Veteran's Day Tribute

Many might not know that our family boasts a number of military members. Our brother is currently serving active duty in the Marines. My husband is a Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine!). Our dad was in the Coast Guard - a true waterman at heart. Our great-grandfather, Calvin Kendall, was in the Navy. We also have cousins that have gone into the Army.

Calvin Kendall
​Navy

SM L. Wade Hague Jr.
Coast Guard

Cpl Jonathan Midkiff
Marine Corps

LCpl Tristan Hague
​Marine Corps

Military Wedding Traditions

Uniforms

Ultimately, each couple can choose whether or not they want to wear their uniform(s) and if they want guests to wear their's as well. If you want your guests to wear them, make sure it's included on the invite.

The time of the year may change the uniform, so if you are aiming for a specific look, keep that in mind. Would hate for you to imagine the all-white Navy uniform when it was the season for the blue version.

When planning your floral order, remember that only medals can be added to uniforms. Absolutely NO boutonnieres can be put on the uniform.

If you plan to incorporate the Arch of Sabers or Arch of Swords ceremony, uniforms will be mandatory for anyone participating.

My husband was active duty when we got married. We opted for no uniforms to keep a more casual vibe. But mainly because his uniform would have really clashed with the "Enchanted Garden"/"Fairytale" decor that I planned.

Grooming

Each branch has a formal personal appearance code that the military member will be made WELL aware of. My understanding (as a former military wife) is that these things are drilled so far into their brains that they can recall the information at the drop of a hat.

There may be some minor differences between each branch's code, but in general there are some safe assumptions. Men should be clean shaven and have gotten a regulation haircut recently (within that week). Women should have natural or neutral nail colors, simple jewelry, and modest hair styling.

Some men may have special permissions to have a beard, but I believe that will be at the discretion of their command as well as their branch's appearance code.

Seating by Status and Rank

At the ceremony, higher ranking military guests will be given places of honor behind the immediate family. There may even be reserved parking spots for them.

At the reception, the higher ranking military guests would be given special tables placed close to the couple but still behind the immediate family. Guests of the same rank along with their dates or families would be grouped at the same tables.

Flags

It is traditional to display an American flag at the ceremony to the left of the altar. On the right would be the branch and/or unit flag.

Arch of Sabers or Arch of Swords

The most iconic part of a traditional military wedding. Before the uniforms or the flags or the protocol, people think of this ceremony as a staple for military weddings. However, it is optional.

Each branch refers to it slightly differently.​ The Army and the Air Force call it the "Arch of Sabers." While the Navy and Marine Corps use "Arch of Swords." Regardless of its title, the ceremony is played out the same.

The tradition comes from British military customs. It symbolizes the promise of the military to honor and protect the newlyweds. Even though we didn't have a military wedding or use this ceremony, I can say that my experience as a military wife was positive. I did feel like there was support for our new life together - even when we weren't together due to deployment.

Immediately after the ceremony, when the couple exits the venue (if the ceremony is held indoors), the Arch will be created. Six to Eight service members (these could be military family or friends or local honor guards) will line up in pairs to create a tunnel by crossing their unsheathed blades. The couple will exit the venue through this tunnel - being "ushered" into married life under the shelter of the military. Before the couple fully exits, the final pair will drop their blades to stop the couple. The newlyweds are asked to kiss before the blades are returned to an upright position.

Cake Cutting

If one (or both) of the newlyweds is an officer, they will have the option to use a ceremonial saber to cut the wedding cake.

The military spouse will present the sword to the military member. Both will hold the pommel and cut the cake together. Nearly identical to what other couples will do with a regular knife, but much much larger.

Veteran Owned

We carry Goat Milk Lotion made by Bates Family Farm. Joseph Bates, the owner, is a retired Marine who relocated to the Appalachian Mountains to start a goat farm. His family started making the lotions (and soaps) to help use the oversupply of goat milk they had on hand. A few trips to their local farmer's market and some festivals later, they were a hit with the customers.

Luckily for us, they became so popular in their own local market, that they decided to expand and begin selling their products in retail stores all over. We had the pleasure of meeting Joe at a trade show this past February. His booth was one of the first we visited, we heard his story, tried the product, and promised to be back to place an order. We were at the trade show for hours, had lunch, washed up, touching a bunch of things at different booths, and still we could tell feel the smoothness of the lotions we'd tried. 

See Our Goat Milk Lotion Collection