I arranged an in-game marriage for a couple of friends in mine. A few things to bear in mind:
1) They are a real-life couple, that have been dating for well over five years. We've all known each other outside of FFXI long before we ever knew each other inside of it. They got engaged last Summer. There's a very legimate, non-creepy-loser reason to want to seek this service.
2) It wasn't very difficult to do at all. Have you been checking your Playonline e-mail, Myrrh? That's where everything is sent, from your initial confirmation of the application, to any and every further correspondeonce.
3) I believe it took close to two months for me to receive word of whether or not the application was accepted, and what date we had won. You've got to be patient, but it was nowhere near six months. The only thing I can think of is that the whole process could have been delayed with each additional application ... You didn't just keep sending another one every month, did you? You've got to get turned down, first.
4) I had one problem in which I didn't get any sort of notification e-mail after the "lottery date" had passed for the days I had picked. All I had to do was send an e-mail to the exact address I had received the initial application confirmation e-mail from, and I received a reply within 24 hours. This reply was from a real person, who had read my message...not an automated system. This gets you in direct contact with a wedding GM, I think.
My best advice is to correspend by e-mail, to the people that have already corresponded with you. Don't use the phone, and
certainly don't try a petition. The in-game GMs, as has already been stated, are going to know absolutely nothing about this issue. In Everquest, GMs were lovers of and experienced players of the game. In FFXI, I think that they're just customer service employees with a minimal training course.
Long and short of it, send an e-mail, to the address that contacted you initially. Use your Playonline mail for this. Good luck.
