Need some advice on planning

[Izoom 0]

With the Canadian weather and unpredictability of flights during that season, my lady and I are having a tough time deciding on a date for our wedding. On one hand, we would love to spend Christmas together here in Florida, married of course. However, that would require that the I-129F process go off without a hitch and no snags. How risky do you think it is to plan around winter time for a wedding when her guests/family would be flying out of Halifax, Nova Scotia?

The alternative to risking it this year is to take it slower and wait till late winter/early spring, say March and have the ceremony then...thoughts? I know in the end it is our personal wishes and ideas, but from a reality perspective, I'd like some input. I think that is feasible, but risky, to try and plan around the K-1 Visa and "cross our fingers" hoping she'd have her Visa by October of this year.

[Krikit 1,165]

Hi JZoom! Welcome to the Canada Forum.

My own, personal, opinion is that it is far too risky to make any firm plans without having the visa in hand. I've read so many horror stories on this site about people who have done just that. Some people have gone ahead and done a ceremony without registering the "marriage" to get around this problem. But if you like to live on the edge..... go for it.

One thing to consider is that the visa is valid for six months up until point of entry, and then you have three months after that date to get married, so you may just want to push the date off until sometime next year.

[Sprailenes 47]

I would say it is risky because you just never know. Unfortunately.

Many people have planned and carried out their weddings successfully, but its hard to say.

Personal experience: We got married in a court house back in October, and are having our wedding in May.

[Krikit 1,165]

We were married in a civil ceremony a week after using my visa, and then had a proper wedding ceremony three months later.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Yep, never make plans around the VISA! As it isn't a perfect system!! 2 people can start at the same time,same processing centers, yet finish at different times !! Very frustrating! Thats 1 reason why we went with the CR-1. Best of luck

[trailmix 77]

Yep, never make plans around the VISA! As it isn't a perfect system!! 2 people can start at the same time,same processing centers, yet finish at different times !! Very frustrating! Thats 1 reason why we went with the CR-1. Best of luck

We got married in a civil ceremony, intending to have a 'wedding' later. We didn't even tell anyone we got married. Well ffwd 2.5 years later, we decided to tell everyone because we still hadn't got around to it

But I digress. I absolutely, personally, wouldn't plan a wedding without the visa in hand or at the very least I would recommend a date a little later on. Not sure where the timeline to interview thread is for K1, I do not like the flood control on searches at VJ very much.

[Izoom 0]

Thanks for the input thus far. I know that even filing everything perfectly, you don't have a guarantee. I'm thinking that if I filed the petition within the next 1-2 weeks, that would be pushing it big time for a late October wedding date.

If for some unforeseen need, is it possible to extend the 6 month validity of the Visa? I only ask due to the fact that maybe she gets in late Summer and wants to have the ceremony at a date beyond the 6 month window.

[Krikit 1,165]

What you can do in that case is go to the interview and ask them to delay issuing the visa for a short period of time. I believe the consulate officer told me I had up to three months to send them my passport if I didn't want it to be issued that day.

[SapphireDreams 71]

While we would ideally like to get the visa and have a nice wedding 2 months later - its just too risky to plan dates and book things so we are just going to get married at the courthouse right when I arrive so we can work on the next set of paperwork and then officially begin our "engagement" and plan to have a proper wedding ceremony at a Catholic church probably 1 year or 1.5 years later.

We are just going to stay "engaged" for a bit - not tell people we are actually legally married (expect for the border agent and other legal people, lol)

[Izoom 0]

I might consider doing that (delay) when the time comes for the interview. The primary reason for any delay would be the other risk of having a wedding sometime during a Canadian winter season...flight delays or cancellations. I would feel slightly disappointed if the process went quickly and she had her Visa in hand sooner than expected.

[Krikit 1,165]

I might consider doing that (delay) when the time comes for the interview. The primary reason for any delay would be the other risk of having a wedding sometime during a Canadian winter season...flight delays or cancellations. I would feel slightly disappointed if the process went quickly and she had her Visa in hand sooner than expected.

Well, my wedding was during a Canadian winter season but the problems were on this end (Florida)... not in Canada. Everyone flew in on top of the tornadoes in The Villages that night, so we got about 2 hours sleep trying to keep up with flight delays and such. (We had three different flight pickups. It was originally supposed to be two, but two of our guests got bumped from their flight with other family members due to overbooking.) Every female got off their flight in tears due to the severe turbulence. Our reception place was cancelled because it was being held in..... you guessed it..... The Villages. I won't bother detailing the rest of the mess. At some point my husband and I will need to retake our wedding photos. We look like we were out on a bender the night before because of the lack of sleep and the frazzled nerves from trying to plan a wedding reception and re-organize guests in a couple of hours. It should have been a reality show.

[Izoom 0]

Well after some consideration last night, we decided on something that will meet both our wishes but also get us together once the K-1 process is finished. We are going to have a civil service with a judge so that she can remain here happily and we can begin the next steps of the immigration process (AOS, etc). In doing so, she and I are able to start planning the "real" ceremony for sometime later in 2009. That way she can have her dream wedding but we can also be together once she gets her Visa

Ironically, I also ran into a delay just last week...but in Dulles Airport in D.C. of all places. I made it out of Halifax just fine (white snow everywhere mind you) and landed in fair weather. However, the plane was stuck here at home, Orlando, with a mechanical problem. Eventually it took off and I got home 4 hours later than planned. So, like you pointed out, sometimes it can be perfect or horrible weather and that won't delay you as you might think

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Yes, it is unfortunate that our wedding plans have all been somewhat controlled by the K1 visa timing.

We had a smaller ceremony in our own home with a minister so the planning was easier and the location was obviously available!

That said, We filed end of Jan last year, thinking I might be there by end of Aug. Well......our interview was in Oct and we moved and married in November. I had a dress that I'd bought in May (thinking it would be a warm weather or at least early fall wedding) but I got married 2 days after Thanksgiving So ya just never know.

Another thing you will come to terms with is that you can try to have the best intentions and make arrangements so that 'everyone can come', but because you can't plan a firm date, there will be people who simply can't come. Sometimes it will be cost, sometimes weather (which you're trying to avoid I know). If people want to be there, they will be, you can only do so much or you'll die stressing over it.

The one thing I didn't 'get' till afterwards is that it all works out in the end, sometimes with this situation, you don't end up with a huge, 500 guest dream event (if that's what you had your heart set on) but that is still totally ok.

Hope that didn't come off sounding crusty, I know I felt down sometimes because I thought I couldn't please everybody

[Izoom 0]

No I completely understand where you are coming from my friend.

We decided that her moving down here and getting married in front of a judge would make us both happier than ever. It lets her start her life here sooner and get her feet planted in the ground instead of the endless waiting and spending $$$ on plane tickets. I think that also gives the woman her chance to pick the ideal items and locations for the big day. A south FL wedding is in her dreams and I hope to make it her reality.

Just noticed you met playing WoW...we met playing Counterstrike

[T.O_2_FL 0]

Another FL couple! WAHOO!

As for what everyone's saying...I agree with the way you guys are going about it if you really want to be with each other without going through the waiting period. Who knows how much money we've spend flying back and forth to see each other during all this time! We see each other pretty much every month! Westjet loves us! he he he

Good luck with the I130?