Planning a wedding in 3 months?

[MissDinaDee 8]

I was just thinking today about the kind of wedding your really allowed to have on a K-1 Visa? 3 months is quite short to put a wedding together. I've heard that civil would be the fastest way to get a licence but, some dont feel that as a real thing. Marriage and weddings are big in my family and backround as I am Italian, I just cant go with a civil, its like getting married in a court or something. But can you really put a big wedding together or even a proper wedding in 3 months? I would really appriciate some advice.

Don't forget that you have 6 months to activate your Visa and several months of waiting to plan and prepare and then 90 days to seal the deal... You can know and plan all the things that you want, ie: dress, shoes, flowers, etc... and just book your venues and such after your approval... It can be done!!! Good luck!

[bora bora 1]

It is hard when you don't have a date and/or don't want to wait those extra 6 months in your country.

We had a small wedding and my amazing friends did everything, so we planned quickly! The civil wedding sounds like a great idea if you want to plan the wedding together in the U.S.

[Old Dominion 26]

I was just thinking today about the kind of wedding your really allowed to have on a K-1 Visa? 3 months is quite short to put a wedding together. I've heard that civil would be the fastest way to get a licence but, some dont feel that as a real thing. Marriage and weddings are big in my family and backround as I am Italian, I just cant go with a civil, its like getting married in a court or something. But can you really put a big wedding together or even a proper wedding in 3 months? I would really appriciate some advice.

1. A civil wedding IS the real thing. It is determined as a matter of law, not personal opinion or religious beliefs.

2. You have much more than three months to plan the wedding. You can start planning when you agree to get married and for all the time the visa is processing.

3. You MUST get married within 90 days, whether you think it is enough time or not. A civil marriage is sufficient to meet the requirements and you can have a bigger wedding later YOU can choose which wedding YOU consider "real". The USCIS will consider the civil marriage "real".

4. You can also run down to your local Parish on a Tuesday afternoon and get married in the Priest's office if you feel this is better than the JP. Then, again, plan a big wedding for a Saturday afternoon 23 months in the future.

Either way, you MUST conduct a leagl marriage ceremony within 90 days of your fiancess arrival if you go the K-1 visa route.

No priest is allowed to perform a wedding so casually. The Catholic church requires a period of counseling and various proofs that an overseas Catholic is eligible to be married in the church. A Methodist minister does not have those restrictions and is allowed to marry a couple on short notice in the church.

[Terri and Seb 0]

I'd be very careful about having a nonlegal wedding beforehand. It depends on the laws of your country, but sometimes religious ceremonies are actually considered legal whether you intend for them to be or not. And if it turns out the religious ceremony is legal, using the K1 fiancee visa when you're actually married already is considered fraud and could result in a 10 year ban.

That being said, we are having a nonlegal elopement ceremony in Spain before Sebastian comes to the U.S. But we were very careful to make sure we don't even have an officiant, guests or a church wedding (marriage laws in Spain are very strict to begin with, so we're totally in the clear). Really, it'll just be two people dressed up talking to each other .

I agree with what everyone else said about doing the legal part immediately and then planning your wedding afterward. The offended parents wouldn't even have to know, and you could file for AOS earlier. It's possible to plan it in 3 months, depending on your location and time of wedding, as some venues book up over a year in advance in the summertime. Best of luck! I know you can pull it together if you're willing to work for it .

[TimandJoyce 1]

I think 3 months is more than enough time!! Start now..

For instance...Does the USC have family and friends to help him/her? Everyone always says it's the "bride's" day...but if there were no groom.....*shrugs*..

So you just make sure that if you're the bride that's coming to the States, ( as I am ) get him involved!! Tim's sister will be my maid of honour, and she's now my eyes and legs as she's checking out patterns and material for the bridesmaids dresses. I've pick out my pattern, and when I'm there we'll make it. Tim has checked around for reception halls already, to find prices, and of course how many people can fit into it!! LOL...We are having a big wedding!! I mentioned the "civil" part...but got no response, so I don't think it sits well...

I'm fortunate that I can go to SC for a month, (pending boarder patrol, of course). But that's our plan. I know that's difficult for a lot of people. During that time we will decide on several issues, and just have our baskets floating in the air until we can secure a date. We filed in Jan. and HOPE that all goes well enough for a Summer wedding....That would include the months of June, July, August, possibly September. When the interview is set...We'll have everything almost locked in until we know for sure...then it will be some quick calls to secure halls, etc.

Oh..and as for invitations...They can be expensive. A friend of mine just lost her mother and at the funeral, I was impressed with the pamphlet she had. A nice coloured picture of her mom, and write up, all on nice printed card stock. I asked where she got them from, and she did it up on her computer!! Then she took them to Staples, and had them printed off on the stock. They really looked good, and wasn't that expensive at all!! I think about $30 or so. I think she said she used Word, so I'm going to have her come over and show me. That way, I can use a picture, write up...and when I know the date, add it, print it...go to Staples and get them in the mail! Tim is going to do invitations for State side, I'll do them for Canada side.

Good luck with all your planning...it really can be done. I'm sure if we can get most of it organized now..we could have a "big" wedding within 2 or 3 weeks of my arrival.

Edited February 7, 2009 by TimandJoyce

[Philosykos 0]

We filed in Jan. and HOPE that all goes well enough for a Summer wedding....That would include the months of June, July, August, possibly September.

I am glad to hear that there is someone who is even more optimistic than we are. I do think that we were pretty conservative with our October wedding date, but I wanted to pick a date now, and wanted it to be as safe as possible. Good luck to you!

[DEE & LAN 0]

I was just thinking today about the kind of wedding your really allowed to have on a K-1 Visa? 3 months is quite short to put a wedding together. I've heard that civil would be the fastest way to get a licence but, some dont feel that as a real thing. Marriage and weddings are big in my family and backround as I am Italian, I just cant go with a civil, its like getting married in a court or something. But can you really put a big wedding together or even a proper wedding in 3 months? I would really appriciate some advice.

Hire a Wedding Planner (that's what I did), tell him/her your situation (K-1 Visa), your BUDGET (LIMITED) and see them (the Wedding Planner) work miracles (with what you can afford).

[JSVP08 3]

It is hard to plan a wedding when you don't know a date. We decided that as much as a bigger wedding would be nice, the most important thing was that we were together so we're doing the Vegas thing! The cost of the whole immigration process kinda put a damper on things as well. Especially with the purchase of a new house. If you do have your heart set on a full wedding I would take advantage of the six months you have to use your visa, and then you have the 90 days to get married so that will give you a half decent amount of time to plan your dream wedding. Good luck with everything. I hope you have the wedding of your dreams!

or reno,nevada

inshallah

Edited February 10, 2009 by veepee

[Carlawarla 1]

Thanks I've also thought of maybe doing the relegious ceremony here without the paperwork and than signing it in the states when i get there

You can't have a religious ceremony in Canada and not do the paperwork or sign anything. What many people do, is either plan an intimate wedding within the three month timeline, go to a civil court, and have a religious ceremony afteward.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Carlawarla

[Sinergy 3]

I have seen too many members on VJ who have booked and planned a wedding and paid hundreds even thousands of dollars on it and the visa not be approved, or the interview not be set and lose out on all that money. i would be very careful when planning a wedding before the approval of your petition. you dont know how long it will take to get the interview date. And you could lose alot of money.