December Filers

[Lise+Michael 13]

Oh how much I love to read all the posts when I get the chance! I'm not sure how to multi-reply, but here is all I have to say!

For Lise & Christine: I love that 11-11-11 wedding date.

Mrs. Loxxxxxy: OK I LOL'd when I read you have your Senator and Congressman on speed dial. GREAT IDEA btw lol

Bec: No you're not the only one planning sm. intimate wedding. We are also planning small. However, I can see now that my list has increased as people are starting to call us (me), and telling us they'll be there! LOL I have not sent out Save the Dates, Invites and I do not have anything booked! I do know that even if you invite 200 guests, at least 50 don't show up. So..... lol ... we'll see.

Sidenote: Bec are you sure you're not doing the photographer? Would be good to have for at least your 2yr interview before he gets the 10yr GC (proof of marriage relationship, etc). Well, at least get disposable cameras! LOL

OK that's it for now, I'm supposed to be writing reports and I had to get on here to say hello!

Hope everyone has great weekend!!!

Mari

Mari, your posts are always great to read you always have an uplifting spin to them!

I always wanted wedding photos (am not pleased with the professional cost) but your comment about proof for upcoming immigration interviews justifes getting some sort of photos! Plus I love having family photos out around the house. Rather than having to always prove our relationship to immigration I think I will seriously give consideration to naturalization after the required wait time.

Again, enjoy the day everyone!

Lise

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Today is Sunday, Feb 13.... I think I'm the only one working today! LOL

When packing I found my Neiman Marcus sachel (no, I can't afford that kind of bag, it was a gift from a gf). Anyway, inside it was my WEDDING PLANNER NOTEBOOK!!!! yeah!! I have been looking for that since we moved temporarily in this house!

It wasn't too long ago, maybe the past few weeks, that I wasn't even excited about planning because my concern is more about Kadir getting home from Iraq safely. Well, God willing, K finishes in 2 more weeks!!! NOW, I'm excited. I'm also a little bit cautious and was afraid to make any sort of plans with the CSC & VSC backlogged. What if I plan it all out, something (God Forbid) happen and we are screwed? It would have been all in vain! So, I'm just keeping my special colour pens that I love, notes/ notebook/ and my Bible very close at hand for deep petitions to God that it all works out in a timely fashion.

Anyway, we have a date, a backup date for the just in case, and an idea of venue(s). The budget is set and I mean it. LOL <stubborn and frugal = mari). I'm going to pick the venue where only 35 people can come. LOL That's IT!. **confession** I'm getting a little excited now and I don't think I'm going to stick to my own words. But we'll see.

I know my dress... ... my Bridal consultant told me that "a bride should accent the best part of her body". SHE SAID I HAVE BOY HIPS & big ta-ta's! LOL LOL What's that means? LOL LOL... "narrow like a boy, but chesty like mother who just gave birth" LOL LOL ... <she has terrific Spanish accent>

Well, if I want any kind of wedding I need to get moving and get back to work here! I hope all of you are having a very good weekend.

Love ya!

Mari

PS:Incidently my lady friends and Brides to be: What's the best tip your Bridal consultant has said to you? Please share that among us!

[Bec_Dipu 103]

Love ya!

Mari

PS:Incidently my lady friends and Brides to be: What's the best tip your Bridal consultant has said to you? Please share that among us!

The best advice I've ever received is that no one ever remembers a wedding that was perfect, so don't try to make it so! It's the goofy things that happen, like squirrels running through the walls and making a racket, causing the bride to turn around and catch her veil on fire (true story) or the flower girl bursting into tears and refusing to walk down the aisle when everyone stared at her (true story) or the flower girl swinging her basket of flowers so hard it flew through the air and scattered it's contents everywhere (true story - actually, that was me ).

Good luck with your planning!

Bec

[Mariye & Ky 172]

OK... I can't think here and I am going home now. Actually, I'm going to do some 'retail therapy' or catch some kind of chick flick! Love to all you crazzzzzzy people!!!!

Signed,

The Mari Monster lol....

