February 2017 I-129F Filers

[TexasHeartsIndia 371]

3 minutes ago, Alysia&Luis said:

Good convo!  We are over just over the (hopfully) halfway point and time has really started to drag the past few days!

We will be doing a court house ceremony here in VA with a couple close friends.  I am originally from Alaska, so we are going to plan to have a celebration with family and friends there at a later time.  We will also be planning a vow renewal in Peru with his family probably around our year anniversary!  I am a nervous wreck when it comes to planning things TBD  so this is the best solution for us.  It will be easier to plan and organize everything once he is here and we are married.  

Your ceremony sounds great! What are your colors and such?  

We also thought of having a court wedding first, but we are both religious as are our families. I have such a small family and circle of friends that planning a small, last-minute wedding isn't a huge ordeal. Most of his family won't be here anyway. We had a religious engagement ceremony in India and his mother and one of his sisters were able to attend. My profile pic is from the ceremony It was so amazing! The best day of my life! Our colors are black, red and gold - probably more gold than black 

 

And I agree that now the halfway point has (probably) arrived, time seems to have stopped. I don't know what I would do without modern technology!

[eastcoastgroove 329]

20 minutes ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

Just a conversation starter for fun... Does anyone have any tentative wedding plans?

 

I know with the visa process, nothing regarding a date can be set in stone, but I have a few things under way. We have a tentative date on the calendar, but my pastor knows the situation and is aware that we might need to change the date depending on the visa. Since we are getting married in the Catholic church, we started our official marriage preparations, classes, and so forth. I have my wedding dress and the colors/theme is picked out (red, black, and gold, if anyone wants to know  ). I started the guest list and everyone knows the date is TBD with a possibility of a last-minute announcement. It is going to be very small and intimate - around 30 guests, one matron of honor and one best man. We are hopeful that the wedding can take place between October-December. At least we can hope that we will celebrate Christmas and start the new year as husband and wife

My fiance and I are just getting married by his father (who is ordained).  Will probably just use his mother and best friend as a witness.  Nothing fancy at all!!  I have a SSN already (I read you should get one before getting married) so we will apply for the marriage licence ASAP so we can start my AOS/EAD/AP.  His parents will throw us a reception a few months later so that anyone I know has time to make plans if they want to come.  I've been married before so I said he could choose what he wanted to do and (not surprisingly) he chose as little as possible.  I bought a wedding outfit, but it is an off white skirt with a black floral top, so again, not very traditional.  Your wedding sounds like it will be beautiful! And hopefully doing some planning on that keeps your mind off the wait.

Edited April 17, 2017 by eastcoastgroove

[TexasHeartsIndia 371]

1 minute ago, eastcoastgroove said:

My fiance and I are just getting married by his father (who is ordained).  Will probably just use his mother and best friend as a witness.  Nothing fancy at all!!  I have a SSN already (I read you should get one before getting married) so we will apply for the marriage licence ASAP so we can start my AOS/EAD/AP.  His parents will throw us a reception a few months later so that anyone I know has time to make plans if they want to come.  I've been married before so I said he could choose what he wanted to do and (not surprisingly) he chose as a little as possible.  I bought a wedding outfit, but it is an off white skirt with a black floral top, so again, not very traditional.  Your wedding sounds like it will be beautiful! And hopefully doing some planning on that keeps your mind off the wait.

Small and intimate is so special! The most important part is the marriage, not the wedding! (Not to bash anyone having a huge wedding - as long as bride and groom know the right priorities, right?)

 

How do you get a SSN before the K1 is approved?

[Alysia&Luis 522]

20 minutes ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

colors are black, red and gold - probably more gold than black 

Those will look great for a fall wedding!!  

[eastcoastgroove 329]

14 minutes ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

Small and intimate is so special! The most important part is the marriage, not the wedding! (Not to bash anyone having a huge wedding - as long as bride and groom know the right priorities, right?)

 

How do you get a SSN before the K1 is approved?

My first wedding only had 10 guests.... So I said my second one had to be even smaller lol. I'm just excited to be married to him . 

 

I have a SSN because I worked for 3 summers in Arizona at a horse camp while I was in university (J-1 visa).  I'm lucky I kept the card in my wallet all this time (last year I was there was 2008) so I will just go and change it to my married name once I get my EAD.  

[pattyandvern 282]

We first met at summer camp where we worked and that is where we want to get married  hopefully by september I can get there, because we planned the ceremony at Sep 2nd. All the people that work there are our close friends, all my bridesmaids works there and we are all big "family". We wanted church wedding but we realized that it will be easier to make one later, because we can prepare it properly. So we gonna have outdoor wedding ceremony, our friend and boss in one will be our master of ceremony  Also we are planning to invite our families and closest friends, I really hope to have my parents at the ceremony. My brother and his girlfriend already got j1 visas and they are going to USA in the end of June. I am planning to have about 50-70 people at my wedding, it is going to be Boho style wedding, nothing fancy, as everybody is very close to each other and willing to help with preparations. Already found also someone who I want to by my dress from  I completely fell in love with her dresses and I know nothing can compare with them now  our colors will probably be lilac, grey and white.

[TexasHeartsIndia 371]

1 hour ago, Alysia&Luis said:

Those will look great for a fall wedding!!  

Thank you! I think they will look great for a winter wedding, too, in case it ends up being in December But we're hoping for October!

