Step1
Decide if you want to get married in a military chapel, at a military academy or in your own civilian place of worship.
Step2
Meet with the chaplain as soon as possible, if you do decide to get married in a chapel, to discuss the ceremony and arrange premarital counseling sessions.
Step3
Ask for permission to have wedding flowers, music and photography inside the chapel. Rules vary from place to place. Many couples decide to display the American flag during the ceremony, in addition to flowers.
Step4
Select a site for the reception. You might consider officers clubs on base or traditional restaurants or hotels in the area.
Step5
Order traditional (non-military-style) invitations, but don't forget to include any military titles or ranks held by you, your fiancée or either set of parents. Often, the bride will choose to leave her military information out. This is optional.
Step6
Include "Full dress uniform invited" on your invitations to indicate that guests are welcome to come in uniform.
Step7
Determine the types of uniforms the groom and members of the wedding party who are in the service will wear. Typically, full ceremonial dress uniform is chosen (blue for winter, white for summer), including white gloves and swords (for the Navy and Coast Guard) or sabers (for the Army and Marine Corps).
Step8
Decide on the bridal wear. Many brides who are in the service prefer to wear a traditional bridal gown instead of their uniform. If this is the case, select a formal-style gown with a flowing train and veil to complement the formal men's attire.
Step9
Select long, formal gowns for the bridesmaids.
Step10
Have men in uniform wear their military decorations instead of boutonnieres. A bride in uniform can still carry a bouquet.
Step11
Ask honor guards to form an archway with swords or sabers outside the ceremony location for the wedding couple to walk through on their way out. This symbolizes safe passage into married life.
Step12
Seat military guests at the reception according to rank and title.
Step13
Consider using small American flags or other military symbols as decoration at the reception.
Step14
Have a sword or saber ready at the reception for you and your new spouse to use to cut the wedding cake. This is a dramatic touch that guests particularly enjoy.
Comments
mydogtag said
on 4/5/2008 Consider military themed wedding favors for your guests for wedding party such as customizable dogtags:
http://www.mydogtag.ca/wedding
mydogtag said
on 4/5/2008 Consider military themed wedding favors for your guests like customizable dogtags: http://www.mydogtag.ca/wedding
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I did all the planning for my Marine Corps Wedding. Also, because I was working on a very limited budget, I made most everything myself, from the bouquets to the invitations and wedding favors. What looked like a $25,000 wedding turned out to only cost $5,000.00 (which included my $1500.00 wedding gown, the most expensive thing).
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If the groom is in the military and the bride is not, it is a tradition that at the end of the arch the best man takes his saber or sword and pats the bride on the butt with it and says. "Welcome to the Army Ma'am."
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Each pair of the honor guards have the option to cross the sabers to request the newlyweds to do something before letting them pass through. it could be a one minute kiss or making the groom shout out his love for his bride.