Plan the Perfect Military Wedding
The day's finally arrived. After all these years waiting for the right one, you've finally find that special someone. Soon a marriage proposal comes your way, one that's sure to change life forever.
Finally, you've got the chance to plan the wedding you've dreamed about since childhood. And all your plans start falling in place, almost like magic — when suddenly something comes up to change the tune. Your soon-to-be spouse learns they're about to be deployed overseas.
All your hopes and dreams for happiness seem lost ... at least for now. You still long to marry — but there's so much to do, and so many unique circumstances that other couples don't face! From finding a chaplain to paying those amped-up fees involved in a rush wedding, your task list can seem even more daunting than the average bride's.
True, it's not like you're the only one to face this. Others, too, have lived the military life from day one, and were so proud to play a role that they enlisted as adults. If you're one of those who grew up in the military, shifting from base to base and city to city, you probably long for a military wedding that embodies all the traditions and pride you've cherished all your life.
Yet, as you know, there are plenty of rules and regulations when it comes to doing things military style — even for weddings. And staying within the guidelines can be overwhelming. As a bride, you need answers on how to do it — and those answers won't be found in the pages of all those bridal magazines or bridal books. But take heart!
It goes without saying: there are vast differences between a civilian and a military wedding. In the the latter case, the ceremony may take place at the base/post chapel. Your officiant will be a military chaplain. The Arch of Sabers or Swords (depending on the branch of service) is used. And you'll need to pay special attention to the special formalities involved with invitations and seating arrangements.
To help make your military wedding planning a little smoother, try these tips:
Even if the couple chooses not to have the traditional Military Wedding, insurance (unless they are having a quick, simple civil ceremony at the courthouse) will save headaches and cover the loss of deposits or money due to changes or cancellations. When you marry into the military, never-ending shifts in deployment dates — quick deployments, delayed deployments, and extended deployments — are common. It's best to plan ahead and be safe.
Take this example: The date's been set for a year out. You paid the deposits, and prepared the invitations (whew!). Then a set of orders shows up for the bride or groom that read, "Report to your duty station 19 May 2007. " Unfortunately, the wedding date was set for 25 May 2007! You now have to change everything ... and even re-order those invitations.
Unless you're working with extremely military-friendly vendors, there's a real risk of losing hefty deposits. Insurance is your best bet for safeguarding against this.
For a new bride who's marrying into the service, there's a whole new lingo to learn. For starters, you'll need to get acquainted with the formalities of the Arch ... but do the groomsmen raise Swords, or is it Sabers?
Here's your answer: Sabers are used for Air Force and Army. Swords are used for Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. The National Guard and Reserve go by the same etiquette and regulations of their service branch (i.e. Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Naval Reserve, etc). Also, although most military personnel won't own a Sword or Saber, they can contact the Chaplain — who'll normally have these on hand for your use, or if not, the Commander will.
There are plenty of other terms you'll want to become familiar with and knowledgeable about, but don't worry ... as time goes on, the language will become second nature.
For tradition's sake, you're better off leaving it in. After all ... wasn't it the tradition that drew you to the idea of a full military wedding in the first place? It's best to only omit this step if the bride's the service member.
If you're not familiar with "the Swat," here's how it works: When the groomsmen assemble after the vows, the bride and groom then pass through the Arch of Saber or Swords (this symbolizes the military's welcome, and the couple's safe transition into their new life together). The couple pauses as the last two men lower their sabers or swords in front of the bride and groom. Then, the man to the right will then lightly "swat" the bride on the rear and say "Welcome to the Army" (or name the appropriate branch of service).
It's important to know the proper seating arrangements for guests — not to mention, where the bride and groom should stand, including who stands on which side. The standing arrangement is determined by whether the service member is an officer, or enlisted.
A guest list will have Commanders, other Officers within the unit, and peers. It's important to know the proper seating for all your guests ... and also for the receiving line. Everyone associated with a service member (i.e. their Commanders, Officers and peers within the unit or office) should be invited to the wedding.
When seating the groom or bride's Commander and spouse, seat them with the family of the bride or groom, whichever group they represent. Commanders are usually seated in the front row when the bride or groom's parents can't attend. Seat all other higher-ranking Officers directly behind the family of either the bride or groom.
