Meta Description: Are you a member of the Army looking to be married but confused about the traditions and ceremony? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. 

Planning a wedding is one of life’s most exciting moments one can savor. However, due to the additional layer of procedures and etiquette that must be followed during the ceremony, preparing for a military wedding can be even more stressful. It’s possible to get frustrated and worked up during the planning process because of certain formalities, such as invitations, seating arrangements, etc. Additionally, bear in mind that various branches of the military have different wedding traditions and rituals that must be observed. Military weddings, however, can also be very elegant, and their elegance distinguishes them from conventional weddings.

All these details can mess up your mind and leave you feeling overwhelmed. So we want to help you out. In this article, we will talk about all the things you need to look out for before planning a military wedding and go through the traditions as well, so sit tight and get the altar ready.

Consider a Military Chapel or Academy Grounds

Numerous military weddings take place in chapels or on the premises of academies of the military. If you want a different venue, try to see your options. Like other common ceremony locations, most military chapels require at least a year’s notice to reserve, which is usually done by writing to the chaplain’s office. There are chapels at all service academies. You must be a graduate of one of the following to marry in a military chapel at a service academy: a graduate’s dependent; an officer or enlisted person stationed at the academy, their dependents, or staff under them. 

Book a Military Wedding Venue in Advance

A military wedding is commonly held in a military chapel or on academy grounds, but many couples prefer a more conventional setting. If you wish to use the military chapel, you must make a reservation in writing to the chaplain’s office well in advance, preferably a year in advance. Doing so will ensure the availability of the venue. These chapels are usually for free to use, but they accept donations and amendments. 

Seat Guests According to Their Positions

This is an important one to note. When planning the seating for a military wedding, special considerations must be made. At both the ceremony and the reception, all high-ranking officials (lieutenants, colonels, and above) must sit in honorable roles. Furthermore, the bride and/or groom’s commanding officer should be given a special seat.When their guardians are not present, it is customary to put the commanding officers as well as spouses in front. Military guests should be seated according to their rank after that from Higher positions to lower. 

Choosing your wedding attire

The service members getting married are expected to wear their official ceremonial uniform. It’s one of the traditions. If the groom is a service member, he must also wear white gloves and a saber or cutlass. Flowers and boutonnieres cannot be worn with ceremonial outfits. But they can wear military reenactment accessories to complement the look. The groom will, however, change into his normal tux for the reception after the wedding ceremony. Military brides may hold a bridal bouquet while wearing either traditional wedding dresses or their ceremonial outfits. The sword is part of the groom’s ceremonial attire. To prevent the sword from hurting the bride, she should stand on the right-hand side of the groom. 

Make use of the discounts that are offered to you!

Businesses around the country are proud of you and willing to pay tribute to our country’s veterans and active-duty military personnel. To you, what does that imply? There are exclusive offers! Don’t forget to inquire about discounts while shopping for a wedding gown, cake, flowers, or anything else you’ll need. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You might also go a step further and make a spreadsheet with different vendors for anything you’ll need to buy, as well as the average price for the options you’ll most likely choose. Then call each one to see if they offer a military discount and, if so, how much it costs. Don’t forget to inquire about your eligibility. Do the math and mark down the discounts! You will be amazed at how much money you will end up saving doing just that. 

Now that we have covered the planning, it is important to know the traditions of a typical military wedding compared to a normal wedding. Let’s take a brief look at some of them listed below.

Some Essential Traditions For The Military Wedding

Military Recessional Music

While most non-military couples opt for a classical or contemporary song for their wedding recessional, many military members opt for their service branch’s song. Most of the time, the official song for each Army is played, and sometimes the war song too. If both members of the wedding party are in the military but serve in separate branches, they can opt-out of the tradition or select another military song of any kind. Likewise, during the reception, they can play patriotic music as well. 

Cake-Cutting With a Sword

One of the most well-known military wedding rituals is cutting the cake with a sword. If the bride or groom is a military officer, they will cut their wedding cake with a ceremonial military sword instead of a knife or a cake server. Before cutting the cake, the military spouse traditionally hands over the sword to their newly-wedded bride. The bride then puts her hand underneath the groom’s on the sword’s handle, and the two cut the cake together (though this can be changed to suit the couple’s preferences).

