Where to get married? US or UK?

I am living in San Francisco and my brit lives in Bristol.  We are planning on getting married here in September when he comes for a visit and ill be moving there in January 06 (id move sooner, but have to wait 6 months for my doggies blood test) blah!

Any thoughts/advice???
Thanks!
JennRedd

This is exactly what I just did. It seems to be the easiest way...I think. It went really smooth for us. The visa process was extremely stressful but in the end it was simple and nothing to really stress over.

I just moved from San Jose.

For us, getting married in the US was the easiest option.  My family is huge, so shipping them all to the UK would've been a nightmare.  There's only one visa to get and no paperwork for two years (as opposed to a CoA (or whatever they call that thingie), fiancee' visa, adjustment to spousal visa).

The spousal visa process is very simple if you're in a genuine relationship and can prove that you guys will have a decent place to live and can support yourselves until you start working.  It's really nothing to stress over, but we all do!    You'll be fine.

I'm 36 and dh is 38 and we just felt like we were past wanting a big to-do. We did it in the UK with just our witnesses (though his oldest sister figured out the plan and turned up anyway!  ) and it was very intimate and neither of us felt at all guilty about it because essentially everyone knew and no one was invited (his sisters were cross for a while, but they got over it.) Then we threw a big party here for his friends and family and my mom is throwing a big party there for my friends and family on our first anniversary. It worked out well for us because we didn't have to worry about anyone feeling bad because they couldn't travel (neither of our extended families could have afforded it no matter where we did it) and yet everyone is getting the chance to celebrate with us. I'm even having my wedding dress cut down into a tea length party dress for the anniversary party and we're re-using the silk flowers that were on our cake to decorate the anniversary cake....

My husband and I were married over here in the UK in April 2000.

We thought about tying the knot in the states but felt it would have been easier for us to do it here, and yes it was stressful due to obtaining the fiancee's visa and then the spouses visa but everything actually did run smoothly.

I think it was the fact of waiting and not knowing what was going on until they sent the papers through. 

That was the worst bit, the not knowing, but  as Lola pointed out, as long as you can prove you are in a genuine relationship and can support yourselves it's relatively smooth process.  You'll do fine.  Support from his family during the process also helped alot as well.  They to were stressing, hoping I wouldnt be sent back and having to start all over again....lol

Molly

just so you know, you dont have to wait 6 month FOR the blood test for your dog, you wait 6 months FROM the date the blood was taken. so that could be 6 months from tomorrow.. 

didnt know if you were clear on that or not..

thanks karen, yeah, i was clear on that.  Shes got her microchip now, had the blood test and rabbies vacc.  So Ill be here in SF until January 05, bug.  I love so many things about SF, lived in this area my whole life, but damn, Im sick of the freakin violence, crime, mean attitudes etc.  Most people here are so damn selfish, materialistic and just down right unhappy/unfriendly!  Ive had enough.  Its july 4th weekend and i just ran some errands and couldnt wait to get home and just be alone.  how sad.  taking the dogs to the dogpark now, a block from my house, which is super cool.  its a beautiful day, the fog is rolling in from the ocean.

Two more months.....two months too long.  "sigh"

I love so many things about SF, lived in this area my whole life, but damn, Im sick of the freakin violence, crime, mean attitudes etc.  Most people here are so damn selfish, materialistic and just down right unhappy/unfriendly!  Ive had enough.  Its july 4th weekend and i just ran some errands and couldnt wait to get home and just be alone.  how sad.

I hear ya sister - I loved it there for a good 10 years but I was SO happy to be leaving. I remember one of my last grocery shopping trips - going to the Marina Safeway... carpark full. Drove around for a while watching for someone to leave... nothing. Drove to the Church/Market one. Same deal. Full carpark. Ended up at the one on Potrero Hill. Three tries just to go to the bloomin' grocerey store. Unreal. Combined with having to look for about 45 mins nightly when I got home (record was 2 hours!!!) I realized that it wasn't quite the quality of life that I was looking forward to preserving....