Getting legally married before wedding ceremony?

[smg1138 0]

So, if all goes according to plan, my fiancee is planning on flying over here from Japan in January. The thing is that we want to wait till next October so we can plan out our wedding just the way we want it. But as we all know, there are only 90 days to get legally married on the K1 visa. So, I'm wondering what our options are? I imagine a lot of people in this situation must go through the same thing. Do people usually just get legally married at the courthouse and then have a wedding ceremony later for the family? I really don't want to rush it and have some cheesy wedding just to make the 90 day deadline. Anybody else in the same situation?

[Anh map 2,098]

Lots of folks do exactly as you've surmised. We got married by a justice of the peace shortly after Linh arrived, then had the big(ger) ceremony and party 6 months later.

[Stephen + Elisha 92]

Your options are:

• Get legally married at the courthouse with little/no fanfare, followed by the ceremony in October.
• Delay your fiancee's arrival. Once the consulate issues her K-1, she has up to six months to enter the US. The 90 days start when she enters on the K-1.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Thats what we did. Married in December...ceremony is in two weeks....

[elephantmaniac22 0]

My fiance and I were thinking about doing the same thing--getting married at the courthouse and then having a nice ceremony later. I think it makes things easier and you don't have to rush and get everything done in the 90 day time frame.

[raymaga 25]

I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but I wouldn't even feel like it was a "wedding" after I was already married. The wedding is the start of your new lives together, not something you postpone just to have a "party". You can easily plan a wedding in 3 months, especially if you start some of the groundwork before you even arrive in the U.S. So much can be done on the internet, etc.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Well we've held off on somethings...like we haven't exchange rings yet. She hasn't changed her last name etc.

I will say its much less stressful knowing your already married.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but I wouldn't even feel like it was a "wedding" after I was already married. The wedding is the start of your new lives together, not something you postpone just to have a "party". You can easily plan a wedding in 3 months, especially if you start some of the groundwork before you even arrive in the U.S. So much can be done on the internet, etc.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Meh. My new life began the day I met her. The rest is just paperwork.