How to Plan a Military Black Tie Event

The Marine Corp "birthday season" involves a Uniform Ceremony, a cutting of the cake and a series of formal balls during the month of November. This is just one example of a military black tie event. These celebrations are truly not much different from an average upscale social event. In order to plan such a party, you have to have a vision.

Instructions

1. Gear a Marine Corps ball to a specific grade, or rank. There are balls for officers, staff non-commissioned officers and for enlisted marines. Rank is a very important part of being a marine and designating a separate ball for each rank is a way of showing respect for the specific accomplishments of each.

2. Wear black-tie attire to a Marine Ball if you are a civilian guest. Black tie and tails for men, and formal ball gowns for women. Proper etiquette dictates that men never remove their jackets during the event. All Marines will wear their Dress Blues or Evening Dress Uniforms.

3. Consult your base about what preparations need to be made for bringing civilians on base, if you have the event on the base. Depending on the security needs of the base, there will be different protocol which must be followed. On some tightly kept grounds, civilian dates simply will not be allowed to enter.

4. Send RSVPs to all the men and women you expect to attend. An RSVP will help plan your black tie event in so many ways. This will help you know how many places to set and how many people the caterer should cook for. In addition, it is your big opportunity to state that this is a black tie event and not a normal function.

5. Plan the evening's entertainment. Since it is a black tie event, you will want to choose something dignified that reaches a wide audience. If your base has strict laws about allowing caterers on premises, you may need to contact the base's food service staff to see if they will cater.