Groomsmen in White Gloves

very individual of the wedding ceremony who possesses a cutlass or saber, whether an official or appointed member, must wear white gloves. For most ceremonial occasions, military personnel is usually expected to do so. However, since they will be handling the rings, the groom and best man are excluded. If the groom wields a saber or cutlass, the bride may stand to the right of the groom at the altar, rather than the left as is customary in non-military weddings to avoid the sword.

A Flag on Display

A flag, as well as the bride and groom’s group uniform, are usually shown throughout the service as a sign of respect. When the invited guests are staring at the officiant, practice specifies that the officiant’s left should be displayed. Other patriotic decorations and colors are used in the ceremony and reception in addition to the flag. However, suppose the ceremony is to take place in a military chapel. In that case, they must first obtain permission from the chaplain to decorate the chapel with their significant colors, flags, etc. 

The Arch of Saber

One of the most awaited aspects of a military wedding is the arrival of the bride and groom. If this is your first time, you can practice during the wedding rehearsals. The people can form an arch with their sabers, and the bride and groom walk through it, symbolizing the beginning of their new life together. The last two ushers will lower their sabers, and one of them will gently ‘swat’ the bride as she enters the army life. This step is skipped if the bride is a military person. The arch for a Navy wedding must be exclusively indoors, while the arch for the Army and the Air Force may be indoors or outdoors. The guests and officers present in the ceremony are usually the ones to hold their swords for the ritual to take place. 

You can have a memorable military wedding with meticulous planning. If all of this sounds a little daunting, contact the installation chaplain or the protocol office. They may provide advice on how to approach and accommodate service members on a schedule, an invitation, or a seating chart, and protocol at a ceremony. You may also consult the protocol instruction, which is the written standard for all protocol-related issues. Finally, you should seek the help of a planner. When you consider all of the details that go into a military wedding, you can have an unforgettable celebration. 

However, the bottom line is, there is no official protocol for military weddings. Hence, you can simply customize the level of military traditions you’d like to add to your ceremony and reception. Choose your theme and colors accordingly. Go all out or add a small touch to honor the service of the bride and/or groom. There is no right or wrong way to do this. However, please take precautions and keep everyone’s sentiments in mind since these traditions are important. I hope this article helped you get ahead of your plans. Do not stress, act on our advice, and you’ll have a great occasion planned in no time! 

Jeans are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing in the world right now. As a lady, there are numerous ways to style the jeans to fit any occasion or look books. Here are some of the versatile ways to style your jeans.

Skinny Jeans

These are a staple and a fashion statement that works in many ways. You can pair it up with a white t-shirt, high heels and a blazer for a professional look. If you are not comfortable in heels, swipe them out for a pair of comfortable sneakers or converse rubber shoes for a 21st millennial start up vibe look. You can wear this outfit anywhere official e.g., to an office or to college. Accessorize this look with a metallic watch or bangle on the hand and either studs or small earrings. For the official look, wear monochromatic pieces like white, blue, black and grey. It makes it look smoother and more professional.

For a more casual look, skinny jeans pair up perfectly with a crop top. The jeans hug the figure perfectly and the crop top accentuates everything more. Depending on your style, you can go for a tight-fitting or a loose crop top. Pair the look with a pair of clean sneakers or some open flats. You can also wear it with a hater or vest stop for a more flowing look. For this look, get a pair of boots and roll with it. Add a chunky sweater or a sassy leather jacket for a complete look.

Mom Jeans

Mom jeans were popular in the 90s and made a full comeback three years ago thanks to their great fashion presence. These womens jeans are great because you can wear them anywhere. Because of their design that bulges a little but pinches up at the waist, you need to tuck in your top. The highlight is in the waist, so you need to wear something that can be tucked in for the perfect look. The jeans can be paired up with a great bulky sweater and rubber shoes for a chic, urban look and some bangles. You can also wear them with a baggy t-shirt and open shoes for a casual weekend look. Ensure you pick a fancy or an elegant belt to accentuate the waist.

Ripped And Acid Washed Jeans

‘Destroyed’ jeans are a trend that has been timeless. You can wear ripped jeans or acid-washed jeans can be paired up with a nice pair of boots and a monochromatic top so that the focus can be on the jeans. You can go with a white tee for the classic look. Wear a leather jacket for the cool chic vibe. Ripped jeans work perfectly for casual vibes such as a brunch with the girls, a nice trip or a girl’s night out. If you cuff them at the ankle, you can bring out the cool millennium chic. Cuffing them brings some attention to your feet and the trendy boots you have on.

Having a pair of jeans in your closet can save you a lot of style stress. Pair them up differently to achieve a variety of looks that could last you days.

