Packet 3

[mr and mrs 187]

I had no proof of engagement we were on our own so no pics, and no ring....thats my boy for ya

So as I had not found an engagement ring I liked I popped to accessorize and picked up a fake one for £10 just for the interview hahaha how sad am I, did not make a bling bit of difference though just made me feel better

Same here, no ring, in fact no proposal lol

I'm wearing technically what Knight refers to as a promise ring, but I sent him a man-version of one too (to ward off wayward women from hitting on him. It's not him I'm worried about, it's THEM!...or not really, I just wanted him to wear a ring as long as he wanted to wear it). I still think of it as an engagement ring, even though he mailed it to me and there wasn't a get-down-on-one-knee proposal.

Magpie.

no ring (im not a ring kinda girl), no proposal (mutual agreement after years of worrying that i was a cradle robber (he's younger than me)). i seriously NEVER wanted to get married because i am scared to death of getting divorced (parents divorced after 25 years of marriage, broke my heart).

anywho....

on this forum, the UK one, which i love <kisses>, it seems like we are split between being traditional and being practical. i think its interesting for people in our situations. the 'normal' path to marriage is mauled by this process. the casual nature of dating the girl or guy from down the road is not part of our relationships (for the most part, a good deal of time is spent apart.)

i ADORE jamie. i am proud beyond words of our relationship. people say 'oh!!! youre engaged' and i say 'according to the government i am!' heh. i have had to come around to the idea of wedded bliss, but i have always known that i would be thrilled to spend the rest of my days with jamie.

so we dont have any of the accoutrements of a 'normal' engagement (except for soppy, gross love), and therefore nothing to show (except the oh-so-romantic letters of intent). im not really worried about that. the only thing i have tiny little baby worries about is the interview question that seems to frequently pop up: 'so how did you propose?'.

but, at the end of the day, our story is our story and its the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

and ps the accesorize ring is AWESOME! i think thats so freaking cute.

[mr and mrs 187]

This is a good list of things you will be asked to show at interview time. http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/iv/docs169.html

ooh. thats a good link! thanks for posting. in my many hours of scouring the interNOT, never came across that. who is in charge of the london embassy's website? because they kinda suck.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

ooh. thats a good link! thanks for posting. in my many hours of scouring the interNOT, never came across that. who is in charge of the london embassy's website? because they kinda suck.

Isn't that a given? This IS the US gubbermint we're dealing with.

[mr and mrs 187]

oh yeah. <sigh>

it's pretty shocking. i dont know why the HELL they dont invest more effort in maintaining the websites, since they can deliver such vast amounts of information to their audience (24/7 with no humans involved). it just seems like it would be in their best interest to have specific, updated and correct information available. also, while youre at it goverment worker bees, can you please check for typos?

BUT, i do love the people who answer the phone at the DOS. all have been very kind when i call. ack. that reminds me. i had a dream last night that i called and they told me (nicely, of course) that jamie could not interview in april. im glad that was a dream and not yet a reality. also, in my dream, i had to get the TB test. woke up before i found out the results.

[rocks 494]

oh yeah. <sigh>

it's pretty shocking. i dont know why the HELL they dont invest more effort in maintaining the websites, since they can deliver such vast amounts of information to their audience (24/7 with no humans involved). it just seems like it would be in their best interest to have specific, updated and correct information available. also, while youre at it goverment worker bees, can you please check for typos?

the guy who interviewed me told me he used to work at ibm... i wonder if they make him do everything to save money?

[Stinky Monkey 1]

I had no proof of engagement we were on our own so no pics, and no ring....thats my boy for ya

So as I had not found an engagement ring I liked I popped to accessorize and picked up a fake one for £10 just for the interview hahaha how sad am I, did not make a bling bit of difference though just made me feel better

Same here, no ring, in fact no proposal lol

I'm wearing technically what Knight refers to as a promise ring, but I sent him a man-version of one too (to ward off wayward women from hitting on him. It's not him I'm worried about, it's THEM!...or not really, I just wanted him to wear a ring as long as he wanted to wear it). I still think of it as an engagement ring, even though he mailed it to me and there wasn't a get-down-on-one-knee proposal.

Magpie.

no ring (im not a ring kinda girl), no proposal (mutual agreement after years of worrying that i was a cradle robber (he's younger than me)). i seriously NEVER wanted to get married because i am scared to death of getting divorced (parents divorced after 25 years of marriage, broke my heart).

anywho....

on this forum, the UK one, which i love <kisses>, it seems like we are split between being traditional and being practical. i think its interesting for people in our situations. the 'normal' path to marriage is mauled by this process. the casual nature of dating the girl or guy from down the road is not part of our relationships (for the most part, a good deal of time is spent apart.)

i ADORE jamie. i am proud beyond words of our relationship. people say 'oh!!! youre engaged' and i say 'according to the government i am!' heh. i have had to come around to the idea of wedded bliss, but i have always known that i would be thrilled to spend the rest of my days with jamie.