[wendie and sam 4]

Today is Sunday, Feb 13.... I think I'm the only one working today! LOL

I know my dress... ... my Bridal consultant told me that "a bride should accent the best part of her body". SHE SAID I HAVE BOY HIPS & big ta-ta's! LOL LOL What's that means? LOL LOL... "narrow like a boy, but chesty like mother who just gave birth" LOL LOL ... <she has terrific Spanish accent>

LOL Mari, boy hips and big tatas??? really?? LOL!! The bridal consultant at this store where I tried on dresses kept telling me I shouldn't try on dresses that had beadwork pointing in a V towards my nether regions because it looked like I wanted the attention to go down there... hahaha!!! I think some of the women who work in the wedding industry are a bit crazy.

As for me, the best advice I have gotten has been about budgeting and how much a typical wedding of my size costs and how that's broken up. I do a lot of budgeting at work and I love excel spread sheets that make sense. I have one for the Washington DC area with typical costs, etc. If anyone wants a copy send me a message. I also have the slides from that wedding class I took that has decor and branding info, as well as info about how organize your own wedding notebook.

If anyone wants the slides or the budget spread sheet just let me know.

Also, I found this really super cute idea on a wedding blog, I thought it was interesting since all of our fiance's are coming from around the world post cards would be really cool to incorporate.

Put a few stamped, self-addressed postcards and pens on each table (52 postcards in total) and invite guests to write down their best piece of marriage advice. Ask someone to gather those cards and mail one to you every week for the first year of your marriage. This is a great way to get your mother involved. She can even write her reaction to the advice on each card! Imagine how you and your husband will look forward to reading your card each week. (There’s that happy word again: husband!)

[Mariye & Ky 172]

Happy Valentine's Day to Dec 2010 K-1 Filers!

Mari & Kadir

[Mariye & Ky 172]

OK... I can't think here and I am going home now. Actually, I'm going to do some 'retail therapy' or catch some kind of chick flick! Love to all you crazzzzzzy people!!!!

Signed,

The Mari Monster lol....

OK I saw Just Go With It! (Jennifer Aniston & Adam Sandler). OMG hilarious and I'm telling you if you're on your own this Valentine's Day ... this is a great romance comedy. Seriously, the "hula break the tie contest" had me in tears! GREAT MOVIE 10+

Trailer:

Happy Valentine's Day All! (F)

Mari

[April&Adam 5]

Aww April I hear you girl, wedding dreams are even stressful just by themselves without this process adding to the pressure. Hope you have a fall back up plan???

What are other people planning as far as dates???

We've tentatively been planning for a January wedding since this may take longer than we anticipated and it's cheaper in January I'm really hoping 13 months after my NOA1 is enough time to get this entire process finished and have a nice wedding.

Anyone else doing the whole tentative planning thing?? What kinds of plans are you making and how are you keeping them flexible??

P.S. Dizzylox can you add me to the list next time you update?? I didn't see us on the last version. Thanks girl!

Ya we definitely have a back up plan. In fact I originally wanted a June wedding, that obviously went out the window when I found out that Montreal has a ridiculous long wait time for interviews, so we booked our venue date for the end of August, but all of our other vendors are on standby until I get my interview booked. One of the nice things about having a Friday wedding tho, is that I have the flexibility to do this.

And I have nothing against a fall wedding, it just isn't what I envisioned and our location is a popular summer destination. That's all. It's definitely pretty in the fall, I'll just freeze (and yes I know I'm suppose to be from Canada )

As for Senators and Congressmen, we've already talked to them, figured it couldn't hurt to give them a heads up about our case, and my fiance has some contact thru his business.

It just makes me angry that we try and do it the legal way and go thru all the appropriate channels and it ends up taking forever and we have to jump thru a million hoops. When I was first looking into things I talked to a lawyer and he advised me to just go into the states with the intention to visit and then change my status after 90 days and say we've decided to get married...that way all this waiting time would take place while I was in the USA. Told me that Immigration frowned upon it, but it would still work. Nice eh? Did anyone else seek legal advice and have a similar story?