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Hi my name is bethany i am marrying the love of my life he is my marine i would like a military wedding are they hard to plan because we are doing this in a shorter amount of time than normal. ypu all know gotta work around leave lol any help or ideas would help alot
bethany,
can you tell me what your vison is? colors you like? theme? venue layout?
i would love to help!!
im getting married to a wonderful man in the navy and im planning a military wedding. im not sure if maroon, pearl, and navy would be good for a december wedding. i love the combination and have found things in all the colors that would look wonderful at the chapel but im not sure if they would work for that time of year.
bella,
i made 2 boards to show how it can look. i like the vase centerpieces with rose petals and votives. you could add a few cranberries tothe vase instead of flower petals if youwanted more christmas like feel. these would be inexpensive and elegant. the towering trees look great too!! why not have both? have a few tree centerpieces with hanging votives by the placecard table, etc. it lends a wintry feel. i chose navy for the bridal party due to burgundy flowers are more natural and easier to get. plus navy is a great neutral color. i put the main decor in pearl white, so it would also be wintry. i think that is what i would do, however, at the base of the tall centerpieces you could choose burgundy flowers, that would be stunning!! i thought navy in small doses would be elegant, you could have your favors with a navy blue ribbon. overall, i would go with this cause it is perfect colors and i love how it looks!!
OKay so i dont even know where to start.. Im new into all the Navy stuff. I feel like my heads going to come off. We have picked March 20,2010 to say I do, becaause he deploys end of april or the start of may. I dont know what colors to do. Should i do Navy blue and yellow or red, white, & blue? And if not the whole grooms men are in the service what do you do? Do you let them where there uniform? If so dress blues or whites? Im so scared im not doin anything the right way. Then i have my brothers walking me as my dad is no longer close, one of them is a Marine. Can he wear his dress blues? sorry about all the questions.. and if you have any ideas i would love to hear them
Thanks
whitley,
if the some of the men are not inthe service its not a problem. you can go one of two ways, first have all in tuxes or suits, or the groom wearing his uniform just have the guys in a simple tux or suit. most go with the dress blues. i do think it would be amazing to allow the ones in service to wear this very honored uniform. as long as the soldiers are active or retired they can wear their uniform. do you have a pic of your venue? once i see it i will be able to see which colors compliment. you could always do a navy blue, yellow, red and white color scheme. and if you have any more questions please dont hesitate to ask!! i will help in every way i can!!
Major question! I have searched the web looking for an answer, but to no avail. We are already married (20 years) and plan on renewing our vows Sept. 2010 because when we did get married it was a rush wedding due to his deployment to Iraq. He promised me the wedding of my dreams (military of course). Well with military life, kids, ect. it took 20 years to find the time. lol We have our colors, dresses, invitations, ect all picked out. No problem. Here’s my big question…can I still have the military wedding of my dreams since he’s been out of the Marine Corps since 1991? I hope someone can help me out with this! *fingers crossed*
lynn,
i just read that you can have a military wedding if the groom is active or retired only.
* Civil and Military
i think you will find this page very helpful!!
*military wedding guidelines
Hey! My name is Summer. I am getting married June 12 2010 to a US Marine. We plan to get married in a little wooden country church in our hometown of Mississippi. Since he is wearing his dress blues I need ideas on colors that would match his uniform. Originaly I wanted to use the colors navy blue, red, and white but didn’t want it to come across as a patriotic wedding… ex. BM dresses Marine blue, all the girls including me with red rose boutiques and of course me in a white dress..I am so very proud of him and his career but is there any way to use these colors without making our wedding look like a tribute to the US?? haha need help!!
summer ross,
something like this would be perfect, i have loved this ever since i first saw it!! it still gives the same feel, yet its different. you are not required to match his uniform, you can plan the wedding in any shade youwant. another color you can do is take your traditional red and use a deep magenta red instead.
*2008
Cranberry, Pistachio, Navy
i made a board so you could see a main red white and blue color scheme. it doesnt look patriotic at all. i do hope you like it or you canat least see how it might could look together!! i thought it really turned out, i searched until i found just the right elements, trying everything and found small touches of red fromthe brides bouquet tothe votives was all you need to make it come alive, in an elegant way.
