Concise
information on how to plan your military wedding (cont)
Rehearsals should be scheduled with the chaplain. Flowers are to be provided by the
wedding party, and should be delivered to the Chapel. White runners are not allowed
because of the highly polished floor.
The Chapel provides candles and kneeling cushions for the bride and groom. Sabers and
baldrics (holders for the sabers) are available at the Chapel, too. However, they cannot
be removed.
Pictures may be taken with a flash only during the processional and following the
benediction. Pictures of the religious portion of your wedding may be taken from the
balcony only. Flashbulbs are not allowed at that time. Flashbulbs may be used during
the arch of sabers. There will be time after the wedding for pictures.
In the interest of time, a reception line cannot be formed at the end of your wedding.
Weddings at the Chapel must also begin and end on schedule.
Nothing--rice, confetti, or flower petals--can be thrown either inside or outside
the Chapel (mainly for safely reasons).
Military chaplains do not receive fees for their services. Donations can be given, but
there is no charge for the use of the Chapel.
The Catholic ceremony is relatively the same. However, there are a few differences.
Catholics need a copy of their record of baptism from the church where it was performed.
This needs to be issued six months prior to the ceremony. A questionnaire must be filled
out in the presence of a priest. If the marriage is interfaith, special counseling on the
responsibilities of being Catholic is
required before the ceremony. For all couples marrying in the Catholic Church, attendance
at premarital sessions is required. You must also obtain permission from your pastor to be
married in any church other than your own parish. Sabers are not permitted inside the
Catholic Church.
United States Military Academy: West point, New York. West Point does not have a bride's
handbook, but Marilyn Sharp offers some tips for brides who want to be married at West
Point.
According to Mrs. Sharp, the bride must bring to West Point everything that the party will
need. If you are marrying a graduating cadet, he will draw lots several months before the
event to determine what time your wedding will take place during June week. Weddings begin
one hour after graduation and run continuously throughout the week. There are three
chapels at the Academy and one Jewish Synagogue.
Mrs. Sharp said that the hardest thing about having your wedding during June week is
finding a place to stay. There is one hotel in Highland Falls; and it is booked early in
February because of all the wedding parties and all of the parents and relatives who plan
to attend graduation. You should make
reservations at the hotel for your entire wedding party as soon as you know the date.
Follow this immediately with a call to the officer's club about the reception. It is very
important that you include a "reception following" card with an R.S.V.P. on it
so that you know the number of guests to expect.
Order the flowers from the florist early and recheck to make sure that there is no mix-up
as to the time and place. Photographs depend on the church--you will have to ask the
chaplain of the chapel you have chosen. Rehearsals are set by appointment. First, you
should check on any special rules that your church might have on the drawing of sabers.
Planning a military wedding is basically no different from planning any other type of
wedding, until the conclusion. The recessional proceeds like this: The bride and groom
leave the church first, followed by the bridesmaids and seaberbears. When the bride and
groom reach the back of the church, they step aside to let the wedding party and
congregation leave. After everyone is out of the church, the saberbears form two lines
facing each other to form an arch of sabers. According to officers who have had military
weddings, the saber arch should be practiced before the wedding. Make sure that officers
participating in the saber arch leave enough room between them so the bride and groom can
go under side by side.
The commands for the arch are as follows: Sabers are carried in the "carry draw"
position. At the command of "draw sabers," the arch is formed. Each bearer
raises his right arm with saber in hand rotating the arm until the blade is on top. If the
saberbears bend their wrists, they should have a true arch. At the command, "return sabers," the saberberars
return their sabers to the "carry draw" position. Your saberbears should know
what the "carry draw" position is: if the are unsure, it is partially in the
baldric and partially out.
Only the bride and groom may walk under the saber arch.
One special tradition at a military wedding reception is that the bride and groom cut the
first piece of cake with the groom's saber. The groom places his hand on the hilt of the
saber (the handle) and the bride guides the blade.
A military wedding can be as modern or as traditional as you want to make it. Concluding
with the arch of sabers adds an especially memorable touch for you and your officer
husband.
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