I do not think I am misunderstanding the purpose of the marriage visitor visa or the fiance visa. As well as the marriage visitor visa being used to get married in the UK, it also states on the government website that this must be used to give notice in the UK of a marriage. Your phrasing makes it ...

Yeah, apply for a family visa as a fiancé and then switch this to a spouse visa within the UK after the wedding.

Have got advice from elsewhere to clear it up

She will get a marriage visitor visa for January so we can give notice then apply for a spouse visa as a fiancé from the US closer to the wedding.

You partner needs a valid visa, non visitor, to give notice. Suggest apply for fiance visa when ready and give notice when they are here for 9 days on the fiance visa. Thanks for the reply. Because we want to give notice in March and get married in October would she need to apply for another fiance ...

Hi All, First time poster! I have recently got engaged to my partner of over three years who is a US citizen and lives in US, I am a British citizen and live in England, and we are trying to figure how we can give notice, get married, then stay in the UK afterwards. We plan to get married in October ...