So im a newly engaged girl and i cant be more excited! im engaged to an airman. so far i have not found the perfect venue but the perfect dress did come. the only issue is im from el paso currently living in san antonio and now the decison of where the wedding is going to take place is touchy. how do we go about choosing a place without hurting anyones feelings? his family and i have had issues but its for the most part becasue he is very family oriented and he has never been “shared” as his mother puts it. anyway i need to make a choose of what to do before i can start planning my wedding. its so frustrating that i have to put my plans on hold over this. any suggestions?
erika,
his family will learn to adjust and this is just one of many times that it will be a learning process for everyone. dont continue putting your wedding off due tothis, this is about the 2 of you making a comittment with your loved ones there. find the venue of your dreams and plan your wedding, dont hesitate another minute. all that matters is that the 2 of you are happy with the venue. 
i would sit down with my fh and talk with him about where he would like to marry. i completely understand the dilemma and the heartahce that this can cause. when a decision cant be reached a destination wedding usually is the only way to keep the peace. if you two are paying for your own wedding, then you should find the venue that fits your budget, tastes, and overall the vision you have. there is no reason a wedding cant be family oriented anywhere it takes place. maybe find a happy medium, a place where neither family lives that would equally take traveling fromboth sides. i am thinking it is hard for the mother to let her son go, in a sense, and another female, the wife tobe, take the place. just as a father has a hard time letting go of his daughter that is soon to be married. its usually a feeling that needs reassurance, that i am happy, in love, and getting married, but you are still my family and that wont change. i know new journeys in life like marriage, bring new adjustments. i am betting, it is not so much the venue, that it is unassured feelings. i hope i have answered your question
the one think I learned about the place and everything else, you have to remember that this is your wedding, you and your fiances. yes everyone is involved and wants to be there but you should pick the place that you and your fiance want the most.
I am in Texas and I am having my wedding in Ohio where my fiance is from, and my family had some issues with it and i still hear some crap from them. But, they are my family and they will be there no matter what.
Remember, this is your wedding, do what makes you happy. the people who want to be there will be.
Hey Erika! It’s crazy how alike we are. I’m from El Paso as well and moving to San Antonio sometime soon. My fiance and I met and lived in Missouri for most of our lives, so I get the whole wedding venue confusion. He wants to get married where he is stationed (north carolina) and i want to be married where we met and grew up (missouri), yet all my family is in texas lol. I’m pushing for Missouri since that’s where we started but who knows. Go with where you feel is most important in your relationship (where you met, favorite memory place etc)
Hello, me and my husband, who is a Marine are planning our vow renewals. When we got married, it was rushed because he began training to deploy 2 weeks after. Our wedding wasn’t even during the time of year we wanted it in and we sooo didn’t have the reception we wanted. Also, we hit a few bumps in the road, so we decided that close to our 5th yr anniversary we are going to renew our vows. I would like to do them in April because we want to host them in Savannah, GA and I don’t want it to be too hot. We are planning to do the ceremony in a park at a fountain and then the reception at an old center near River St so that after the reception us and our younger guests can continue our party on River St. I am concerned about our colors because he is wanting to wear his blues and I kind of want to use pink because the Azaleas will be blooming around the found, but I don’t want the colors to clash. So I was considering using black and white with red roses to accent. We are only going to have to people on each side stand up with us and I was going to put my girls in black knee lenght dresses and the guys will be in military uniforms. And since we don’t have to actually have an officiant since we are already married, we are going to get his grandfather to do the service(my grandfather passed away 8 yrs ago). We figured with his grandfather doing the ceremony it would be more memorable. There is also a Marine Corps Memorial at the end of the walkway where I’ll be walking in at the park. Anyone have any suggestions on colors, if black and white with the red roses would be better or will the pink work? I’ve attached pictures of our locations and the flowers at the fountain. I couldn’t find many pictures of the reception location. Help Me Please!!!
hi brandie, could you repost the pic? so i could get a look.
dont worry about matching his uniform. have you thought about mixing mostly pink with a few red azaleas?
* A Military Fairy Tale
i wanted to post a pic and doesnt the pink look wonderful!!!
I Thought the pics posted my bad
I am adding a picture of the flowers. The azaleas are pink there.
I can’t open the link for the military fairy tale. Can you send it to me again?
heh brandie,
here is another link….
*real wedding
if it still dont work try typing in google search…
the knot military fairytale.
if it still doenst then youmay not be signed up for free for theknot.com, once you dothat see if it helps with the pics. ihighly recommend it, plus you can go to wedding photos and it will take you to color galleries to browse, you can search the knot, even look at military weddings. its a great site!! let me know if this works!! i am from louisiana and the azaleas are gorgeous arent they!!
The azaleas are pretty but I was looking at the page I think that it was the ideas for wedding favors and I liked one of the pictures that was on it. Question: If we renew our vows in April, would it be okay to use Red, Black and White if I don’t want to use the azalea pink? I know that david’s bridal has dresses in the azalea pink.
brandie, red instead of pink is just as beautiful!! if you prefer the red is it a sure winner!! red azaleas would be so fitting!! i love your board. one thing i didnt think of. azalea pink can sometimes be a dificult color for bm skintones to pull off. where red is a more flattering shade.
