Reception Venue......check!
Food/Drinks/Cake......check!
Photography......check!
Flowers......check!
Dress......check!
DJ......check!
Feeling good :)
Our Wedding Date
Friday, May 6, 2011
The Weekend
I am so happy today knowing that the first big step of our visa application process is over! Now we just need to have some patience, but in the next couple of weeks we will know when the interview is scheduled for so we can know when Franchesco will be able to come back to the U.S. finally begin to plan our future!
That's not to say that i haven't been planning all along....because I've been thinking about our wedding a lot :)
Next up for today: I'm hoping to go to Lancaster again today (long drive...but totally better driving there from Harrisburg than having to make a trip out from Minneapolis!). I have an appointment with Tony Gibble Photography and I'm stopping by to talk to the florist (Splints & Daisies) again. I also plan to stop by the Park City Mall and the Lancaster Outlets while I'm in the area :) The rest of the weekend will be filled with family and friends, with a party at our house tomorrow and plans to go out downtown with all the cousins! It's my last couple of days before I go to BRAZIL!!!
Here's a few pictures of floral things that I'm super excited about :)
That's not to say that i haven't been planning all along....because I've been thinking about our wedding a lot :)
Next up for today: I'm hoping to go to Lancaster again today (long drive...but totally better driving there from Harrisburg than having to make a trip out from Minneapolis!). I have an appointment with Tony Gibble Photography and I'm stopping by to talk to the florist (Splints & Daisies) again. I also plan to stop by the Park City Mall and the Lancaster Outlets while I'm in the area :) The rest of the weekend will be filled with family and friends, with a party at our house tomorrow and plans to go out downtown with all the cousins! It's my last couple of days before I go to BRAZIL!!!
Here's a few pictures of floral things that I'm super excited about :)
I love this picture (above) because the flowers were done by Splints & Daisies, the picture was taken by Tony Gibble Photography, and it was from a wedding at The Cork Factory Hotel :)
I showed Tara, from Splints & Daisies, the above centerpiece picture and she has done something very similar, with small tealight candles hanging from the branches in little holders. It's going to be so pretty!
Thanks for reading!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Our visa petition was approved!!!!!!!!!
I just got an email from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at 11:15pm tonight saying that our Visa petition was approved!!! After 6 months of waiting!! The official letter went out in the mail today!!! I'm SOOO happy! :) :) :)
This doesn't mean that Franchesco has his Visa yet, but it means that our paperwork will be sent to the National Visa Center and from there sent to the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro where they will schedule an interview for Franchesco. On the day of the interview we should find out if he will get the visa, and a few days later Franchesco will have his visa in hand and be able to travel to the United States :)
There is an average of 18 days between our petition approval (NOA2) and the Consulate recieving our information from the National Visa Center (NVC).
Then there is an average of 66 days until the actual interview date. However, the average for applicants from Brazil is actually a little shorter than the national average, with 46 days between the Consulate receiving our information and the interview date.
Based on the averages, and if all goes as planned (which hopefully it will!), Franchesco should have his interview in Rio de Janeiro by July 8th! It will only help our case that I will be able to attend the interview with him (think Sandra Bullock in "The Proposal" hahaha!)
We are so happy!!!!!
This doesn't mean that Franchesco has his Visa yet, but it means that our paperwork will be sent to the National Visa Center and from there sent to the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro where they will schedule an interview for Franchesco. On the day of the interview we should find out if he will get the visa, and a few days later Franchesco will have his visa in hand and be able to travel to the United States :)
There is an average of 18 days between our petition approval (NOA2) and the Consulate recieving our information from the National Visa Center (NVC).
Then there is an average of 66 days until the actual interview date. However, the average for applicants from Brazil is actually a little shorter than the national average, with 46 days between the Consulate receiving our information and the interview date.
Based on the averages, and if all goes as planned (which hopefully it will!), Franchesco should have his interview in Rio de Janeiro by July 8th! It will only help our case that I will be able to attend the interview with him (think Sandra Bullock in "The Proposal" hahaha!)
We are so happy!!!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
9 months :)
Only 9 months left until our wedding!!
I'm back home in Pennsylvania this week and I've been meeting with vendors and working on getting some planning out of the way before I go to Brazil. On Monday, Mom went with me to Lancaster to see The Cork Factory Hotel with me for the first time, and we also met with Leslie Gilbert Photography (www.lesliegilbertphotography.com/) and a florist called Splints & Daisies (www.splintsanddaisies.com/). Leslie Gilbert actually photographed Graham Spanier's (the president of Penn State) daughter's wedding in Paris! All of her pictures are beautiful!!
I am also hoping to meet with Tony Gibble Photography (http://tonygibblephotography.com/) this week as well as find a location for our wedding ceremony. I was busy today making a lot of phone calls :)
I'm back home in Pennsylvania this week and I've been meeting with vendors and working on getting some planning out of the way before I go to Brazil. On Monday, Mom went with me to Lancaster to see The Cork Factory Hotel with me for the first time, and we also met with Leslie Gilbert Photography (www.lesliegilbertphotography.com/) and a florist called Splints & Daisies (www.splintsanddaisies.com/). Leslie Gilbert actually photographed Graham Spanier's (the president of Penn State) daughter's wedding in Paris! All of her pictures are beautiful!!
I am also hoping to meet with Tony Gibble Photography (http://tonygibblephotography.com/) this week as well as find a location for our wedding ceremony. I was busy today making a lot of phone calls :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Big News
I've got some big news since the last time I wrote...I've been very busy making important life decisions! I decided that I'M GOING TO BRAZIL!!! About 2 weeks ago I gave notice that I'll be leaving my job, and I'm planning to spend about 3 months in Brazil while Franchesco waits for his Visa.
