Marriage options in Orlando for immigrant visa applicants

On this page, you will find...

1. A disclaimer

2. Visa options and related info

3. Ideas and options for how you can make your K-1 visa wedding special in the Orlando area (where I am located)

Marriage options in Orlando for immigrant visa applications

Let's get some disclaimers out of the way before we get into it...

I'm not a lawyer. The info on this page is readily available on the internet and/or learned through serving many of these couples as a wedding photographer as well as personal experience as a sponsor myself. If you're considering sponsoring your partner as a spouse, it's recommended to consult with an immigration attorney to discuss the specific options available to you based on your individual circumstances.

I'm a wedding photographer so why am I even making this page? Obviously, it's a great way to connect with potential clients. But mostly, I've had so many of my couples tell me that the other info pages on my site where I take readily available information and make it more user friendly was very helpful for them. For example, the step-by-step process to get married at the Orlando courthouse. So I'm making this page to make a complicated topic a little easier to understand.

I'm not implying that any of the couples in the photos on this page used any of these particular methods to obtain their legal resident status in the USA through marriage.

I need to go on the record that doing this purely for a green card, and not because you happened to fall in love with an American, is fraud. I've never gotten the feeling that any of the couples I've served with wedding photography or officiant services weren't bona fide couples in love. I wouldn't participate if I didn't think it was real.

I'm unable to help people with information outside of what you will find on this page, but you can find a lot of support on Reddit groups like r/USCIS and r/immigration

There are 2 main ways that people can sponsor their partner to get legal resident status in the USA

Fiance Visa

This is also called the K-1 visa.
It's for couples who are not yet married.
Your partner cannot be in the USA while it's in process.
It can take anywhere from a few months to over a year. Many of my couples have said their applications took around 9-12 months.
It's faster than the spousal visa process.
This is information about what to expect in terms of costs
Once your partner receives their visa, they have 6 months to come here and once they arrive, they have just 90 days before you both need to be married.
After you are married, your new spouse can't legally work until you file for the change in status and they receive their green card which allows them to live and work in the USA. They also cannot leave the USA while they are waiting for their green card.

Spouse Visa

This is also called the immigrant visa
It's for couples who are already married. For example you both met, married, and live in another country and would like to return to the USA.
I've had some clients who are getting married and the foreign partner then returns to their country to await their spousal visa. I had one couple recently who did this because the wife's mother was ill and she didn't want to be stuck waiting in the USA in case she needed to travel back to her country. The drawback for this is that the couple is split up again and remains long distance until the visa is granted.
If the foreign spouse is already here on a temporary visa (such as a visitor or student visa), they may be able to adjust their status to a permanent resident without having to leave the country.
The estimated wait times aren't much different than the K-1 visa, however there are so many factors that affect this it's impossible to say without speaking to a lawyer who can assess your case.
This is information about what to expect in terms of costs

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Put a ring on it

Pricing

Options and ideas for getting married in Orlando once you have your K-1 fiance visa

The Courthouse

The easiest way is to get married at the downtown Orlando courthouse. You have to go there to get your marriage certificate anyway, so you could also just have your ceremony while you're there. This is an info page about getting married there and what to expect.

A micro wedding

You can plan a micro wedding with guests pretty quickly. Places like Disney Springs and Leu Gardens are popular places you can get into on short notice, especially if you're able to do a weekday.

For this option, you'll need some vendors like an officiant, flowers and a hair/makeup person. I can make connections with my micro-wedding partners in the process of booking me as your photographer.

An elopement

You can get your license at the courthouse and then have an officiant (or me!) marry you anywhere your heart can dream of.

This is what it's like for me to marry you while being your photographer along with a video of me actually doing it. As long as you've hired me as your photographer, I don't charge to officiate.

"Elizabeth exceeded our expectations. She is a joy to be around and made our family & friends feel very comfortable.

We are in awe of our pictures and can’t stop getting compliments. Elizabeth is kind, patient, and professional. She made the session stress-free and brought our vision to life.

She is people-centered and cares about providing exceptional service. Another plus is the quick turnout time given the amount of work that goes into edits."

Whitney & Dallas

What does getting married at the courthouse look like?

Pricing in 2025

I charge an easy rate.

✅ Ceremony

✅ Private photo time with just us

✅ I estimate that for every hour of shooting, there are around 50 final shots

📸 Photography only $860

📸 🎥 Photography + Cinematic Video $1760

Locations not local to Central Florida may incur a travel fee. Fee due upon booking.

Cinematic video is filmed with cameras and lenses that are used in TV and feature films and are edited to a song of your choice.

Put a 💍 on it

(please don't use this form just to ask me questions about the immigrant visa process. I'm not a lawyer and I can't tell you more than the info that I already have on this page)