I think that I’ve found a better location. We’re actually thinking about renewing our vows at the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps in VA. I think it will be an awesome venue since he wants to wear his blues and it’ll be a military themed vow renewal.
brandie,
okay, let me know if you need any help!! good luck!!
me and my fiance are getting married in november the groomsmen vary from navy, army, and marine would it be okay to have them each wear their own uniform? also what about the groomsmen who are not military how can i coordinate their suits to match?
-suzie
suzie,
i think it would be an honorable thing to do is let them wear their uniform. for the guys put them in simple black or navy blue to compliment. whatever you put the guys in they will just compliment naturally and since the uniforms are not meant to be matched it will be okay whatever you choose.
Hey guys, So wow ive read some of this and the girls on here are amazing :-) and right now I need all the help that I can get haha. My boyfriend and I have been together 3 1/2 years im 19 and hes 21. He enlisted in the active Army a few months back and is gone at traing now. Its been realy hard on me, but I need to get through college and all even though our lives were turned upside down by his decision. I love him So much, and we have really talked about gettin married especially before he deploys. He told me in letters and on the phone that he wants to get a civil service in July when he comes home… JULY IS 2 months away! lol… not to mention none of my family lives around here and it would be a very quiet and lonely day :-( So I brought up the option of maybe having an engagement for a month or two starting in July… since we would be able to get rings. and have a civil service on his predeployment leave (he said it could be as early as october)… I would still want a reall wedding with vow renual and hreception when he returns from deployment which would be over a year from now. Which would give me pleanty of time to schedule and make plans for it. Is this an okay option? For sake of our relationship and everything else we want to be married before he deploys. Also If i had the civil service how does that work? I would want our parents, and my grandparents there, idk if he would want his grandmother to come from SD or not. Im an only child and he has two older sisters…. What do you wear to a SC? and when we get the marriage certificate would I change my name and info and tell the rest of the family and everyone or keep it a secret and plan for the big wedding… I already know he wants to wear his dress uniform *olive* and I want a corrally pink color for my bridesmaids. I want a semi big dress with glitz on it :-D I like colors and sparkles. he wants the sabers and all but I dont really want the wedding on base. Id be happy just having it close to our home towns, before he enlisted we wanted a church service and a reception outdoors with a big white tent and sparkly lights by a lake….. lol… I have no idea where I would find this venue or how to plan for it, especially without him… i Know i still have at least a year but Im in college and alot of my family lives overseas so i need to plan it all up… im countin the days for him to come home so we can get rings :-D …. should i do the civil service in july? or wait till sep so i can have my close fammily here, I know im kinda countin my chickens before they even hatch since he hasnt *officially* proposed yet, but thats just how its working out for us lol… Sorry this is so long, I know most of you probably are super busy and arnt here for advice lol.. but Id appreciate anything… Hes he only one i know int he military that im close to and im kinda being throwin into it head first lol…
alysia, hi!! first i want to say congratulations!! for your civil service ceremony, i would find out if your fh wants guests( immediate family) or just the 2 of you. that will help you choose the right month. if there are guests you could go out for a nice dinner afterwards. for your attire, CS brides have many options: wear something they already own( dress, slacks, or jeans) , buy an evening gown and reuse for the big reception ( 2nd dress), some wear simple wedding gowns( depending on the formality they want for the day), buy a simple casual or cocktail dress ( reuse as your honeymoon attire). i just love the tunic or maxi dresses with beaded shoes. that is what i would choose. carry a small bouquet or a long stem rose with trailing ribbons. you can look every bit of the bride!! as for telling family and friends, i would, waht a joy to announce youare offically married! whether a small civil ceremony or a large celebration, you are man and wife, what a wonderful day either way!! so yes you will change your name and all the legal things that go with it. since you will already be married, some of the invite wording can be different, unless you want to keep it the traditional route. that is okay too. i love your color scheme and ideas thus far, when you get ready to plan the big event let me know!! i would love to help!
thanks! :-) im thinkin id probably buy a cute dress or something nice but not super fancy and i LOVE the idea of the small boquet with big ribbons i could even get the colors of my future “wedding” in there so i could have it dried and used somewhere in that :-D obviously he still has to come home and “ask” me and we stll have to get rings, were going to get them all at once to make it easier since everything will be so close together. I think we’ll do the CS on his predeployment leave whenever that is … im hoping soon for the marriage part, but im hoping not so soon for the deployment part :-( ill deff be doing alot of planning for the ceremony and stuff after he comes back which will be who knows when :-( im super excited about planning lol.. he has NO idea what hes getting into :-P hes probably lucky that he’ll be gone while im settin it all up haha… and i would love to have you help as well :-)
So im engaged to a marine and we are planning our wedding for a year from now. Im trying to get an idea of what we want. We are both from a small town in Ohio and want a small wedding. I love the new black and white themed weddings and such, but im not sure if it will go with our idea of a little country wedding. I also want the best color scheme to go with his Dree Blues. What is your take on a Marine style wedding in a little country church?
