OK, yet another travel question (I know, sorry :-/

perrin, I suggest you GET REAL and take a LONG HARD LOOK at the Home Office's website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

If you do not follow those directions to the letter, you are breaking the law.  

"Your fiancé or fiancée must show that:

you plan to marry within a reasonable time (usually six months);
you plan to live together permanently after you are married;
you have met each other;
there is somewhere for him or her and any dependants to live until you are married without help from public funds; and
he or she and any dependants can be supported without working or having to get help from public funds.
We will give your fiancé or fiancée permission to stay here for six months but they must not work. When you are married, your husband or wife may apply to stay here. If we approve the application, we will give your husband or wife permission to stay and work for 2 years. Near the end of 2 years, your husband or wife may apply to stay here permanently.

Your fiancé or fiancée must get entry clearance before they travel to the United Kingdom.(In my leaflet this sentence comes before the preceding para. This is consistent with the preceding section on husbands and wives)"

Now, my fiancee visa was processed in less than 24 hours and I was not hassled at all by immigration officials, but some people here who also did things right were hassled.  Do NOT lie to immigration officials.  They are NOT stupid.  Some of them are a little overly suspicious, but they are not idiots.  Don't even try and pretend that they are, or that you are a good enough B.S. artist to fool them, because they hear B.S. every day from people with much more creative excuses than what you have.  

Am I the only one here who never encountered any hostility or problems with immigration officials?  Hell, even when I came in with my fiancee visa, the guy just looked at it, stamped it, yawned, and said "Welcome to your new home.  NEXT!"

Nope, you're not.  I travelled back and forth many, many times for five long years and never once was I given a hard time by passport control.  But then, I always said I was here to visit friends and I never stayed more than four weeks.    In fact, when we finally decided to get married, we first talked to the Home Office and they advised us (because of our circumstances) to marry in Britain, then me go back to the states and apply for my spouse visa.  We kept in contact with the Home Office and the Chicago consulate, letting them know exactly what we were doing and taking their advice, and we had no problems at all.  

On the day of my arrival in UK with my spouse visa, the Immigration Officer was very nice.  All she said to me was she wished me all the happiness in my new marriage and that she hoped I liked living in Great Britain.  Plus, she said it with a smile!

I'm really sorry to hear about the bad expierences some have had when entering the UK. I certainly don't mean to minimize those experiences by talking about my positive experience.

Leland, I think you should take to heart what they have to say about the matter.  You asked for advice and that's what you'll get.  It may not be what you're looking for, but people here have "been there and done that" already.  Of course, at the end of the day, it's your decision.

I hope this doesn't come across as sounding harsh because it certainly is not meant to be.

Good luck.

Do NOT lie to immigration officials.  They are NOT stupid.  Some of them are a little overly suspicious, but they are not idiots.  Don't even try and pretend that they are, or that you are a good enough B.S. artist to fool them, because they hear B.S. every day from people with much more creative excuses than what you have.  

I couldn't agree more with this statement.  Well said, Stacey.

Am I the only one here who never encountered any hostility or problems with immigration officials?  Hell, even when I came in with my fiancee visa, the guy just looked at it, stamped it, yawned, and said "Welcome to your new home.  NEXT!"

Same thing happened when I came through on my Fiancee visa.  But that's the joy of knowing you've done things the way they want them done.  I was a bit nervous about the immigration officer when I came through even with my visa, but it was all fine and dandy!  I wouldn't have risked being sent home for the world.  And so what if it took us a bit longer...at least I knew I would be fine once I got here for good.  

Same thing happened when I came through on my Fiancee visa.  But that's the joy of knowing you've done things the way they want them done.  I was a bit nervous about the immigration officer when I came through even with my visa, but it was all fine and dandy!  I wouldn't have risked being sent home for the world.  And so what if it took us a bit longer...at least I knew I would be fine once I got here for good.  

*applause*

I couldn't agree more.

Am I the only one here who never encountered any hostility or problems with immigration officials?  Hell, even when I came in with my fiancee visa, the guy just looked at it, stamped it, yawned, and said "Welcome to your new home.  NEXT!"

Nope, you're not the only one.  First time I came here I was here for 10 days.  Told them I was visiting friends.  Got stamped and sent on my way.  Second time I came here I came through with a spousal visa.  The woman asked me if I was coming here as a wife.  "Yep".  She asked where my husband was.  I said, "Standing right behind you."  I began to call him over but she said, "I don't need to see him."  Stamp, Next!  That was that.  No problems.

Once again guys, thanks for the replies.  However, I think some of the last replies, especially from Stacey, make me think they didn't read my last reply.  I'm going to be 100% honest.  I'm visiting my girlfriend to spend the holidays with her.  We're flying back to Washington D.C. for a few days so she can meet my family, and then going to New York to apply for my fiance visa.  This plan was reached through the feedback I have recieved here.  I have enough money to justify my visit, I'm only taking clothing (maybe a little over 1 suitcase of it) and nothing to even give the impression I intend to stay there.  I have suffcient funds to show I can remain there without needing to mooch, I have a return flight, plus I still have a document showing I'm renting in the U.S.  I believe I'm doing the right thing.  You can only prepare so much.  After a certain point, you just have to hope that your preparations are enough.  If I get an agent who makes up his/her mind they ain't letting me in, well that's pretty much out of my hands.

And Stace...if I *had a clue* I wouldn't be making posts asking for guidance would I? I've been re-reading the replies and I must ask, Do I know you Stacey?  My ex-girlfriends are less hostile for chrissake.  You don't defend your point-of-view by putting down the ideas of others.  I come here looking for advice, and if you care to read all my posts, you'll see that I have heeded a lot of the advice given.  No, I'm not going to take every bit of advice and follow it, and ultimately my decision, and the consequences of it, are mine.  If my not doing everything I'm advised to on this board makes you wish I get deported, then your replies to my postings are both unnecesarry and unwanted.  Goodbye.

Nevermind, found the edit function

I am closing this topic as of now.  If anyone wishes to continue to discuss the matter, I would suggest PM's or if one wishes to debate the matter further, begin a post in Pettifog.  Thanks!