military uniform wedding

Military Uniform Wedding - Sarah Zlotnick is a journalist with 10 years of experience and has been a writer in the wedding space for seven years. Her work has appeared in Philadelphia Wedding Magazine, Washington Wedding, Bethesda Magazine, and The Huffington Post.

Cherisse Harris is a reality checker with a focus on fashion, beauty, and parenting. He worked in research for almost twenty years.

Military Uniform Wedding

Exchanging wedding vows is a major life event based on different traditions, and military weddings are no different. In fact, if one or both members of the married couple are currently serving, or have previously served, in one of the branches of the United States Armed Forces, there may be additional customs. That being said, the experience will still focus on celebrating the couple's union - it's just that there will be more luxury and circumstance.

Military Is Sweet\

To dive into the most common military wedding traditions and customs, we asked experts Bree Carroll, military wedding consultant and event planner, and Jan Wise, owner of Annapolis Military Weddings. If you're attending a military wedding in the near future, or planning one yourself, read on for the necessary information you need to know and appreciate the experience.

Military weddings do not need to be performed on military bases. A couple could choose a location of their choice, and, in Carroll's vision, military chaplains could perform ceremonies outside the base chapel. That said, if you are interested in a special chapel connected to the branch, know that you may have to meet certain requirements. The Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, for example, is the best place for a Navy wedding, but to get married there, at least one member of the couple must be a graduate, personnel member, or active duty military. member assigned to a geographic area. Keep in mind that decoration options may be more limited and the officiant may want to meet with you before the wedding for a pre-wedding consultation.

It is up to the married couple to choose whether to wear military uniforms at their wedding, and whether they want the attendees to wear uniforms or not. If the couple wants the dress code to be uniform, it must be specified in the invitation suite.

For military branches that have different types of uniforms, the season of the wedding usually determines which uniform is worn. In the Navy, for example, the dress uniform changes from blue to white in early summer. That said, Wise noted that if the members of the couple choose to wear white, the members of the wedding party must follow. Uniforms are also non-negotiable for anyone involved with the Arch of Sabers (more on that in a moment), and uniforms must be the same as those worn by members of the Uniform Club.

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One thing you won't see in military wedding fashion: boutonnieres. "A medal is the only decoration that can be accepted," Wise said. "If you put on something that is not part of your uniform, then you are considered 'out' of uniform - so no buttonholes."

Any service member attending a party in uniform must adhere to the personal appearance code of the military branch. For men, this will likely include a clean shaven face—unless, Carroll points out, members have a beard waiver—and a haircut that doesn't exceed a certain length. For women, Carroll adds that this can include natural nail color, specific hairstyle requirements, and simple jewelry, such as stud earrings. The US Army has recently updated and expanded its appearance guidelines to be more inclusive, allowing for more flexibility on your wedding day. Non-uniformed guests do not need to adhere to grooming and appearance rules.

At the ceremony, the highest-ranking military members (captains, admirals, generals, etc.) will be given the seat of honor only behind the immediate family members of the married couple. While coordinating the wedding day, Wise often also provides special parking spaces for these distinguished guests.

At the reception, Carroll suggests including a "famous visitor" table. The table will be placed next to the wedding couple's table and will include the senior service member, along with their family or date. From there, officials of the same rank and date or family will gather at the same table.

Harry's Military Uniform

Each branch of the military will have its own nuances when it comes to seating by rank and status. To dive into more detail, Wise regularly consults with Service Etiquette advisors.

At military wedding ceremonies, it is traditional to display the American flag along with the couple's unit flag. The flag is often on the left side of the altar, with the American flag on the left and the unit flag on the right.

One of the most unique and famous military wedding traditions, this special custom is called by slightly different names in different branches of the US military. In the Army and Air Force, it is the Arch of Sabres, and in the Navy and Marine Corps, it is the Arch of Swords. Regardless, the tradition comes from British military customs and symbolizes the military's promise to honor and protect newlyweds.

The Arch of Sabers takes place immediately after the wedding ceremony and is almost always outside the ceremony area if the ceremony is held indoors. (This is especially true if the ceremony takes place in the house of worship, as they are almost not allowed to draw guns or draw in the house of worship, although different branches will also have different rules about whether or not the ceremony can take place . indoors. .)  In this tradition, six to eight service members—could be military buddies or local honor guards—arrived together, and created a tunnel by crossing their broken swords. The married couple exited the ceremony site through the sword tunnel, thus continuing their married life in the symbolic military shelter. "When the couple walks through the last pair of sanders, team members will place their sanders to stop the couple, and the couple must kiss before the sabers return to an upright position," says Carroll. "It makes for a great photo op."

British Military Uniform Wedding Hi Res Stock Photography And Images

It's certainly not uncommon to hear the service branch's signature song at a military party. While many couples will choose the national anthem as the recessional song during the ceremony, it is not the only choice. "If there are several service members from different branches present, a fun way to recognize who is in the room is to play a medley of branch songs and ask the members to stand when they hear the song playing," Carroll suggests.

Although not part of the official canon, there is another song that is recognized, especially at Navy weddings: "You've Lost Your Lovin' Feeling." (Yes, we have

Thanks for one!) Each Wise, in heterosexual couples, in groomsmen will usually surround the bride and sing a song for her at some point later in the reception.

If a member of the married couple is an official, the couple can (and often do!) choose to use a ceremonial saber to slice the wedding cake. Traditionally, a military couple would give their partner a sword, and both members of the couple would put their hands on the sword and slice the confection together.

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While not a military-specific tradition, a popular wedding favor idea for military weddings is to display the American flag as the couple leaves the reception. Wise also had guests write good wishes for the newlyweds on a paper airplane and fly them during the send-off. This is a fun idea for pilots. In one of the most anticipated moments of the wedding ceremony, the officiant announced, "You can now greet your daughter". The symbolic sign of a kiss indicates that two separate individuals have now become one. For most traditional wedding ceremonies, the kiss also signifies the conclusion of the ceremony and the presentation of the couple. However, this is not for a military wedding ceremony.

The transition from the kiss salute to the sand bearer salute marks a unique military wedding tradition that no other traditional wedding can claim. This military tradition for the Army is known as the Arch of Saber ceremony. Each service branch may perform this ceremony slightly differently but with the same concept.

At the end of the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom exit through an arch of swords drawn by six to eight members of the service. As the couple enters the vault, the final command given to the couple is that they must kiss to pass beyond the range of saber bearers. After the kiss ended and the last set of sand lifted, the couple passed out. When the couple leaves the vault, the bearer of the sword will give them a gentle handshake (sometimes a

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