hi katie,
i took what you said you wanted and made a wedding board. i think the black and white it amazing!! i would not change a thing!! i gave 2 different bouquets, one i is more black and white and the other is a touch of yellow. i thought either one of these would be perfect and especially accent country buildings. to me there is just soemthing about yellow that really compliments stone or rustic buildings. let me know what ya think!!
Thanks so much for your advise. But i just got news that he will deploy a month before our set wedding date which was in June. We have moved it up to February 14. And i changed the colors to black with red. Its still in the same old country church and all but im stuck. All my set ideas went down the toilet and im rushing to get an idea what i should do. I dont want to look tacky cause its a Valentines wedding and i dont want a bunch of hearts everywhere, lol. Do you think that it all will still work out even though i had to change some things? Im so worried it wont all come together like i want it to. Thanks again!
Katie
katie,
just stick with a wedding decor that is romantic with lots of votives. you could keep things simple. i would have the girls in black carrying red roses. guys in simple black, except for the ones in uniform. decorate everything in simple white or red ( this will help so much since you wont have to worry about matching colors)
no worries. yes the red and black will work with the board i made. you dont have to have hearts anywhere!!
*wedding boards
*more wedding boards
*black red white wedding
*real wedding
*wedding photos ( you can search the colors at this website)
*wedding boards
*real wedding
i made you a new board, i am loving the “touch” of purple orchids in the centerpiece. it adds a unexpected pop of color in the black and red color scheme
katie, board didnt post, retry.
hello,
my name is makayla and I am engaged to a soldier. I am down in tx and he is currently deployed. We want a non-military wedding but we want to have some military aspects, like the sabers. We are having the wedding in his home town in OH. he will be wearing his class A’s and I want my colors to go along with his uniform. I am doing a champagne and a light green color but I want to add another color to the scheme..any suggestions? We aren’t technically on a budget but I want to keep the wedding around 5,000..and I am becoming more and more confused on how to do that with our ever-growing list.
makayla,
when are you getting married? i love champagne and light green, it is beautiful! i have some pics below, girls in a green dress ( this is pistachio, though it looks grey and grey would be a perfect color to add) paired with citrus colors. when on a budget if you want your wedding to look more lush, either use tones of the same shade ( monochromatic) or pops of color paired against a neutral background. i think these links would be perfect for your color scheme!! let me know whattcha think!!
* Green & Champagne Wedding
*Hot New Wedding Color Combos
* Hot New Wedding Color Combos
*Hot New Wedding Color Combos
*Hot New Wedding Color Combos
makayla,
sorry about the bottom posts, they will require a log in. its free and simple.
makayla,
last pic. i do hope you love it. i have been waiting to use this one. again, my apologies, the dress is peridot.
*The Vineyard Collection by Priscilla of Boston
Style# 1302
Color: Peridot
ahh I love it!
the signature drink is such a cute idea! I wanted to use those flowers anyways and it does look really cute. However, since we wont be in OH until like 2 weeks before the wedding, I wanted to have fake flowers so I could get them done and ship them up there before the wedding..and I dont think I can get those flowers fake? We are planning the wedding to be mid-january.
makayla,
you should be able to get those flwoers fake try here:
saveoncrafts.com
aww thank you so much! you are a true genius about everything! Do you think that adding that light lavender/pink color that are in the flowers work? That way I have an olive green, champagne and the lavender.
makayla,
absolutely!! very romantic and beautiful color scheme!!
you are absolutely amazing at what you do! Im so thankful I ran into you! I went today and got my wedding dress and it has an old time look to it and found my bridesmaids dresses in peridot. thank you so much!
makayla,
you are most welcome! i wish you all the best!
Ok so my marine and i have been engaged…we went through so rough times in our engagement that has held our wedding off. As of right now we are really good…other than the fact that he is in California for 5 months training to go to Iraq for 7 months. He will be gone for my 21st birthday which really sucks, but i have to deal with it and be strong and supportive of him. I love him with all of my heart he is my everything. So we were thinking on his 10 days of leave that we would get married at the court house and then have a real wedding when he returns from Iraq. Sound like a good idea?? Let me know what you think.
