A military wedding is a regular wedding with a few traditions added: the service member in dress uniform, a sword or saber arch as you leave the ceremony, the cake cut with a sword, and toasts that honor the service. Pensacola, home of NAS Pensacola and the Blue Angels, is one of the best places in the country to have one. There’s a chapel, an officers’ club turned event venue and a lighthouse on base, and Navy and Marine families all through the guest list. Here’s how to plan it, from uniforms to base access to what happens if orders move your date.
I’m Korbin, the photographer and videographer behind KDH Weddings in Pensacola. We photographed Bobby and Kaisey’s USMC wedding at the Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel on the Pensacola waterfront one October afternoon. Bobby wore his Marine Corps dress blues, and there was a sword arch, a toast to every service member in the room and a sunset shoot by the bay. Bobby & Kaisey’s USMC wedding
Military wedding traditions
| Tradition | What it is | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Dress uniform | The service member marries in their dress uniform, such as Marine Corps dress blues or Navy service dress | Check with the command which uniform is right for the season and the time of day. |
| Sword or saber arch | Six or eight service members form an arch the couple walks through after the ceremony | The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard use swords. The Army and Air Force use sabers. |
| The “swat” | The last member of the arch gives the new spouse a gentle tap with the flat of the blade: “Welcome to the Navy” (or the Corps) | Tell your photographer when it’s coming. It’s over in a second. |
| Cutting the cake with a sword | The couple cuts the first slice with the service member’s sword or saber | Plan it with the venue, which may need to supply a clean cake knife as backup. |
| Toasts to the service | A toast to the couple, to the service and often to those who couldn’t be there | Bobby and his Marine friends led one, then a group dance. |
| No boutonnière on the uniform | Flowers aren’t worn on a military uniform | Give the groomsmen in civilian clothes the boutonnières instead. |
How the sword arch works
The arch is usually formed as you leave: outside the church or chapel doors, or at the end of the aisle at an outdoor venue. Some churches don’t allow swords drawn inside, so ask your officiant early. The arch members usually wear the same uniform, rehearse once, and form up on command while the couple waits. For photos and video, I set up facing the arch so I get you walking through it, the blades crossing overhead and the swat at the end. It’s one of the moments where a second shooter really earns their place.
Where to get married: on base and off
On NAS Pensacola
- The chapel at NAS Pensacola (Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel). The base chapel is used for weddings by eligible military families. Ask the NAS Pensacola chaplains’ office about eligibility and booking.
- Mustin Beach Club, on NAS Pensacola (Google 4.4). The former NAS Pensacola Officers’ Club, now open to military and civilians for events. Its ballroom seats about 300 and overlooks Pensacola Bay.
- Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, 2081 Radford Blvd (Google 4.7, 3,270 reviews). Offers small wedding packages on the lighthouse grounds.
- National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd (Google 4.8, 12,575 reviews). Rents event space for military ceremonies and gatherings, beneath the Blue Angels. Contact the museum about weddings.
Base access: NAS Pensacola is a working base. Guests without a Department of Defense ID usually need to be cleared in advance, so ask your venue how access works and send the details to your guests early. Your photographer and videographer need access too.
Off base
- Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel, 400 Bayfront Pkwy (Google 4.8). Bobby and Kaisey’s reception venue, a boutique hotel on the bayfront with room to dance.
- Pensacola Yacht Club (Google 4.7). A classic waterfront reception venue.
- Veterans Memorial Park Pensacola, 200 S 10th Ave (Google 4.8). Home to the Wall South, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, on the bayfront. A moving place for a few portraits in uniform on the way to the reception.
Planning an Air Force wedding near Fort Walton Beach? See Jake and Lauren’s wedding on Hurlburt Field, with base access tips and sunset portraits on Santa Rosa Sound.
More venues: Pensacola wedding venues.
Planning around orders
- Ask every vendor what happens if orders move your date, before you sign. Deployments, schools and PCS moves change on short notice.
- Keep the guest list flexible. Unit friends may be training or deployed, so a smaller, simpler day is easier to move.
- Courthouse first, celebration later is common in military families. Marry legally when you need to (for benefits or a move), then hold the big wedding when the unit’s home. I photograph both. A small courthouse or beach ceremony fits my 3-hour package.
- Paperwork afterwards: once you’re married, the service member adds their spouse to DEERS and updates their records. Talk to your unit admin, or see Military OneSource.
Photos to put on your shot list
- The uniform details: medals, cover, sword, gloves.
- Getting into uniform, with a fellow service member helping.
- The sword arch from the front, and the swat.
- A formal portrait in uniform, and one relaxed one.
- Family photos with every service member in uniform together.
- The toast to the service, and any veterans in the room.
- Portraits at Veterans Memorial Park or on the bayfront at sunset.
Full lists: wedding photo shot list · family photo list
Photography and film for a military wedding
My packages are 3 hours $1,500, 6 hours $3,000 and 9 hours $4,500, with a second shooter on 6 and 9 hours, which I’d recommend for a sword arch. Videography is the same price, and booking both for the same hours takes 10% off. A film keeps what photos can’t: the arch commander’s commands, the swat and the toast. I shoot and edit every film myself. Pensacola wedding videographer · See pricing
FAQ: military weddings
What makes a wedding a military wedding?
Usually the service member marrying in dress uniform, plus traditions like a sword or saber arch, cutting the cake with a sword, and toasts to the service. Everything else is a regular wedding.
Do military members have to wear their uniform to their wedding?
No, it’s a choice. Many choose to, and it’s traditional. If they do, they follow uniform regulations, so there are no flowers on the uniform, and they check which dress uniform suits the season and the time of day.
Who can be in a sword arch?
Traditionally commissioned officers of the service member’s branch. In the Marine Corps, non-commissioned officers also carry swords. Ask the arch commander. Usually six or eight people form it.
How much does a military wedding cost?
The same as any wedding of the same size. The uniform is already owned, the arch is formed by friends, and on-base venues like the Mustin Beach Club can be good value. Some vendors offer military discounts, so ask.
Can civilians attend a wedding on NAS Pensacola?
Yes, but guests without a DoD ID usually need to be cleared in advance. Ask your venue how base access works and give your guests plenty of notice.
What are the etiquette rules for a military wedding?
Seat senior officers and service members in uniform with respect, and follow the service member’s lead on uniform and arch details. Tell your photographer and officiant which traditions you’re including so the timing works.