As far as makeup goes, nothing beats airbrush for helping you obtain that flawless complexion. Airbrush has been a staple in the professional beauty industry for decades. However, as the pressure to appear nothing short of perfect becomes the norm, our favorite brands are churning up everyday versions of it. 

Still, the question remains: is airbrush makeup worth it? A lot of airbrush kit reviews and advice seem to think so, but what do we think?

Today, we’ll go over how airbrush makeup compares to our go-to traditional makeup to understand where it excels and where it falls short. Then, maybe after some careful consideration, you can finally decide for yourself if the kit you’ve been eyeing at the mall is worth getting.

Should You Pick Airbrush Makeup Over Traditional Makeup?

Both conventional and airbrush makeup have their benefits and can even up your complexion and conceal imperfections. If you’re looking to achieve that no-makeup makeup look that’s popular today, airbrush is the one to pick.

Traditional makeup involves applying concealer, foundation, and setting powder—in that order. You can set these products with either your fingers, a brush, or a sponge. You then get a result that’s often as simple as the application process.

That said, “simple” doesn’t always mean a poor finish. Conventional makeup can still make you look gorgeous when applied correctly. However, it’s the “feeling” this type of makeup gives that often puts people off. It gives that caked-on finish, which makes your face feel heavy and appear older.

Though what’s excellent about traditional cosmetics is that there are tons of color options to choose from. As a result, even if you have an uncommon skin tone, you can find a shade that matches yours without much trouble.

Then, there’s the airbrush makeup, which is slightly more complex than traditional makeup in terms of application. That’s because it requires a few tools and has to be matched with the ideal airbrush foundation.

Airbrush makeup is mist-like and therefore has super-thin consistency. It covers the face with a barely-there layer of pigment, which contributes to that natural-looking complexion. Where it falls short, though, is in its ability to work with acne-prone or wrinkled skin. Most of the time, if you have these conditions or if your skin is dry, airbrush makeup only makes it worse.

Identifying Airbrush Makeup

Now, we’ll be looking at the several components of airbrush makeup to help you decide if it has a place in your beauty regimen. The standard airbrush makeup kit is composed of the following:

The Airbrush

This part is mainly responsible for creating the airbrush mechanism, which occurs as soon as pigment and air come in contact. It’s basically a needle-like contraption that pushes air and pigment through its nozzle.

The airbrush gun also comes in two types: single action and dual-action. The former works similar to an air spray where you simply press down on the nozzle to release the pigment. On the other hand, the latter requires making two motions: pulling back to release makeup and pressing down to push air out. It provides makeup artists more control over their applications.

Aside from controlling pigment consistency, you also use these mechanisms to vary stroke size and manage pigment flow. Thus, if an even and flawless complexion is what you’re truly looking to achieve, the double-action nozzle would be the better choice by far.

Airbrush Compressor

Pressure is a major consideration for choosing an airbrush compressor. This is indicated as pounds per square inch or PSI on the product’s label.

Make sure this particular aspect of your compressor adheres to cosmetic guidelines so your application will be both safe and optimal. Just remember that the lower the compressor’s PSI, the more detailed it is at applying makeup.

PSI standards also differ for face and body. Go for compressors with 30 or 40 PSI when doing makeup for the face and ones with 70 PSI for applying body makeup.

Airbrush Foundation

Airbrush foundation comes in three versions, all of which are critical if you want the best one for your needs.

• Alcohol-Based: There’s an alcohol-based foundation, which lasts the longest of the three but isn’t the most ideal for everyday wear. It is also known for being resistant to color fading for up to five days.
• Silicone: Another type of airbrush foundation is the silicone-based foundation, which is typically more popular than its alcohol-based counterparts. It has a lot to do with its ability to create a smooth, non-oily look. Though it’s important to choose a lighter shade for this type of makeup, as it tends to darken once applied.
• Water-Based: When applied correctly, a water-based foundation feels ultra-light on your skin. It delivers a matte-finish, making it perfect for those who constantly need to be camera-ready. Though like the silicone alternative, water-based makeup also tends to darken over time. This makes it essential for you to experiment with shades rather than just settling on one.

So, Is Airbrush Makeup Worth It?

All evidence points to airbrush makeup being far superior to traditional makeup. Sure, it may have a heftier price tag, but that price is well worth the benefits the makeup has to offer. The only time you might want to steer clear of airbrush is when you have dry, wrinkled, or acne-prone skin.