Ceremonial Wedding Plan

[deleted-05292014 331]

Hi all,

Since I have a very small family and my fiance has a large family, our plan is after she has her visa in hand we will get married in her native country the Philippines. Our plan is to have a ceremonial/religious wedding but not sign any documentation. This way her family can attend and 1 or 2 people from my family may attend. We will then fly home together and go to the court house for the legal marriage.

I've never been married before so are we allowed to do this in a church wedding? ie: exchange vows and so forth without signing documentation? I did mention this as part of the 34.a' of the I-129F question about our wedding plans, and I am sure she will be asked what our wedding plans are during the interview.

thanks in advance

[Ilovemyman 147]

Your fiance needs to ask in her country if she can have a ceremony weding without sign papers.

She knows the rules in her country, and in her church.

Maybe her church permit do that.

Good lucky

[NikLR 13,234]

Be VERY VERY careful with this. Even the CBP can deny your fiancee if they feel she is married when she tries to arrive on the K1. I honestly wouldn't recommend it and would plan a large ceremony back in her home country for after the AP or green card is received.

[Bill & Ivy 6]

I personally would not try that. Since your fiance is from the Philippines, most likely she is Catholic, and they do not allow ceremonial weddings there, but you could have a big party there and pretend its a wedding reception. I mean the main reason for doing this is so that her family can be there for it, just omit the actual wedding part, and have it here in the US. You can always have another wedding in the Philippines at a later date, once she can travel.

Am just afraid that if you did as what you are proposing to do, it might get you in trouble. After waiting this long so that she can come here on a K1, you sure wouldn't want her to be refused entry, and sent home, and then have to start a K-3 or something similar and be apart for over a year would you.

Just my opinion.

[aaron2020 11,652]

Don't do it.

If the US Embassy determines your ceremony is enough for the two of you to be married, then the K-1 will be denied. This creates te situation where you are too married for a K-1 visa and lacking a marriage certificate for the spousal visa.

Read on the numbers of rejected K-1 petitions because of a supposedly non-legal but religious or cultural wedding ceremony.

You are playing a dangerous game.

[deleted-05292014 331]

Ok thank you for the responses. Like I said this would be after she already has her visa so the K1 could not be denied. Really there would be no way anyone would know but us even at the POE. To be on the safe side we can just have a ceremony and come back later for a real wedding after she has her green card.

[NikLR 13,234]

Like I said even the CBP can deny her at the POE. Lets say they decide to look through her phone or computer or other belongings and see pictures of what looks like a wedding ceremony or reception, they can deny her entry. And you NEVER lie to the CBP because it can certainly catch up with you and result in deportation and a lifetime ban.

Do the wedding stuff in the Philippines after the green card is in hand. I'm sure she (and probably her family) also appreciate the extra time to plan something special.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hi all,

Since I have a very small family and my fiance has a large family, our plan is after she has her visa in hand we will get married in her native country the Philippines. Our plan is to have a ceremonial/religious wedding but not sign any documentation. This way her family can attend and 1 or 2 people from my family may attend. We will then fly home together and go to the court house for the legal marriage.

I've never been married before so are we allowed to do this in a church wedding? ie: exchange vows and so forth without signing documentation? I did mention this as part of the 34.a' of the I-129F question about our wedding plans, and I am sure she will be asked what our wedding plans are during the interview.

thanks in advance

Should be no issue to do a "practice run" for the wedding there in the Phils, as long as there is no documentation. If you fiancee is asked about wedding plans she can tell the truth - that you two are getting married at the court house.

The Catholic church is known for not doing this so keep that in mind.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Getting married before entry on a K1 means that you can't AOS because you where NOT single when you entered the US. IF you pull it off at any time they find that you married before entry they will remove all benefits that you have aquired based on your fraud. They really check things out when you apply for citizenship. DO NOT TRY TO OUTSMART IMMIGRATION. THey have been there done that 1000 times

[baron555 934]

Getting married before entry on a K1 means that you can't AOS because you where NOT single when you entered the US. IF you pull it off at any time they find that you married before entry they will remove all benefits that you have aquired based on your fraud. They really check things out when you apply for citizenship. DO NOT TRY TO OUTSMART IMMIGRATION. THey have been there done that 1000 times

Yep, very bad idea of the OP. Having a dinner or a party, fine. Ceremony? NO

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

Ok thank you for the responses. Like I said this would be after she already has her visa so the K1 could not be denied. Really there would be no way anyone would know but us even at the POE. To be on the safe side we can just have a ceremony and come back later for a real wedding after she has her green card.

You'll be fine with what you are wanting to do. And for future help, you might consider posting in the PI forum - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/129-philippines/

You'll get more and better advice from people who have or are actually dealing with USEM and the country of your fiance'.

[NikLR 13,234]

You'll be fine with what you are wanting to do. And for future help, you might consider posting in the PI forum - http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/129-philippines/

You'll get more and better advice from people who have or are actually dealing with USEM and the country of your fiance'.

There's always the CBP to be convinced as well. But local help from people of the same country is always a good idea.