My fiancee and I want to plan surprise wedding next Wednesday while I am on holiday in the states. Yes I know we should be looking at following the visas correctly and going for the marriage visa first but we have been in this DLR for the past 6 years and in her own words seeing me push the hoover around has convinced her that I'm the one.
If you're a UK citizen, you can get married to a US citizen in the USA on the visa waiver program if you will be returning to the UK after the marriage and not remaining in the US. My husband and I did this, but be prepared at immigration control to explain what you're doing, and that you understand that you cannot remain in the US after the marriage. (obviously you can remain in the US for your holiday; I mean permanently remain in the US after your marriage)
If we do go ahead with this is there any time limits as leaving the time apart for longer than 3 months may hurt our visa chances. We want to cover all the bases before we tell the families of our plans.
If you have been apart for an extended period of time after your marriage, you would need to provide evidence of intervening devotion. My husband and I will have been apart for >3 months at the time I'll be submitting the application so we will be submitting phone records of our daily conversations with each other.
ETA: And remember that different states (and even towns) will have different requirements for marriage, so make sure you check locally to make sure you'll have the required documentation they'll want. The town my husband and I got married in didn't need a medical exam; however, two towns over did! (same state, only about 15 minutes away from each other, and totally different marriage license requirements) Also, remember to check any possible waiting period requirements if you two want to get married on a specific date - you may have to file your intentions X days prior to your planned wedding date. Again, it varies from place to place, so best to check with the town clerk in the town you are planning on getting married in. Best of luck, and congrats!!
