Passport renewal timing

I'm wondering if anyone's recently renewed his or her passport through the U.S. Embassy in London, due to a name change because of marriage.  How long did it take you?
Here's my scenario.  I have a gap of 37 days between my wedding and the expiration of my fiancée visa.  What I'd like to do is this:  apply for a new passport in my married name and receive that before my fiancée visa expires, so that my FLR can go into my new passport under my married name as well.  I am planning on living and working under my married name here in the UK, and I'd like to have my name changed for all official US purposes as well.  I don't want to have to remember what's in my maiden name and what's in my married name, and I don't want to have to carry 2 passports with me.  Do you think those 37 days are a realistic time-frame to get my new passport back from the US Embassy and get it sent out to Croydon for my FLR?  Thanks!

i dont know about over there, but i just sent my passport in here to have name changed and I had to pay the expedited fee and it still took a month total for me to get it back!  Three weeks for them to RECEIVE it and only 3 days to process and send it back to me!  Not to speedy...maybe faster over there??  Good luck!  (its very exciting to get new passport I might add!!)

I'd be curious about this too - I really want to get a new passport with my married name just before I apply for ILR - I obviously can't be passport-less when I apply for ILR but I need to put it off as long as possible so I can save as much money toward all of this! 

not 100% relevent but i got my US passport renewed at the US embassay in london.  just a renewel- not a name change.  took one week from leaving my door- to getting a new one.  had to send it via their registered courier. 

Thanks guys for the replies.  Meggles, that sounds like good news. 
I would like to think it's quicker renewing in the U.K. than in the U.S.  Afterall, how many U.S. citizens could be renewing their passport at the London embassy at any one given time?  The website claims that it will take approximately 15 working days.  But in U.S. government time, I'm afraid that may be a month or longer.

Let's say, hypothetically, that the US Embassy does not get my new passport to me in time and my fiancé visa that is in my old passport expires before I can apply for my FLR.  What would happen to me?  Would the UK be lenient towards me if I explain that the delay was due to the US Embassy?  I would obviously have proof.

Hi Stuz, Seems like we have a lot of similar things going on right now! (applying for passports and planning weddings!) Hope you had a good bachelorette by the way! I don't have the answer to your question, but I have another question of my own regarding passport renewal (very cheeky, I know):

how do I pay $67 from an english bank account? Can I just look at the exchange rate and figure out what $67 the day I write the check?

I doubt the UK government will be lenient about anything.

I would suggest that, if it is getting close to the deadline, you make the application saying that the passport will be forwarded as soon as it is available to you.  This must be sent in before the fiancee visa expirse.

Victoria

Just an update on this:
I mailed out the application for my new passport in my married name on 7 February, via
Royal Mail Special Delivery.  The U.S. Embassy received it on 8 February.  On 9 February, they charged my credit card with the $67.00 fee.  I received my new passport today, 1 March.  The "issue date" on the new passport is 14 February, so they actually did it pretty quickly.  They really lived-up to their 15-day claim.  Yay!
Also, included with my new passport, they include a bunch of helpful leaflets:  how to transfer my British residence permit, how to apply for an absentee voter ballot, and how to register with the U.S. Embassy.

That is helpful, Stuz. I sent mine in on the 14th so it should be here pretty soon! Thanks for the update! I'm glad they give you info on how to change other stuff, I don't even know where to begin (well other than changing the passport!)