I am marrying my fiance who is tunisian on the 8th april this year. we have been together for 18 months, and i am very fortunate to have been out there every 6 weeks on average. We share the cost of my trips, and his family are lovely to me. His mum cant wait for us to get married. She is always feeding me, and giving me things. I have just returned after a two week break, and we have booked the wedding, so i am very excited! it is hard work to have a long distance relationship, but if you love someone, then it will work out! His mum has shown me the gold jewellery she is passing on to me after we marry, and it has been in the family for years!
we have been refused a holiday visa twice now, but the embassy are well aware that we planned to get married, and that we are planning to live in the uk, as i have a little boy, and evrything he knows is here. all of this takes time, to get to know someone, really you are only having "holiday time" with that person, but you know when someone loves you. my little boys dad did not love me, and it was obvious, thats why i ended up bringing him up on my own for 8 years!
i wish you the best of luck, and as the others said, try not to rush it, the authorities can be terribly suspicious, as can your family and friends.
emma x