our wedding day."
2. Let your passport expire and renew it with your married name. Tempting, but no. First, I've heard that it's much easier to renew a passport than it is to reapply for one. Second, we're leaving for our honeymoon (abroad) the day after our wedding and I won't be able to travel with an expired passport. Have fun alone, honey!
3. Renew your damn passport. Ugh, fine.

(Check me out - 10 years makes a BIG difference.)

And guess what? If you change your name within one year of a renewal there is no fee! So, technically the fact that my passport expired so close to my wedding is actually a GOOD thing. After all my complaining, I'm slightly embarassed to report that things have worked entirely in my favor. Who'd have thought?

Did you have any unexpected surprises? Inconveniences that were actually convenient?