Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date

[Giggles 1]

Congrats Colin and Simon! I told you it was nothing to be nervous about.

[Colin72 0]

Congrats on getting the visa aswell simon

[Omnivore 0]

Congrats Simon!

Well done, no doubt we're all super nervous before hand, I know I will be.

[Colin72 0]

anyone know the timeframe on getting the visa delivered threw the mail? they said it only be a couple of days but not here yet and been more than a couple of days

[VanessaTony 3,567]

anyone know the timeframe on getting the visa delivered threw the mail? they said it only be a couple of days but not here yet and been more than a couple of days

Mine took 2 days but it looks like Simon & Janet are still waiting too. I would probably wait till Monday, but weren't you given a tracking number? What does it tell you? It should have been on the paperwork they gave you at the interview.

[Colin72 0]

yeah i got that piece of paper i keep checking the number and it says there is no match for it

[kaffy 2]

anyone know the timeframe on getting the visa delivered threw the mail? they said it only be a couple of days but not here yet and been more than a couple of days

The instructions say that they are supposed to issue the visa within 2 business days of the interview BUT they do get busy and delays occur sometimes. I too had my interview on a Tuesday and I didn't receive my visa until the following Wednesday.

If you don't see anything by Monday I'd send them an email

[Simon and Janet 6]

Surprised you don't have it yet Colin. Mine came on Thursday. Definitely contact them Monday if it's not in your mailbox.

[Colin72 0]

congrats on getting it simon, i have no idea where mine is at im eagerly awaiting postman today

[Omnivore 0]

The instructions say that they are supposed to issue the visa within 2 business days of the interview BUT they do get busy and delays occur sometimes. I too had my interview on a Tuesday and I didn't receive my visa until the following Wednesday.

If you don't see anything by Monday I'd send them an email

Wow I hope I don't have that problem, given I'm due to leave exactly a week after my interview!

[alex and astrid 38]

Update for me - Two days and 12 hours until I get on my plane. Yay! I'm almost all packed (and constantly freaking out about being over baggage limits, hahah) and have my last day at my job tomorrow. All good!

The negative thing though, and I am sure you can all relate to this, is the cruddy RSVP habits of Americans. Our RSVP date was Wednesday of this past week, and all the Aussies had theirs in well before that. As I predicted I would, I am chasing American attendees! I don't think they understand that an RSVP means "we would please like an answer from you by this date," not, " hey, I guess you can just tell us you are coming, but whatever, just stick the card in the mail whenever you like!" I contacted everyone that had not sent theirs back the day after, with a friendly message asking if they had indeed received their invitation (one guest did not, and let me know) to please get us the RSVP card back as quickly as possible. Pretty much no one has gotten back to me, nearly three days later. I know I am bordering on Bridezilla, but I think it's just really rude to just ignore the polite request of a friend to do something as simple as write your name on a card, tick yes or no, and stick the envelope (which we provided and addressed!) back in the mail. As if organizing a wedding from the other side of the planet wasn't hard enough. If people still haven't replied by the time I am in the States, my mouth might get the better of me :/

/rant.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Update for me - Two days and 12 hours until I get on my plane. Yay! I'm almost all packed (and constantly freaking out about being over baggage limits, hahah) and have my last day at my job tomorrow. All good!

The negative thing though, and I am sure you can all relate to this, is the cruddy RSVP habits of Americans. Our RSVP date was Wednesday of this past week, and all the Aussies had theirs in well before that. As I predicted I would, I am chasing American attendees! I don't think they understand that an RSVP means "we would please like an answer from you by this date," not, " hey, I guess you can just tell us you are coming, but whatever, just stick the card in the mail whenever you like!" I contacted everyone that had not sent theirs back the day after, with a friendly message asking if they had indeed received their invitation (one guest did not, and let me know) to please get us the RSVP card back as quickly as possible. Pretty much no one has gotten back to me, nearly three days later. I know I am bordering on Bridezilla, but I think it's just really rude to just ignore the polite request of a friend to do something as simple as write your name on a card, tick yes or no, and stick the envelope (which we provided and addressed!) back in the mail. As if organizing a wedding from the other side of the planet wasn't hard enough. If people still haven't replied by the time I am in the States, my mouth might get the better of me :/

/rant.

