In fact, the person is free to marry the person they're already married to. If the question is "Are you free to marry this person?", the answer must be "yes". If the question is "Are you single?"... well then, that'd be different.

There is no law that restricts you from marrying the person you are already married to... therefore, not illegal.

Ian

Why does it have to be registered and why does a second marriage certificate need to be obtained?

Like someone said earlier - a ceremony is just a ceremony. Whether or not a marriage certificate follows is unbeknownst to any wedding guest anyway.

It's my belief that for it to be a 'legally binding marriage' it should result in a marriage certificate.

Otherwise, it is just, as you say, a ceremony

Depending on the local jurisdiction and laws, a licensed officiant who performs a wedding ceremony may be obligated to demand that a marriage license is applied for before performing the second ceremony.

Yup and I have two (2) marriage certificates to prove it (first from a ceremony at city hall, the second from the big fat Jewish ceremony 6 months later).

Was that in the UK? Are both certificates from the civil registry? I'm just curious really...

Both from NYC.

Just as a point of fact, you need to know all that it entails to visit the UK while married. You can just rock up on the VWP but if she's denied at the border, there is no appeal. While they don't normally deny married couples visiting if she has a criminal record the UKBA suggusts filing for a Family Visitor Visa. It's $100 I believe when we were looking at (when I was moving there) and seeing as the UKBA is cracking down on married couples moving into the UK, it probably wouldn't hurt to just go ahead and get the FVV if you marry here and she visits you after the wedding - peace of mind and all.

So don't use a licensed [marriage] officiant. Find somebody else to perform the ceremony. After all, it's only a ceremony - they're already married.

Regards, JEff

That's true enough - get your father/mother/uncle/Sainted Aunt to do it. Since it has no legal bearing, you don't need anyone legally allowed to perform such a ceremony. Just the words you want them to say.

By the power invested in me by the kind folks online for only 29.95, I now pronounce you man and wife...

Well if you went to school here, then you know that it is spelled "AmeriCa" no K.

Also the users of this forum at present are basically here for only a short while and do not know of the problems that occurred for a couple who had a non-binding wedding in the Ukraine before coming here on the K-1 and marrying in a binding ceremony.

The adjudicator refused to believe that the non-binding ceremony was just that and it took them over 8 years to get her green card.

So if the poster wants to be the second one to my knowledge who encounters this adjudicator, then go for it.

It is not all that uncommon for people to have their official wedding with a later celebration of that wedding. Think of it as an expansion of where the wedding ceremony takes place in a church and the reception is held later at another location.

I've seen many situations where two students from opposite sides of the United States will marry on one coast and then later [after honeymoon] travel to the other coast for a celebration with friends and extended family who could not make it to the actual wedding.

Also, it is possible to "renew" ones vows, no?

We did just this. I came to the US on a K-1 visa, but before I came over, Ben (now my husband) stayed in England for 2 months over the summer of 2011 and we had a big party with speeches and a first dance and a cake and so on, so it was very similar to a wedding, without it being a legally binding ceremony to make us actually married.

We then had a smaller (though still pretty big!) wedding in the States to fulfill my visa requirements to stay here. It did mean that a lot of our UK friends and family couldn't be at the "real" wedding but that didn't seem to matter too much to anyone. Just having a day in the UK to celebrate was enough. I know that might not be right for everyone, but it worked for us.

I recall a similar situation in Thailand. So, the common advice is - don't have any kind of ceremony prior to starting a K1 visa process.

In this case, however, the original poster is planning to first marry in the USA after entering using a K1 visa, then have a wedding ceremony back in their home country afterwards. Not the same situation, and not a problem with respect to immigration officials even if they do encounter the same adjudicator. Regards, JEff

General comment: it should be noted that the discussion here is specific to the US and the UK. Marriage laws vary from country. In some countries, a valid marriage need not comply with particular formalities. This has created problems when there has been some type of "party" in the home country before obtaining the K-1 visa or admission.