Guidelines and Traditions of Military Weddings

admin | Nov 13, 2009 | Comments 0

With our changing times and war on terror, there has been a rapid deployment in all branches of the armed forces. Many couples in the military choose to marry before deployment and in some cases there is just a few months or even weeks to plan the celebration.

Getting married as a member of the military is similar to a civilian wedding in some respects as long as you are in the United States. There are however, some important guidelines and traditions that should be considered.

Select where the ceremony will take place, as there are chapels on all military bases across the USA this can be the couple’s first choice. The chaplin is the person who can supply all the pertinent information to the couple.

The wedding attire is another consideration, if the bride is in the military she has the choice of wearing her uniform or a wedding gown. Select uniforms based on how formal the wedding will be, for example,the groom and groomsmen’s dress uniforms are equivalent to a white tie affair,therefore let the guests know the dress code by announcing it on the invitations. The invitations should read “Full Dress Uniform Invited.” The time of year is also very important as there are winter uniforms and summer uniforms. At the ceremony, since the groom will be wearing a sabre on his left side, the bride stands to the right of him. A boutonniere is never worn with the dress uniform, however the bride does carry a bouquet.

At the church the commanding officer may sit with the honor guard or near the family. General officers are customarily seated behind the families. After the ceremony there is a very memorable tradition,the arch of sabres. The senior sabre bearer speaks a command and the sabre bearers form an arch,sabres tip to tip. All sabre bearers must wear white gloves and only commissioned servicemen and women may participate in this tradition. The newly married couple pass through the arch, kiss on the other side and salute the sabre bearers.

On to the reception, military personnel should be seated according to rank. Decorations and favors are totally up to the couple, there are many companies that design military cake toppers, centerpieces and favors. When it is time to cut the cake,on command the sabre bearers walk to the wedding cake table,line up in formation and form the arch. The bride and groom then pass beneath the arch,the groom presents to the bride his unsheathed sabre and with his hands over hers cut the first piece of cake. With the celebration in full swing,and all formalities taken care the happy couple can enjoy their first day as man and wife.

World Class Weddings proudly supports and salutes the men and women of the United States military.

Share and Enjoy: