The Country

The United States of America, the fourth largest country in the world, is located on the North American continent, perched between Mexico and Canada on its Southern and Northern border respectively and flanked by the Pacific Ocean on its west and the Atlantic Ocean on its East.

The United States has been the dominant economic power in the world since the late 19th century and it has further consolidated its position since then and is now the world’s sole remaining superpower. The republic is led by a President, elected for a maximum of two four-year terms, and is subject to oversight by the powerful 535 strong Senate and House of Representatives.

The country is also home to over 300 million citizens, making it the third most populous nation in the world, of which, the majority of them can trace back their roots to European ancestors. Nevertheless, the Hispanic population has made a significant impression on the country’s demographics with a whopping 32% population jump over the past decade. Experts have surmised that America will have a Hispanic majority population in less than 50 years.

English is spoken by over 80% of the population with Spanish accounting for 12%. The predominant religion here is Christianity, with more than 80% professing their faith in it. Other notable religion here is Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Scientology (it IS a religion, as defined by the IRS in approving their tax exemption status in 1993).

Relationship With An American Woman

In reality, American women understand that life is no fairy tale, that Tom Cruise is short and nothing rhymes with oranges. However, this has not stopped the women of the land from romanticizing courtship and marriage, creating an elaborate myth that few will ever experience. Hollywood has further reinforced this fantasy and one could even surmise, correctly, that they are probably responsible for some of the marriage customs we have taken for granted. You may not be her knight in shining armor, but there is no reason to stop trying. In the starkness of the real world, American women appreciate those little romantic and thoughtful gestures.

Marriage

Now that you have given your American girlfriend fairy tale courtship, you would like to take it a step further and offer her the promise of eternal love by solemnizing your relationship with marriage. How do you go about it? Well, in the true and tested tradition of Hollywood, you begin with the ring. Get as large a diamond ring as you can afford, as this will determine how your girlfriend’s girlfriends will look at you.

Next, choose a romantic and expensive restaurant, hire a violinist and get down on your knees halfway through dinner with your marriage proposal. This achieves three objectives. One, with the crowd watching, she will be hard-pressed to say no. Two, you are showing the depth of your love by letting her experience a tiny slice of her fantasy. Three, your wedding proposal is one story that will bear repeated telling, over the reception, each anniversary, Thanksgiving and right down to your grandchildren’s wedding – so you had better make it good.

The next step in the process is the bridal shower and the bachelor’s party, which at the very crux of it, is a sending away party from the couple’s most dearest and decadent of friends. The bridal shower tends to be rather timid affairs, with the highlight being a shower of gifts falling over the bride. The bachelor’s party on the other hand, is normally a more raucous affair, with the highlight typically being something inappropriate to write about in a family oriented site.

On the wedding day, the bride will be wearing a veil, primarily to prevent the groom from stealing a glimpse, as it is thought to bring misfortune. The bride will be dressed in white, a symbol of innocence and purity (you can stop that smirk now). The ceremony, generally held in a church, will see the bride escorted by her father down the aisle, under the uplifting symphony of the Wedding March.

The officiating priest will read a passage from the bible for the occasion, with the Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Corinthians 13:1-13 and Ruth 1:16-17 being the most frequently used for their relevancy and poignancy. The emotional impact of the ceremony will start to manifest itself by now and there would be a lot of teary eyes here, including on some of the women. We reach the climax when the couple exchanges their vows, wedding bands, and sealing the matrimony with a kiss. As the newlyweds leave the church, the guests will rain them with confetti and rice, a tradition dating back to the Romans, signifying their future prosperity.

American wedding receptions sometimes are held weeks after the wedding, although, it is common for it to be held right after the ceremony. The reception would normally be held in your bride’s home or reception hall and you should expect the presence of all the extended families and minor acquaintances from both sides of the family there, lending to a festive and joyful atmosphere.
The event will begin with the customary toast from the best man, which is quickly followed by the four-tiered cake cutting ceremony. Sometime during the reception, the lights will dimmed, and your bride will have her last dance with her father, who will symbolically hand her over to you on the dance floor. The night will eventually wind down to the bouquet tossing ceremony, where the single ladies will try to outmuscle and outmaneuver each other to catch the bouquet and in the process, confirmed with absolute certainty that the next wedding is theirs. In recent years, Americans have started to emulate the French with the throwing of the bride’s to a group of single guys.

Regulation

Marrying a foreigner in the United States is comparatively more difficult in contrast to other countries. The requirements are probably placed to discourage economic opportunists and green card hunters from misusing the facility.

Your entry in to the country has to be through a valid K1 Visa issued upon an Alien Fiancée Petition made by your girlfriend. This petition would only be approved if you have met your girlfriend at least once in the past two years. Upon arrival, please perform a medical examination with a qualified MD. Your marriage license can be obtained from any county courthouse here and it must be concluded within 90 days of entry. Once you receive the license, you are to immediately file an application to Register Permanent Residence with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, if you so desire.