Nathan Alden, Sr.

I understand. I've read all the same stories that you have. I'm not letting emotions or imagination carry me away, believe me. Thank you for the advice; it is appreciated. 😊

Thanks. I am intimately familiar with the rest of the bureaucratic nonsense, sadly. What a nightmare. "No, you are NOT allowed to love one another easily!" Government.

Marriage in the Philippines might be complicated, but the start-to-finish process for a spousal visa is easier, in my opinion.  
You might want to look at Utah Zoom Wedding, this might be the best solution for you two.

I think you are spending too much time reading too much info in the wrong places. I believe CR1 is a much better choice. I would say almost all people that have gone the CR Route and many who have gone the K1 route would agree.
 
Getting married there is not as daunting as it seems. Here are my man suggestions.
1. Have her go to her LCR and ask what are the requirements to marry an American in the Philippines. The reason is that it does vary depending on where she lives. Every LCR has some different policies. Make sure she writes down every requirement and then read it back to verify. The reason for this is things are not very detail oriented there. You do not want to miss any requirements.
2. One requirement in all of the Philippines is that it takes 10 business days to get a marriage license. Plan on a 3 week trip since it will take 14 days to get your license. Even more if there is a holiday so make sure you know the Philippines holidays.
3. Last make sure she asks if there is an expedite process for your PSA marriage certificate. That will make it faster to apply for the CR1. If you do not ask, and pay the expedite fee it may take 6 months or so to get your official marriage certificate.
 
Your other option is an online Utah wedding. They are the only state that allows and has a process for online weddings. You can do this while you are together there or with you in USA and her in PH. You will need to be together in person during or after the wedding for you to be able to file for the CR-1

Ah, I see. As you can see, my account is new. I'm still learning about this labyrinthine process. Good luck, OP!

According to the USCIS website, they require that Form I-129F be submitted after Form I-130 for the K-3 process:
 
 
It doesn't look optional to me. Now why they require this, I have no idea.

Ah, I see. As you can see, my account is new. I'm still learning about this labyrinthine process. Good luck, OP!