[wendie and sam 4]

I feel soo much more confident now about chosing a wedding date in January 2012, originally I thought that was going to be too soon but it sounds like you guys will have been married for months by then! lol.

Fall weddings are nice if you're a fall type person. Since I'm originally from California I don't really appreciate fall very much, or winter either. We are getting married in California and every time I've been home in the last few years in January it's been like 80 degrees so I'm pretty confident about selecting short dresses and wanting a tented venue for the reception.

I feel like we need a December filers, sub-thread for wedding tips/planning. lol. happy V-day everyone! hope you get to skype with your respective hunnies today.

[Piefre 15]

It just makes me angry that we try and do it the legal way and go thru all the appropriate channels and it ends up taking forever and we have to jump thru a million hoops. When I was first looking into things I talked to a lawyer and he advised me to just go into the states with the intention to visit and then change my status after 90 days and say we've decided to get married...that way all this waiting time would take place while I was in the USA. Told me that Immigration frowned upon it, but it would still work. Nice eh? Did anyone else seek legal advice and have a similar story?

I didn't seek out a lawyer myself but I had "well-meaning" friends who thought that I would need a lawyer to wade through the paperwork for a K1. A couple of them talked to their lawyer friends--one wasn't even an immigration lawyer, by the way--and both of them gave advice that was akin to this. To his credit, the one who did deal with immigration dealt primarily with foreign to Canada immigration. Canada's immigration laws regarding marriage and immigration is apparently much more relaxed (and just between us VJers, makes more sense and is much faster). I looked it up a little and would personally love to see a Canadian system at work in the US for this. I don't know the full story but it's better than these steadily increasing wait times and stress over whether VSC or CSC is going to speed up or slow down. But, it is what it is, so oh well!

[Mariye & Ky 172]

I don't think it does any of us good if we get ancy and it hasn't even been the 5 month min goal time.

Why? Because one of my very good friends here on VJ just got approved in 3.5 mos *(no, not Haitian, nor expedite). She did it all just like us!!! In fact, she was so busy with the other things in her life she didn't even check the USCIS website for touches, or anythign like that. Instead, worked on their NOA2 doc preparation, her new job, getting ready to move house, etc! She was so surprised, she called me at midnight a couple nights ago when she got the text! They were filed at the CSC, last Oct 2010~ so really, keep busy doing the "get ready things" because there is some hope we might be on time, and maybe sooner! *That's what we're praying for anyways! Right?

On a personal note: I'm not even thinking about the NOA2 because Kadir is still on the USAFBase- Iraq. I am have concerns he gets [back to his] home in 2 weeks more than anything. Imagine limited to 3-5 min fone signals [sketchy at best and rarely clear], no internet, days between communications sometimes, then doing this for MONTHS? This is what seems like eternity I can assure you. Believe me, the 5 mos is nothing when you can always talk, chat, webcam (something I cannot wait for), email, send snail mail, even visit. The communications enjoyed by most on this thread, I will never take for granted because I know what is like to have none of those and be apart... waiting for the day we can resume such treasures. And this is why I have to keep myself busy just doing life! Because if I don't.... I will drive myself crazy.

You & Your Sweethearts will be together soon.

Keep your faith strong and your mind focussed on the goal of your wedding & lives together!! The work to get there, is minor.

Mari

[Bec_Dipu 103]

I didn't seek out a lawyer myself but I had "well-meaning" friends who thought that I would need a lawyer to wade through the paperwork for a K1. A couple of them talked to their lawyer friends--one wasn't even an immigration lawyer, by the way--and both of them gave advice that was akin to this. To his credit, the one who did deal with immigration dealt primarily with foreign to Canada immigration. Canada's immigration laws regarding marriage and immigration is apparently much more relaxed (and just between us VJers, makes more sense and is much faster). I looked it up a little and would personally love to see a Canadian system at work in the US for this. I don't know the full story but it's better than these steadily increasing wait times and stress over whether VSC or CSC is going to speed up or slow down. But, it is what it is, so oh well!

