Overwhelmed

My fiance and I are planning on getting married in sometime in late January or early February before I move over.  It seems like many people opted for an engagement visa, the move, and then the wedding.  Am I missing something?

To ease your minds, we've been together-ish since 2002 when I lived over there. 

The other thing is how did you decide where to get married.  I've always wanted something small, but for both of us to have a connection.  My parents divorced about 4 years ago and haven't had to be together much since.  I'm a bit nervous about a wedding and all the drama that could unfold.  I think I've failed to mention the fact that my fiance's family is very traditional and mine isn't.  There it is again...that overwhelming feeling of wanting to make everyone happy! Blah...

My fiance and I are planning on getting married in sometime in late January or early February before I move over.  It seems like many people opted for an engagement visa, the move, and then the wedding.  Am I missing something?

Usually it's on personal preference of which country you want to marry in and the cost of each option.

Marrying in the UK

If you want to marry in the UK, you need a fiance visa (£585) to get married and then you apply for a spousal visa (FLR(M)) after the wedding (£465 by post, 14-18 weeks processing, or £665 in person, same day processing plus a few days to get your ID card in the post). If you get a fiance visa, it is valid for 6 months and you cannot work until you have your FLR(M)/ID card in your hands.

Cost of visas to marry in the UK = £1050 or £1250.

Marrying in the US

If you want to marry in the US, the UK citizen can fly to the US as a visitor and you can get married. You then apply for a spousal visa from the US (£585) which is valid for 27 months. You can enter the UK on the spousal visa and work immediately.

Cost of visas to marry in the US = £585

So for the actual visas, it's cheaper to marry in the US (and you can work in the UK immediately), but you just have to factor in the cost of the UK citizen flying to the US for the wedding compared to the cost of getting a fiance visa and an FLR(M) visa.

You can get married in the UK on a Marriage Visit Visa (this is the option I took).  You would have to return to the US to apply for the Spousal Visa then before you could return to the UK to settle.

Info on Marriage Visit Visa here:
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/infs/inf2visitors#9248746

Marriage Visit Visa: £67
Spousal Visa: £585
plus cost of travel, etc.

We chose to get married in the UK because my husband was short on vacation time from visiting me in the US so much already.  We were married at the Coventry Registry Office http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council--government-and-democracy/council/register-office/
Registry office ceremony is the equivalen of a courthouse ceremony in the US, however so many of the registry offices are in historic buildings.  And we'll still have a ceremony (however we won't be signing another licence) in the US next summer for my family that wasn't able to attend the one in the UK.

Really it's up to you and your fiancee where you want to get married and weigh your options- family, venues, cost, etc.  Don't stress to much about trying to make everyone happy- you need to do what will make you and your fiancee happy.  We had a small ceremony at the registry office, and a backyard reception (we went to the pub that was across the street from the registry office before the reception also).  Everything was very DIY- we made most of the food for the reception ourselves and I think all in all, we spent around $1500 for everything including the ceremony fees, my dress, flowers, food, drinks, etc.  The great thing about getting married in the UK I will add is the amazing honeymoon options afterwards!  It's fairly inexpensive to get to the continent and honeymoon in Paris, Rome, etc.  (That's what we did- Paris- soooo romantic).

Best of luck and remember, you need to make yourselves happy first!!!