[TexasHeartsIndia 371]

52 minutes ago, pattyandvern said:

We first met at summer camp where we worked and that is where we want to get married  hopefully by september I can get there, because we planned the ceremony at Sep 2nd. All the people that work there are our close friends, all my bridesmaids works there and we are all big "family". We wanted church wedding but we realized that it will be easier to make one later, because we can prepare it properly. So we gonna have outdoor wedding ceremony, our friend and boss in one will be our master of ceremony  Also we are planning to invite our families and closest friends, I really hope to have my parents at the ceremony. My brother and his girlfriend already got j1 visas and they are going to USA in the end of June. I am planning to have about 50-70 people at my wedding, it is going to be Boho style wedding, nothing fancy, as everybody is very close to each other and willing to help with preparations. Already found also someone who I want to by my dress from  I completely fell in love with her dresses and I know nothing can compare with them now  our colors will probably be lilac, grey and white.

The wedding at the summer camp sounds so romantic! Love it! I love the colors, too. Very cute. I hope your family can make it, too. I'm sure that's important for you and for them as well. What I love about hearing all these stories is no one here is more excited about the ceremony than marrying their significant other. That's what it's all about

 

Fortunately for us, he is the youngest of 7 so his mom is pretty content with not being here for the wedding. She was at the engagement ceremony and that's enough for her Plus she's in her 80s, so flying for 24 hours isn't a good idea at this point. His siblings aren't really interested in coming. His one sister who attended the engagement is a Catholic nun and won't be able to come. Now we have to find out if anyone from his friends are coming so that he can have a best man. Otherwise, my best friend's husband might have to stand for him!

[pattyandvern 282]

6 minutes ago, TexasHeartsIndia said:

The wedding at the summer camp sounds so romantic! Love it! I love the colors, too. Very cute. I hope your family can make it, too. I'm sure that's important for you and for them as well. What I love about hearing all these stories is no one here is more excited about the ceremony than marrying their significant other. That's what it's all about

 

Fortunately for us, he is the youngest of 7 so his mom is pretty content with not being here for the wedding. She was at the engagement ceremony and that's enough for her Plus she's in her 80s, so flying for 24 hours isn't a good idea at this point. His siblings aren't really interested in coming. His one sister who attended the engagement is a Catholic nun and won't be able to come. Now we have to find out if anyone from his friends are coming so that he can have a best man. Otherwise, my best friend's husband might have to stand for him!

Thank You for all kind words  You are right, the most important for me is just to be his wife, ceremony don't have to be expensive and "fancy", all I always wanted is to have beautifull wedding but the older I got I realized that the most important is to have my loved ones with me and feel comfortable and happy that day. The more money and attractions you put to all preparations the more stressed you are and this is not how it supposed to look like, for me personally. Thats why I don't put no pressure on it. My family would like (and push a little) to try to make church wedding, as all of us are catholic but it is my wedding, not their And if it wont be possible I wont put any pressure on myself to try to make it happen. It will happen later. 

I hope really that everything will work out for all of us and we all will have amazing time with our loved ones soon  wish You to have immigration process over soon as possible!

[janet3 1,170]

I agree with pattyandvern....

I am trying to stop thinking about all of the small details. I am trying to narrow down the list of invites  (to under 10...after all, my fiance will not have friends or family at the wedding). My issues right now are.....where to get married and what to wear  (the idea of trying on wedding dresses makes me break out in a cold sweat). I am thinking I will just have a small ceremony in my flower garden....or by the lake....uuuggghhh I can't decide  

So....for the wedding  (and to take my mind off the k1 process....and what to wear ) I am making 1000 cranes as a back drop for the wedding. I have 90 so far 

[Angel&Eric 185]

We are trying to decide where we will be married.  Neither of us will have family at the wedding in the US as neither have any family nearby that will want to attend.  Are are considering a courthouse wedding, something on the beach near Monterrey, or a Mountain wedding at Yosemite National Park.  

 

We are planning a more formal ceremony when we go back to the Philippines for the first time.  

[Lovemycroatianman 278]

Fellow February filer here...so nice to see everyones weddings plans...my case is a bit different....he is much younger than me and is scared of being here with no family and relying on me for everything...its kinda a try out for him to come since he was rejected a tourist visa...it can be disheartening to go thru so much for something that could end bad....anyone else having similar issues? We've been talking since Dec 2015 and I've been there 3 times. i wish coming here wasn't such an ordeal.

[Dianalorena 1,153]

You guys are just too adorable <3

I'm also a February filer, but for the CR-1 instead. Just wanted to stop by and say hello, show support. Love all the wedding planing! 

I only spent like two months to plan mine since we wanted to get married right away and start the CR-1 instead.

Having a small wedding is ideal, it was better to save money for the traveling, since I'm away from my husband for a year. Good luck on your journeys! 

 

[doggieandsam 765]

We are planning on doing a courthouse ceremony as soon as possible after i arrive, nothing fancy at all. I do not like large weddings, feels more like a show that's put on for the guests rather than it being about the couple. But this is just me so no offence meant to others who prefer differently! =) I do not have any family in the US but have a couple of very good childhood friends who I hope can attend. On his side, his parents will be there. The tricky thing is, his parents love travelling and are flying out in early Oct so I am hoping I can get there by mid-Sept at the latest. But like they always say, no guarantees as to when everything will get approved and the visa stamped so all we can do is hope for the best! =)

Edited April 18, 2017 by iamdegie

[doggieandsam 765]

Feb cases updated 17-Apr: 4

 

Approved: 3

RFE: 0

Others: 1

 

Raw data here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7wWQs77fPiIUUZGNE9tMUdQRjA

 

PS. Going forward, I will no longer be including cases which have already been approved or withdrawn in my scan list. This will shorten my scan list as the days pass by (and more cases are approved), which in turn means a shorter scan time for me. =)

Edited April 18, 2017 by iamdegie