Thanks
<3 alysia
alysia, it sounds perfect! when you get ready to plan your wedding write back; i would love to help with your special day!! i do wish you all the best with your new marriage!
Thank you so much Stacey. I will be sure to get back on here because i do have a lot of planning to do alone while he is away in iraq and i will need some extra help. Thanks again.
Ok, So this will probably be a long post..
My husband and I are already married, we had a civil wedding, nothing fancy. We went through some bumps in our marriage and now we have made a complete 360 in our lives and have come to be extremely happy, we have only been married for a year and 3 months, but we want to renew our vows, he is currently a Staff Seargent in the Marines. My problem is that I have noooooo idea where to start or what to do… Our budget is in between 10,000 and 12,000 I would love to incorporate his carrer into our marriage for it is part of our daily lives. Personally that isn’t the big issue, we live in elizabeth nj and I am having trouble finding a venue to fit our prices… I would love to have a park and tent wedding with the food catered,( most parks dont allow alcohol) or a beach wedding. We dont want to be more then an hour from elizabeth or more then 2 hours from hicksville ny, because of the trip for his grandma. also my husband is jewish and and I am cristian, how do we go about our ceremony? I think the biggest problem for me is that i dont have wedding experience (haven’t been to many :(, only when i was young) and so i dont know what to look for.. I am a full time student and time is something I lack, but we cant afford a wedding planner. What should I do.. i feel like just not having a wedding because its so hard and I have no one to help me….
camilla, not to worry.
*interfaith wedding
*A Sample Interfaith Wedding Ceremony, with Both Priest and Rabbi Officiating
*Common Ground for Jewish-Christian Weddings
*Sample Jewish – Christian Interfaith Ceremony
camilla, i think it is a wonderful idea to plan a wedding.
the first thing you need to do is find a venue. if you are wanting a park or beach area, you will need a permit. i gave you some links, you will need to talk to the rabbi and pastor about the proper renewal vows.
*interfaith prayers
it would be ideal and sometimes less expensive to find a venue that caters and will allow you to hold the wedding in the same room. for a tent/outdoor wedding you will need to rent everything, have proper restroom facilities etc. this can run into $$$. you have a nice workable budget which depends on the size of guest list you want. when i first saw your post. i immediately thought simple yet elegant restaurant wedding. you could still marry outdoors, can you find a venue that has an awesome garden? a home wedding is nice, still alot will be needed or perhaps renew your vows in a park and then head over to a restaurant? i want to help you plan a beautiful wedding!!
please dont call it off, together we can get this done!! with a restaurant wedding, you will not need much decor, everything is done for you. that is why those are my faves hands down as far as being practical.
i am trying to find a article that backs my restaurant idea. even if you want children there, it CAN still happen.
here it is, this could even be adapted for outside and made as romantic as you want it, it exudes casual romance, i just LOVE it! i dont know why but i felt you would love it. i hope it opens on your computer.
* the wedding*
if it is hard to open go here.
http://www.figandolive.com/Brides-FigAndOlive.pdf
What is your envision as far as colors or setting? a theme? the mood you would like to set? casual, semi formal, laid back? how many guests do you plan to invite?
here are some pics that might help…..
*reception gallery
*wedding color gallery
if you want to proceed before you get your venue. i would suggest a neutral color palette, that will go with everything. white, ivory ,or cream is a fair color scheme, plus an all white decor is just super dreamy!! it will make planning more difficult without a venue tho.
please let me know what you think!! write me back and we will talk more. looking forward to your reply!!
Hi Stacey thank you so much for the reply, I will def start looking into restaurants, I guess we will most likely have children there I have a huge family and it would be kind of weird to exclude them since everyone is so family oriented, My mom is one of ten so I have a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins, plus many friends who I have remained in contact with since high school, so a small wedding will be kind of hard, The guest list will end up between 120 and 150, I know big for a restaurant wedding. I would definately love to have an outside ceremony even if the restaurant itself provides the space for us to do so. And when you said simple but elegant you were absolutely correct
I love colors, and we are looking for a late may early june date because we will be re-stationed around that time. Colors that I have really found to be preety as I look through magazines are, a blue which is in between turquoise and aqua, (yellow & orange), My husband and I love chocolate so I wanted to incorporate that into the favors, and the wedding some how, (not the color, the actual chocolate 
) My biggest issue finding a venue has been something that will fit into our budget, the new jersey area is expensive, and like i told you before we need something that is less then 2 hours away from hicksville, new york because of his grandma, and hopefully around an hour away from us, that has been the hardest task so far. When it comes to favors, invitations and many of the details I am pretty handy I can make a lot of things (crafty) i just need ideas and some guidance… thank you so much for your help, talk to you soon.
