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!