I'm sorry but right now I'm just laughing. Not to pick on you, but because I read this AFTER I read your status on FB about how you're having to hold your tongue and even suggested (and then deleted it so i didn't offend people) that it was RSVP's and then I logged here and read this and I was like OMG I SO TOTALLY GUESSED THAT!!

I don't understand it either. Tony and I asked that people just call, or text, or email. Everyone has phone access so i thought it'd be super simple to at least send a text... couldn't be MORE wrong. OMG I still remember I was just like you, bordering on hysteria. I was so careful and so dedicated to NOT being a Bridezilla and I just didn't understand why people couldn't just let me know. Some even told my mother-in-law. Some didn't bother telling anyone and just rocked up, some of my sister-in-laws friends just rocked up and even ATE FOOD! Still makes me angry BUT at least you have your Aussie people!! Woot woot!

S'pose the qn is now, what do you do? Are you having a sit down dinner? Are you having a buffet? Are you going to have extra seats "just in case"? Tony's dad offered to cover anyone OVER our RSVP number as they were their friends and family and we shouldn't have to (in his words and my mind) pay for their rude friends and family. The type of dinner plans dictates what you do. I am of the personal opinion that I wouldn't chase anyone. If they don't care enough about me and our relationship to give a simply RSVP then they're not worth my time. We tossed around the idea of a "guest list" and having security at the door and informing those NOT on the list (but claiming they were invited) that no RSVP = no entry. We also considered setting up additional tables (if we were doing allocated seats) up the back as "non-RSVPers" seats so those that RSVP'd get their meal, those that didn't may have snacks (like nuts or whatever on the table) but they would not be served dinner. Meaning they were permitted to "enjoy" the festivities, but there just wouldn't be enough food so why should the polite people suffer? That wasn't going to work for us because we had a buffet but if it was going to be waiters handing out meals that was going to be the plan.

So.. what's the plan? oh and it's okay. Just think PRETTY DRESS! PRETTY PICS! I still think about how annoyed I was, how rude I think his family is (and he agrees) but the wedding pics are still pretty, I'm still married to him, and I'm still HERE with him so in the end it's okay. Having a puppy would help the healing though We would have eloped had his grandmothers being there, and his father being there not meant so much to him.

P.s. OMG 2 days?!?! Didn't that go fast!

Edited January 24, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[alex and astrid 38]

I'm sorry but right now I'm just laughing. Not to pick on you, but because I read this AFTER I read your status on FB about how you're having to hold your tongue and even suggested (and then deleted it so i didn't offend people) that it was RSVP's and then I logged here and read this and I was like OMG I SO TOTALLY GUESSED THAT!!

I don't understand it either. Tony and I asked that people just call, or text, or email. Everyone has phone access so i thought it'd be super simple to at least send a text... couldn't be MORE wrong. OMG I still remember I was just like you, bordering on hysteria. I was so careful and so dedicated to NOT being a Bridezilla and I just didn't understand why people couldn't just let me know. Some even told my mother-in-law. Some didn't bother telling anyone and just rocked up, some of my sister-in-laws friends just rocked up and even ATE FOOD! Still makes me angry BUT at least you have your Aussie people!! Woot woot!

