Military Brides

Wedding during R&R

My fiance and I were hoping to have a small wedding at my church and a little reception while he is home on R&R from Afghanistan. How do we go about planning this? I have heard that you do not know when he is coming home for R&R until a few days before he comes home. Is this true? Is it really possible to have a small wedding while he is home?

Re: Wedding during R&R

  • edited December 2011
    I would talk to your church office and see if you can just spring it on them, let them know that he is deployed and you won't know when he will be comming home. In this case you will have to be extremely flexible. If they have an opening on a monday night and thats it, then that may be your only chance. I would get all your decorations in advanced, and pick what the flourist in your town have in stock, get your dress in advanced and buy a cake from a local store sometimes they have pre-made wedding cakes. If you are going to do the wedding and reception during his R&R you have to be flexible and not be setting things in stone. Military leave dates can always change. It sometimes takes weeks to get to the states after departing from some remote locations.
    Good Luck to you, keep and open mind and try to prepair without a set date.
    Two uniforms, Two Hearts, One love.
  • edited December 2011
    Thank you for that advice... How far in advance do you generally know when they are coming home?
  • edited December 2011
    It can really depend, some units prepair lists and set dates during the first two months of the deployment, or sometimes not until a few weeks prior.
    Two uniforms, Two Hearts, One love.
  • edited December 2011
    Agree with PP, you will have to be flexible. Just like everything else in the military. Have everything planned out, so when it comes time, you will be prepared. Meanwhile you hope and pray for the best. :) GL! I hope everything works out.

    Btw~ I had posted this on another board. For the flowers they have silk flowers that look and feel real. They even have spray to make them smell real. It could be an option, since they don't wilt, and are very cheap. If interested then I will give you the link.
    No Amount Of Distance Can Seperate The HeartPhotobucketWedding Countdown Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    I would love the link! Thank you ladies... I feel a little better about everything.. I guess I will just try to have as much as I can planned and ready... 
  • edited December 2011
    No Amount Of Distance Can Seperate The HeartPhotobucketWedding Countdown Ticker
  • mysticlmysticl member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    Friends of mine did this when he came home on leave from Iraq.  They got married on her sister's dock.  They had made the arrangements with the officiant to basically be on call.  The groom wore his dress uniform, the bride a simple white dress.  The guests/attendants were her sister's family.  A local florist donated the flowers for free because he was a soldier home on leave.  Then they went home to see their respective parents for the rest of his leave .  She lived near her sister so they didn't have any other family/friends travel in case he couldn't make it home.  She did not know for 100% certain that he was coming home until he was wheels up. 

    It was small, it was simple, it was fast.  They couldn't look any happier in their wedding pics. 
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  • akoseyakosey member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Agreed... my FI had his R&R dates changes so many times, that I basically told my work sometime in Aug/Sept I will be taking 2 weeks off haha... then getting home is another "inconvenience" to us ladies at home... he thankfully only took a couple days to get home but a couple buddies took a couple weeks to get home.  So I have to agree with the rest of the replies to be flexible and have everyone on standby haha...  Hope all works out and your wedding turns out as beautiful as you hope it to be!
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