Military Wedding Traditions To Know About

For many, exchanging vows holds a unique significance that often includes traditions and cultural practices. Surprisingly, a military celebration is no different, as many ceremonies will carry out specific customs familiar to those serving.

Furthermore, if both parties are currently under contract, there are additional traditions to look out for! Here are some military wedding traditions to know about that you’ll want to consider incorporating into your ceremony.

Dress Code and Uniform

While a civilian wedding may require marrying parties to wear traditional wedding attire like a tuxedo or wedding gown, military weddings set themselves apart by allowing members to wear their uniform. The couple can also decide whether they would require attending military guests to sport their respective uniforms as well.

It’s worth noting that if a member in the wedding chooses to wear a different uniform, the rest of the party must follow suit.

Patriotic Music

Many service members take pride in their country and specific military branch, so you can expect to hear a service song play at a military wedding.

Some ceremonies will take things a step further by playing harmonies of different branches as a token of gratitude towards all members in the room. Service members may also stand when they hear the song played.

Arch of Sabers

As one of the most popular and visually appealing traditions, the Arch of Swords has origins in British military customs. This practice takes place immediately after the ceremony and involves military friends or honor guards that line up across one another in pairs.

The arrangement will then create a tunnel using their swords, allowing the married couple to exit the venue by walking underneath the sabers. As the couple travels through the tunnel, members will drop their swords to stop them, prompting the couple to share a kiss before the swords return to their upright position.

Like most matrimonial celebrations, military weddings are significant and memorable occasions for all parties involved. Knowing about military traditions before your nuptials take place allows you the opportunity to incorporate some of your favorites and celebrate your union with an extra bit of pomp.

However, when your partner is overseas or carrying out a deployment, upholding traditions may be challenging. In this case, consider taking part in a proxy marriage in which one or both individuals aren’t physically present, but can still tie the knot through representation of other persons. For more information, feel free to contact us on our Proxy Marriage webpage.