Marrying Japanese fiancee in UK - Help!

Ok, so we've decided to get married. What's the process?
She's currently here on a student visa.

So far I've gathered that it goes...
She gets COA (approval for marriage)
We register marriage at registry office
We get married
We then apply for her visa to stay here as my wife

Is this correct? Does anyone have any experience of this? Did it all go to plan?

Thanks,
Jordan

(Terrified and rushed...)

The exact answer will be provided by officer of the registration office where you want to register and let her call Japanese embassy. Her visa will be under the authority of British Immigration. No need to rush regarding the visa. Spouse visa is just one of visa that will permit one stay in a country. She can stay on her student visa at present. Some country will permit to change their visa status without required she to go outside for a while. The information department of british immigration as well as home page of British Ministry of Foreign affaire should be the best stop for you to serach for the data.

Give the IND in Croydon a phone call, I had some questions related to my wife's visa and they were very helpful on the phone.
If you have to send in your wife's passport to the IND, you better plan this well as it is not uncommon that it takes 3 months before you get that passport back (as it took in our case) ^_^;;

From my experience (myself JP national, back then on a student visa in the UK, my now husband a non-UK but EU national) getting married in UK:

- I had not been married previously, and all I needed was my passport and my UK-issued immigration document (back then it was a small blue booklet with the student visa and everything stamped in it).
- My now husband needed to submit document that his previous marriage had been properly legally dissolved.
- We went to the county's registrar, applied for a marriage ceremony with the superintendent, and after a week's notice (or two weeks if you are do not choose the shorter period), we went for the short ceremony with two friends as witnesses. So we were married, got the marriage certificate (and an extra copy for immigration as well).

- We would have applied for a change to spouse visa for me WITHOUT leaving the UK, but situation changed that we did not do so in the end. But this is something you should be able to do.
- If you are a UK national, your wife will get a spouse visa no problem (but give plenty of time if you are making travel plans - as suggested by Kappa); if you are a non-UK EU national, you will need to be able to show that you have well-paying job to support her.