S'pose the qn is now, what do you do? Are you having a sit down dinner? Are you having a buffet? Are you going to have extra seats "just in case"? Tony's dad offered to cover anyone OVER our RSVP number as they were their friends and family and we shouldn't have to (in his words and my mind) pay for their rude friends and family. The type of dinner plans dictates what you do. I am of the personal opinion that I wouldn't chase anyone. If they don't care enough about me and our relationship to give a simply RSVP then they're not worth my time. We tossed around the idea of a "guest list" and having security at the door and informing those NOT on the list (but claiming they were invited) that no RSVP = no entry. We also considered setting up additional tables (if we were doing allocated seats) up the back as "non-RSVPers" seats so those that RSVP'd get their meal, those that didn't may have snacks (like nuts or whatever on the table) but they would not be served dinner. Meaning they were permitted to "enjoy" the festivities, but there just wouldn't be enough food so why should the polite people suffer? That wasn't going to work for us because we had a buffet but if it was going to be waiters handing out meals that was going to be the plan.

So.. what's the plan? oh and it's okay. Just think PRETTY DRESS! PRETTY PICS! I still think about how annoyed I was, how rude I think his family is (and he agrees) but the wedding pics are still pretty, I'm still married to him, and I'm still HERE with him so in the end it's okay. Having a puppy would help the healing though We would have eloped had his grandmothers being there, and his father being there not meant so much to him.

P.s. OMG 2 days?!?! Didn't that go fast!

We are having it buffet style, so people can just go up and pick what they want. I am not sure what we are going to do if extra people show up, I need to talk to Alex about that when I get there. We may need to have some spare chairs and such just in case, but the inner ####### in me just wants to not make en effort for them. I am also of the mind that I am not going to chase people for RSVP's, and if people haven't cared enough to reply to us by the time I get back (this wednesday, which is three weeks before the wedding) then they can just forget it. Obviously we don't mean enough to them for something as simple as what we are asking. And even though we did not get people official invitations until the first week of January, we had warned everyone to keep that weekend free months ago.

Yep, got to think 'Pretty dress, pretty photos, becoming Mrs. Alex..." or I will literally starting cussing people out! And a puppy would be AMAZING, lol.

Oh, and 1 day, 11 hours til I get on the plane, two days, five hours until we are together

[James&Candice 3]

Update for me - Two days and 12 hours until I get on my plane. Yay! I'm almost all packed (and constantly freaking out about being over baggage limits, hahah) and have my last day at my job tomorrow. All good!

The negative thing though, and I am sure you can all relate to this, is the cruddy RSVP habits of Americans. Our RSVP date was Wednesday of this past week, and all the Aussies had theirs in well before that. As I predicted I would, I am chasing American attendees! I don't think they understand that an RSVP means "we would please like an answer from you by this date," not, " hey, I guess you can just tell us you are coming, but whatever, just stick the card in the mail whenever you like!" I contacted everyone that had not sent theirs back the day after, with a friendly message asking if they had indeed received their invitation (one guest did not, and let me know) to please get us the RSVP card back as quickly as possible. Pretty much no one has gotten back to me, nearly three days later. I know I am bordering on Bridezilla, but I think it's just really rude to just ignore the polite request of a friend to do something as simple as write your name on a card, tick yes or no, and stick the envelope (which we provided and addressed!) back in the mail. As if organizing a wedding from the other side of the planet wasn't hard enough. If people still haven't replied by the time I am in the States, my mouth might get the better of me :/

/rant.

LOL ... Yes lazy since they don't even have to go to the post office or even post box to mail the RSVP...they can just leave it in their own letter box (if they have stamps already) for the postman to pick up. I found it hilarious when I saw my first American postman ... I think the image of postman pat came to mind

[alex and astrid 38]

Hey everyone, I am back in the US with Alex! Pretty smooth POE, no trouble with the CBP guard, he joked around with me while he stamped my passport, as I was being really clumsy from lack of sleep! Asked if I could have a temp EAD stamp, and they don't give them out anymore, he said. Oh well, worth a try, right? My bags were right in front of me when I got to baggage claim, got right through screening and out to my boy! Feels like I am in a dream to be back here, but so nice to be in my own apartment with my own things and my own cat