I found someone to rent my apartment for the remainder of the lease, and I'm going to put my furniture and belongings into storage temporarily. I'll be flying back to Pennsylvania about a week from now (most likely Saturday, April 30th) and then my flight to Brazil is on May 10th. I'll be flying first into Sao Paulo and spending a couple days there (I get to celebrate my friend Natty's birthday on the 14th with all my old friends that used to live in MN!) and then after that Franchesco and I will head to the beach for a vacation :)
We will also be spending some time in Franchesco's town, Araxa, and I'll get to spend more time with his family and also hopefully learn some Portuguese. Maybe I'll be able to find a job teaching English or something like that while I'm there too. All in all I'm very excited for the trip! Of course it's a little scary at the same time, taking such a big leap, but now is the time to do it if I'm ever going to do it! I'm only 25, I don't own a house or a car or have kids...it really is the best time to go.
Another bonus of going to Brazil is that I will get to go along with Franchesco to Rio de Janeiro when he goes to his interview for the Fiance Visa. They will have first-hand proof of our relationship if we are there together :)
Wish me luck and please keep us in your prayers! I hope to see many of you in Pennsylvania the week before I leave for Brazil!
I found someone to rent my apartment for the remainder of the lease, and I'm going to put my furniture and belongings into storage temporarily. I'll be flying back to Pennsylvania about a week from now (most likely Saturday, April 30th) and then my flight to Brazil is on May 10th. I'll be flying first into Sao Paulo and spending a couple days there (I get to celebrate my friend Natty's birthday on the 14th with all my old friends that used to live in MN!) and then after that Franchesco and I will head to the beach for a vacation :)
We will also be spending some time in Franchesco's town, Araxa, and I'll get to spend more time with his family and also hopefully learn some Portuguese. Maybe I'll be able to find a job teaching English or something like that while I'm there too. All in all I'm very excited for the trip! Of course it's a little scary at the same time, taking such a big leap, but now is the time to do it if I'm ever going to do it! I'm only 25, I don't own a house or a car or have kids...it really is the best time to go.
Another bonus of going to Brazil is that I will get to go along with Franchesco to Rio de Janeiro when he goes to his interview for the Fiance Visa. They will have first-hand proof of our relationship if we are there together :)
Wish me luck and please keep us in your prayers! I hope to see many of you in Pennsylvania the week before I leave for Brazil!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Another 30 days :(
We were very hopeful that we would receive the approval for our visa petition sometime this week, but unfortunately I got the following "Request for Evidence" email notification this afternoon. Typically, an RFE adds an additional 30 days to the processing time because we have to wait for the letter to come in the mail, gather the required evidence that they are looking for, send everything back and then wait for the approval. We will need to send them more proof (beyond the pictures and letters we already sent) that Franchesco and I have met in person sometime within the last 2 years. Examples could be airline tickets/boarding passes, hotel receipts, photos listing the date and location that they were taken, etc.
This is exactly what I was afraid of :( As if the waiting process isn't long enough, we will likely have to wait another 30 days before we get our approval, and after that it will be about 2-3 months before Franchesco can have an interview to get the visa. Please keep us in your prayers.
*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL **
The last processing action taken on your case
Receipt Number: WAC1190069968
Application Type: I129F , PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)
Your Case Status: Request for Evidence
On April 4, 2011, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information in this case I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the requested information. This case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires. Once we receive the requested evidence or information and make a decision on the case, you will be notified by mail. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.
A request for evidence is made when an application/petition is lacking required documentation/evidence (initial evidence) or the officer needs more documentation/evidence (additional evidence) to determine an applicant's eligibility for the benefit sought. We may send you a request for evidence at any stage of our review. The request will indicate what evidence or information is needed for us to fully evaluate your application or petition. The notice will explain where to send the evidence and will give the deadline for your response. Your application or petition will be held in suspense during that time. If you receive a request for evidence and have questions about what you need to submit, you may call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.
If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results
listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current
processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.
*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Check Processing Times.
*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.
Sincerely,
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
This is exactly what I was afraid of :( As if the waiting process isn't long enough, we will likely have to wait another 30 days before we get our approval, and after that it will be about 2-3 months before Franchesco can have an interview to get the visa. Please keep us in your prayers.
*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL **
The last processing action taken on your case
Receipt Number: WAC1190069968
Application Type: I129F , PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)
Your Case Status: Request for Evidence
On April 4, 2011, we mailed a notice requesting additional evidence or information in this case I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow the instructions on the notice to submit the requested information. This case will be in suspense until we receive the evidence or the opportunity to submit it expires. Once we receive the requested evidence or information and make a decision on the case, you will be notified by mail. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.
A request for evidence is made when an application/petition is lacking required documentation/evidence (initial evidence) or the officer needs more documentation/evidence (additional evidence) to determine an applicant's eligibility for the benefit sought. We may send you a request for evidence at any stage of our review. The request will indicate what evidence or information is needed for us to fully evaluate your application or petition. The notice will explain where to send the evidence and will give the deadline for your response. Your application or petition will be held in suspense during that time. If you receive a request for evidence and have questions about what you need to submit, you may call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.
If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results
listed above, or if you have not received a decision from USCIS within the current
processing time listed*, please contact USCIS Customer Service at (800) 375-5283.
*Current processing times can be found on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov under Check Processing Times.
*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.
Sincerely,
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Almost 5 months...
At the end of this week, we will have been waiting 5 months for our I-129F (Fiance Visa petition) approval, which is considered "outside of normal processing time." We will be praying for our NOA2 this week (meaning our petition has been approved and Franchesco will have an interview scheduled for him at the consulate in Rio de Janeiro. Please keep your fingers crossed for the NOA2 this week!!!
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