so we dont have any of the accoutrements of a 'normal' engagement (except for soppy, gross love), and therefore nothing to show (except the oh-so-romantic letters of intent). im not really worried about that. the only thing i have tiny little baby worries about is the interview question that seems to frequently pop up: 'so how did you propose?'.

but, at the end of the day, our story is our story and its the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

and ps the accesorize ring is AWESOME! i think thats so freaking cute.

you can have the ring if you want took it off when I picked up the real one hahaha

[mr and mrs 187]

you can have the ring if you want took it off when I picked up the real one hahaha

good girl! : D

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

you can have the ring if you want took it off when I picked up the real one hahaha

good girl! : D

And I want to see that real one Stinky Monkey

I didn't get an engagement ring either and there was no proposal. Like the Mr/Mrs we just worked out we could be together and started making the plans. I like what you said about this process just doesn't allow for alot of traditional dating, courtship, proposals etc. I kept saying, "So when are you going to propose to me so we will have a story to tell the Embassy." It became a running joke. Then once in the London Tube going up a tall escalator, out of the blue he said, "Will you marry me?" I have no idea the date or the station, but the guy at the Embassy didn't ask that.

[mr and mrs 187]

I didn't get an engagement ring either and there was no proposal. Like the Mr/Mrs we just worked out we could be together and started making the plans. I like what you said about this process just doesn't allow for alot of traditional dating, courtship, proposals etc. I kept saying, "So when are you going to propose to me so we will have a story to tell the Embassy." It became a running joke. Then once in the London Tube going up a tall escalator, out of the blue he said, "Will you marry me?" I have no idea the date or the station, but the guy at the Embassy didn't ask that.

im glad that someone else (especially you, supergirl nich) understands my comment.

i have moments when i feel bad that we are so non-traditional in some ways, but honestly this is what feels right for us. i am thrilled for other people who are super-excited about rings and table-settings and getting the whole family together, but for jamie and i, our relationship is personal (yet i talk about it rather freely in a publicly accessible website? heh.) and, when it comes to my commitment to him, i dont pay much heed to the desires of others. i feel bad sometimes that my dad wont get to walk me down the aisle, because im sure that is/was a dream for him, but im not willing to let that (unstated) pressure compel me to be someone other than myself. i am grateful that jamie and i think similiarly about these sorts of things (because lord KNOWS we are pretty damn different). jesus, if his mother had input on the 'wedding plans', i am certain she would have insisted on making me a wedding dress that i would have hated (or one that i liked that she would have hated.) ugh. i dont even want to think about it. i wasnt the type of girl who dreamed about a wedding day. ever. even though my parents had a good relationship and set a good example for me and my brother, i am not and nor was i ever hyper-feminine in a traditional/gender-stereotyped sense. (ie into dolls, interested in make-up, worried about boyfriends, etc) so i just never daydreamed about white dresses and swans and confetti and engraved pewter champagne flutes. having said that, i LOVE to go to weddings for all of those kinds of things. i love flowers (used to work in a florist shop in glasgow. best. job. ever.) and i quite like kegs of beer and little hors d'oeuvres , but i just dont need that for me. plus, i couldnt and wouldnt pay for it. oh. and i am a complete and total 100% atheist/agnostic. so that might have something to do with it too!

but i get over feeling bad because a. its really fleeting and b. im doing the best i can. ive never been married before so this is my first (and hopefully) last marriage.

</chatter>

[Talyss 0]

I don't think you're alone in not wanting the conventional wedding/being married route. No formal proposal or engagement ring here. We had fun on our wedding day dressing up and messing about in the snow, but it hasn't changed anything. We married ourselves (they let you do that in Colorado) so we escaped all the things about weddings that we don't like and were able to say things that had meaning to us. The ring I wear is a love knot ring that Charley gave me as a present early in our relationship that fits on my middle finger. Our wedding rings are hanging on a ribbon by the bed.

[mr and mrs 187]

I don't think you're alone in not wanting the conventional wedding/being married route. No formal proposal or engagement ring here. We had fun on our wedding day dressing up and messing about in the snow, but it hasn't changed anything. We married ourselves (they let you do that in Colorado) so we escaped all the things about weddings that we don't like and were able to say things that had meaning to us. The ring I wear is a love knot ring that Charley gave me as a present early in our relationship that fits on my middle finger. Our wedding rings are hanging on a ribbon by the bed.

thats nice. maybe a a trip to colorado is needed. marrying yourselves? sounds interesting! : )

[Stinky Monkey 1]

you can have the ring if you want took it off when I picked up the real one hahaha

good girl! : D

And I want to see that real one Stinky Monkey

I didn't get an engagement ring either and there was no proposal. Like the Mr/Mrs we just worked out we could be together and started making the plans. I like what you said about this process just doesn't allow for alot of traditional dating, courtship, proposals etc. I kept saying, "So when are you going to propose to me so we will have a story to tell the Embassy." It became a running joke. Then once in the London Tube going up a tall escalator, out of the blue he said, "Will you marry me?" I have no idea the date or the station, but the guy at the Embassy didn't ask that.

you will see it when you come to the wedding hahahahahah

or send me the pic I asked for