camila,
i would have a chocolate wedding cake and give 2 types of favors white chocolate and brown chocolate. this wont be any more expensive than if you bought all of one flavor. that is fantastic that you are crafty, a diy bride is always a plus on a budget. wow! you will have many loved ones to share in your day and that is wonderful. i agree with finding something that has an outdoor patio or garden. i love the color scheme!! keep it simple, white linens with aqua accents, centerpieces of yellow and creamy orange. have chocolate cake with white scroll design, girls wearing aqua carrying bouquets in either all yellow or orange. you carry white with aqua ribbon. ( as most know i love adding shades of blue ribbon to a white bouquet, it also stands for something blue) being craft i have a treat for you!! realsimple.com has the most amazing idea! wedding flowers from a supermarket!
check it out!
*wedding bouquet ( this is the one i think would look superb with aqua!)
camila, more pics.
These are great! thanks Stacey. Do you have a website that I can look up wedding venues and an estimate of prices?
camila,
i google searched hicksville new york wedding venues also try elizabeth new york wedding venues. i would start from the beginning and call to find a place to suit your needs. i found alot of places also call local parks or gardens your interested in. if you find a garden you will not need any decor EXCEPT the bridal party florals. it will be decorated for you, try to find a place that already has chairs. it will lessenthe $$$. also try all the restaurants. i am not sure what you have in your area. i am sure you will find a beautiful place!!
My Marine and I are planning on getting married in Nov…i have well along with planning but have come to a problem…invitations are coming up and i know there are a million and one rules for weddings and military weddings..right now he is LCpl but possible to be CpL when we get married…How do i write his name on the wedding inviation if he is LCpl or CpL??? also is there a site that will let me type in the ranks to see how i should write the other members of the military that will be there as Guests???
tes,
*military wedding invitation etiquette
*wedding invitations to military personnel
if you need more links just google search military wedding invitations ( lots of info)
hope i helped!
thanks stacey, that did help a lot
Hi! Im in the process of planning my wedding to my Marine. There have been so many sacrafices that I have made to pull this off. I just dont know where to draw the line.. but it seems like we can still do our wedding plans before he deploys next winter. The date is being pushed back to Nov. 21st due to availablity. The venue is a beautiful small town 20th century style building. On the third level all hard wood, the room has a very warming glow from all the honey wood. I originally wanted Navy blue mixed with some Romantic red and white. However, now that it’s going to be so close to thanksgiving.. I feel like I have too many themes going on. I kinda do like the idea of scarlet and gold bicolor roses.. more of a harvest feel?? I dont know where to stop or start? Please help!
erika,
you can have the guys in either dark blue or black with a navy tie( unless they are in uniform too) i put a lil’ twist to the color scheme with some traditional fall decor. i thought it looked amazing when put togehter and with a “today” edge yet with the romance you loved. this is how it turned out, i do hope you like it. i tried to make it fit the venue. let me know whattcha think!! 
i love the bi color roses. i would keep the colors you began with. i made a board to show you how the colors would compliment, red white and blue can be for year round!!
I am planning a wedding with a Marine as well and due to availability we are doing Nov 28th becuse i know he will be home..we are doing red ivory and blue..I do believe it is important to keep the military theme but remember it is ur wedding too! i think what you have planned is good, i would keep the colors..
Hi!! I had a few little questions. I was wondering what a good way to bring the military aspect into a wedding without doing it in a chapel on base. My fiance is stationed at ft benning ga, but most my family lives in atlanta and theres the main airport there, so we were going to use the nearby base, but the chapel… sad to say is really sad and untaken care of. Any ideas?? Also, some of the groomsmen are military and some aren’t. Should we just have them all were tuxs or mix and match?
gina,
it is really a personal choice on the attire. i would ask the guys if they feel comfy in wearing thier uniform or a tux. i think it is such a wondeful to see guys in their well earned and deserved uniforms. i have such a high respect for the women and men in the military. if some choose to and some dont just line them up in even style uniform, tux, uniform, tux. can you get me a pic of the chapel? i would love to see what decor it needs. also what colors are you leaning toward? i love the idea of pulling in military aspects by the invites have double swords as a motif, another is in your bouquet you could have a sentimental ribbon , say a yellow ribbon tucked into your bouquet for symbolic, support, and recognition of troops. even if you have no yellow anywhere else this would be a heartfelt touch. also the arch of swords, find out the guidelines here. it is beautiful!
