My Finace was just deployed and now all wedding planning has serious problems

montanasmith5897

Ok I am a very nervous bride right now. My fiance was just deployed to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps and he thinks he will be gone 7 months or more. I need advice on how to plan a traditional military wedding ceremony and then have a rustic southern style reception when I dont have a date or any idea of what is allowed or not allowed.  I dont want to set a date that causes a problem and has to be cancelled or pick out anything that will clash with certain traditions or colors of his dress blue uniform that he wants to wear for the wedding. PLEASE HELP ME!!

LetsHikeToday

Oh wow. Well, I don't know anything about a traditional military ceremony. We didn't have any military in ours. (except the groom!!). However, I'm sure some girls can chime in here. I don't know if you can book anything or pick a date until you know when things will be able to happen. Yes you could pick a date, book things and put a military clause in your contract but I wouldn't if I were you. If I were you, I'd just wait to pick a date and book things until you have a time frame and have more details. But until then, you can start looking through magazines and pinning items you like on pinterest. You can pick colors, a dress, ideas of flowers, etc. without him being here. You can even pick out invitations and think of some venues/time of year you'd be interested. I just wouldn't pick a date or place yet.

Zimsgirl26

You can work on guest list, budget, think about venues without booking, get ideas on colors, flowers, attire, things like that.

kyrgyzstan

At my military wedding, I had an anti-aircraft gun decorated with flowers as my altar. 

Seriously though, if you come up with specific questions, don't be afraid to ask. My only real advice is to give him plenty of time when he gets back to readjust. I'd plan for 6 months or so after he gets back, not during block leave.

iluvmytxrgr

There is honestly no such thing as a traditional military wedding.  There are traditions you can choose to include  or leave out.  He can wear his uniform.  If he is of a certain rank or higher, you can have the saber/sword arch.  If he has a saber, you can cut the cake with it.  There are other traditions based on branch or unit.  There is nothing saying you have to follow those or not.  It is up to the two of you. 
Uniforms are considered neutral.  You don't have to match your colors to his uniform.  Pick the colors you like. 
Talk to your FI about block leave dates.  I would plan the wedding around that.  As soon as he finds out when that will be, you can plan the venues and such.  Until then, pick a dress, start thinking about colors and bridesmaids dresses and all the other details. 
Military Brides are known for throwing together great weddings in very little time.  We had a small wedding planned with in two weeks.  A friend just planned hers for 150 people in three months.  It was beautiful.  Calm down, you can do it.