I used an immigration lawyer just to make sure all of my ducks were in a row. We asked him if it would be better to just get married and then go through the process and he said that if your fiance hasn't been in the US for 60 days straight prior to the wedding and you can't prove that your fiance didn't come here explicitly to get married (ie, did he or she retain his or her job and residence in home country intending to go back...if so, move there because they sure do give generous vacation allowances!), then your file will be reviewed for possible fraud and it will actually take longer to process than just going the fiance route. So, I-129F it is! It is depressing though to see how much more quickly the I0130 applications get approved

[Mariye & Ky 172]

I used an immigration lawyer just to make sure all of my ducks were in a row. We asked him if it would be better to just get married and then go through the process and he said that if your fiance hasn't been in the US for 60 days straight prior to the wedding and you can't prove that your fiance didn't come here explicitly to get married (ie, did he or she retain his or her job and residence in home country intending to go back...if so, move there because they sure do give generous vacation allowances!), then your file will be reviewed for possible fraud and it will actually take longer to process than just going the fiance route. So, I-129F it is! It is depressing though to see how much more quickly the I0130 applications get approved

Not so about the I-130's I don't think. My other friend who has their file at Texas Service Center was one of the couples who were transfered last Nov 2010 from CSC. This morning, she told me the comparison between CSC vs TSC and why so many TSC 130's are flipped out. Get this: CSC is approving 20K / mo vs. TSC approving 5K / mo! Sheesh, she's on 7 mos wait time now. SEVEN MOS... I so hope she hears something today on Valentine's Day like so many of those couples who also got that ugly transfer [july/aug people]. I'm not so sure about the movement at the VSC, but seems they're finally reducing their backlog by the few approvals I've seen on the VJ forum.

I like what your atty said about proof fiance hasn't been in the US for 60 days prior to wedding; I'd hate to have to get in that bind. I-130 is cheaper but takes longer, and I-129 is quicker, but little bit more costly. From what the stats are reading, I think they both are taking about the same wait time these days.

Sheesh... either way, we wait but everyone will soon be with their Darlings! Yeah!!!

[Derek and Callie 7]

LOL Mari, boy hips and big tatas??? really?? LOL!! The bridal consultant at this store where I tried on dresses kept telling me I shouldn't try on dresses that had beadwork pointing in a V towards my nether regions because it looked like I wanted the attention to go down there... hahaha!!! I think some of the women who work in the wedding industry are a bit crazy.

As for me, the best advice I have gotten has been about budgeting and how much a typical wedding of my size costs and how that's broken up. I do a lot of budgeting at work and I love excel spread sheets that make sense. I have one for the Washington DC area with typical costs, etc. If anyone wants a copy send me a message. I also have the slides from that wedding class I took that has decor and branding info, as well as info about how organize your own wedding notebook.

If anyone wants the slides or the budget spread sheet just let me know.

Also, I found this really super cute idea on a wedding blog, I thought it was interesting since all of our fiance's are coming from around the world post cards would be really cool to incorporate.

Put a few stamped, self-addressed postcards and pens on each table (52 postcards in total) and invite guests to write down their best piece of marriage advice. Ask someone to gather those cards and mail one to you every week for the first year of your marriage. This is a great way to get your mother involved. She can even write her reaction to the advice on each card! Imagine how you and your husband will look forward to reading your card each week. (There’s that happy word again: husband!)

I am planning on getting married in the Maryland/Washington DC area, so if you want to send any of your budgeting excel sheets to look at that would be awesome, it might not be of any help but at the same time it just may help so if you get some free time send one through to derek.auty@gmail.com

Thanks!

[wendie and sam 4]

I am planning on getting married in the Maryland/Washington DC area, so if you want to send any of your budgeting excel sheets to look at that would be awesome, it might not be of any help but at the same time it just may help so if you get some free time send one through to derek.auty@gmail.com

Thanks!

No problem Derek... already sent!

So how was everyone's V-day?? I got to skype with my boo....although it was like 11:30 pm his time so he was sleepy and we only went over the wedding guest list.. not very romantic but needed to be done. lol.