We were going to have some men from the Army and the Marines in the wedding but due to deployment we arent anymore..But with the atire we wanted them to wear their uniforms (the men who were in the military) due to respect. And the men who were not in the military were just going to wear tuxs..it does seem to be mixed and match but i believe that respect was the bigger issue…and besides..you could do the men with uniform standing closer to the groom and the other men in tuxs behind the men in uniform…
Hello, everyone.
I just got engaged to my boyfriend on April 29, 2009. He is leaving for marine bootcamp on May 18, 2009. We have been together for almost 5 years. We wanting to have a wedding in august when he comes back from bootcamp. BUt, we wanted to get married when he came back from bootcamp right before he went to tech school. Is this possible for us to do? Also when they are done with bootcamp do he get to come home for a week before going to bootcamp?
Yes, it would be possible to do. Marines get 10 days of bootleave before they go to their next destination.
Diamond…It is more than possible…but you need to get started now…not tomorrow. The list of things to do is incredable and most brides start 9 months to a year ahead of time with preparations…get started and make sure you hire a planner who can help take some of the headaches off you. Agood wedding planner knows the ins and outs and has contacts that would take you a while to find. I know..because I am one. Good luck and have a happy live together.
Hi,
my name is heather. i am gettin married sept 25th 09. i am planning to have a military wedding. my fiance is in the Marine Corps. i am not sure of how to plan and what thing to have at the wedding, someone please help me! any ideas rules comments, whatever. thank you so much
heather, hi!
have you picked your venue yet? if you could let me know a little of what you would like as far as fave colors, theme?, venue colors, fave flowers? i could get an idea of what to look for.
Stacey, you have a gift my dear. Most people nowadays would charge others for such exceptional advice and you do it for free. Thank you so much for the wonderful ideas! I am a bride to be to an Infantryman and your ideas are very helpful! Thanks again, Christiana
christiana,
i am so glad i could help in any way i could and thank you so much for the compliment; it really means alot.
I have a few questions and if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
First, I am a widow with five boys. My husband passed away in 2006 while active duty. We had a wonderful marriage of 14 years.
Now, I have met another man and we plan to marry in a year or two. We know we can’t rush things because of the kids mostly and family (it is really hard on some that I even thought about dating).
But, I have to move on for me and the kids.
This will be my second marriage and his first. He has no children. He is Army Reserves. He did serve in Iraq.
I would like any suggetions that anyone has that might help us plan a beautiful military wedding. He does plan on wearing his dress blues. I am not sure right now what all we can do.
I know I really don’t want to outshine my first wedding,but at the same time, I want this to be beautiful and special for him as well. I do want a military wedding and all I can with it, so I probably will outdo my first wedding, but I certainly will never love my first husband any less. This is hard and yet this is so wonderful!
I also had thought about red, white and blue colors, but don’t want to over do it. And I have no idea of what style of dress to wear! My first one was long sleeved, long train with a sweetheart neckline.
And also wondering what the bridal party should wear! From the men to the women and the girls to the boys.
Oh, and how can I incorporate my children into the entire wedding?
That is a BIG question!!! They are currently ages 4,6,7,9,12. Right now, no one knows that we are planning our wedding, because it is so hard on some people in my family to handle me dating. And, we have only been dating less than six months. It is just so hard to be away from each other and we enjoy each others company and he enjoys my kids!
CASSONDRA
cassondra,
i am so sorry to hear about your loss. i can imagine the difficulty that you have faced yet happy to see the courage you have to begin a new chapter in your life and your childrens lives. it should be a happy day for you all. i would love to help you!! btw what does your venue look like or have you found one yet? what time of year will it take place? these will be key elements in researching some wonderful ideas for you!! but go to the knot and you can look at many wonderful ideas to get a look for your day. when you narrow it down i will begin searching. you said long sleeve so i am assuming it will be cooler weather. Tip: plan a military wedding just as you would a civil one. dont worry about matching his uniform, in fact i would incourage you not too. cause i have read its not suppose to be matched due to what his uniform stands for. what if your fave color and flower and his fave color? that could be the beginning of a perfect color scheme. also look in your closet it will show what colors you are drawn too. but if you are going with red white and blue. add elegance with sparklers and dreamy all white flowers.
*wedding details by color ( you can also type search military wedding and it will pull up a real wedding gallery)
also google image red white blue wedding board.
*The Perfect Palette ( can click on the color of your choice and see mood boards)
i hope this will help!!