Getting married on VWP?

Hi there, hoping some people can offer some help! My fiance and I live in London. I'm a US Citizen, he's a British Citizen. We've lived together for 4 years-- the first two years I was on an HSMP, and now I'm on an unmarried partner visa with leave to remain. We are due to get married in the US in 20 days. We are only getting married in the US, not settling or trying to adjust status. We land on the 28th, get married on the 5th, leave for our honeymoon in Costa Rica on the 6th, and then back to UK via Newark on the 18th. I cannot find anything wrong with what we are doing. We were advised by the state department to carry our return tickets, UK lease and employers letters. We were also told that we could go through immigration together (in the foreigner line). I was totally happy with this arrangement until my fiance got some bad legal advice from an American immigration partner in his law firm in their Seattle office who told him that if we turn up and say we are getting married, we will be denied entry without any further questions. She recommended we go through separate lines, lie and say we are on vacation, and not carry any wedding stuff with us. I think this is totally ridiculous but I'm looking for reassurance and stories from people who got married on the VWP. As many stories as possible, my fiance is very nervous! Thank you so much for your help.

You can get married on visa waiver.  Lots of us have done it. 

But you will no longer be an unmarried partner, so I don't know if that will be an issue.

But you will no longer be an unmarried partner, so I don't know if that will be an issue.

As bookgrl said, entering the US wont be a problem.  Dont worry about at all.  But the actual thing to be concerned is your re-entry to the UK.  Its possible that your visa may no longer be valid since it was issued to you as an unmarried partner and you are returning to the UK as a spouse.  I am sure someone will come along soon with a definitive answer on this.

We're ones that did it.  My husband is an Irish citizen and we got married in New York in 2007. 

As you were advised, keep proof of ties to the UK and return tickets handy.  It is perfectly legal to get married on the visa waiver.

We only wish to travel to the United States to marry. We will return to the United Kingdom after marriage. Do we still need a fiancé(e) visa?

A person traveling to the United States to marry a U.S. citizen with the intention of returning to his/her place of permanent residence abroad may apply for a visitor (B-2) visa, or if eligible, travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. Evidence of a residence abroad to which the B-2 visa holder or visa free traveler intends returning should be carried for presentation to an immigration inspector at the port of entry.

http://london.usembassy.gov/faq-imm-proc.html#iv036

I agree.  Lying to an IO is a very very bad idea.

I married my UK husband on the VWP.  He was completely honest and open with the IO, and when asked his purpose in the US, he said to marry his American fiancee.  He was further questioned about it in one of their rooms (he said the IO in the room was nicer than the IO at the desk), and eventually, the IO let him go and wished him good luck and congrats.  He had printed out the page from the US Embassy explaining that he could marry while traveling under the VWP if he would be returning to the UK after his holiday, and said that having that print-out was helpful as the IO wanted to see it.

I'm wondering - if you are in the UK on an unmarried partner visa, would you still be allowed to return to the UK on that visa as you will no longer be an unmarried partner?

Thanks for the replies! Keep 'em coming! My visa actually says Spouse/Partner. When I applied it was under unmarried partner but the visa itself doesn't say anything about it. Plus, the UK entry people have no reason to know that I'll be married. I will just renew the visa when it expires.

Be careful with that.  Do you really want to purposely deceive the UKBA?

UP visa holders can get married and don't have to adjust their status.  The UP is an FLR(M), the same as spouse.  So what would she need to change to?  This is not the same situation as someone trying to re-enter on a fiance visa after getting married.  There are different visas for fiances and spouses, but not different ones for UPs and spouses.  So don't worry about it . 

Well then sounds like you are good to go!