Military Brides

Plan ahead, or wait for deployment info?

My fiance and I just got engaged in December, but I'm still in grad school and want to wait until after I graduate (June 2012) to have the wedding.

I know we have lots of time, but I'm trying to figure out if making anysort of plans this year makes sense.

Problem: fiance is currently a 1LT in the Army, and between now and my graduation he'll be attending a captain's career course. After his course, he'll be assigned to another unit. And, until we know what that unit is, we can't know what his deployment schedule might be.

It seems likely that he will be done with the course/find out his new assignment around March 2012. Ideally, I'd like an August wedding.

Question: Would you wait to put deposits on venue/etc until March? If I put down deposits earlier, would a military clause in the vendor agreements be applicable? If he deploys that summer, it might be over a year before we could have the wedding...

Don't forget, this is still over a year away... so maybe I'm being crazy for thinking about it now! But I'll have to figure it out eventually!
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Re: Plan ahead, or wait for deployment info?

  • Beachy730Beachy730 member
    5000 Comments Fourth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I would definitely wait to book anything.  If you don't want to wait, insist on military clauses in all of your contracts.  For us, we knew that we were going to have our wedding using our church and reception venue, regardless of the date we ended up with, so we just had them agree that our deposit and contract could be moved to another date with no penalty or changes.  
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  • edited December 2011
    I wouldn't put any deposits down yet. But I would start buying up all sorts of mags and hanging out on the knot and get to know what you want for a wedding. You can research and come up with a vision and then go from there. :)
    We had a long engagement and I had lots of things planned right away and my thoughts changed a lot. But it has come to this great event focused on us and our families coming together and I can't wait!

    ETA: BTW Congrats and welcome to the board!!
  • katie21bkatie21b member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'd wait as long as you can to put down any deposits and definetely put military clauses in all your contracts!

    My FI just got orders to school at the end of next month in VA and we are getting married in May in MA. So we now have to figure out how to get him up here for the wedding! We weren't expecting to PCS until June but the needs of the military always come first!
  • edited December 2011
    Thanks for the replies :) Right now I'm pretty much doing like shan87 said, hanging out on the knot and getting ideas. But once next winter rolls around I just know I'll want to start making real plans... so I figured I'd get some advice now!
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  • rooftrooft member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hmmm.... I am in a similar situation (wedding date 08/04/2012), FI Army Sgt. may or may not deploy in 2012. When I made my deposits, I simply had put in the contract that they would be refundable or dates movable if he gets deployed. I know with summer dates, weddings venues/churches book up really fast. Eric and I have been choosing locations/vendors that are willing to work with the situation. If they aren't then we just go somewhere else (the good thing about weddings...there are endless options, even in small town Ohio). Our reception is going to be at the VFW halll (they were really good about the whole military situation :)) and the church, since I have been a member for my whole life, was really very understanding as well. My opinion: Just be honest about the situation up front and if they don't want to be understanding or able to work with it then use or go somewhere else, but you have to start planning early enough that you have options!!!
  • edited December 2011
    SarahP787, sounds like we're in the same boat!  My FI is also a 1LT in the Army, and we won't be getting married till the end of 2012, at the earliest (as late as the spring of 2013).  He is also a 1LT and is waiting on official deployment orders...he's planning on doing back-to-back deployments (voluntarily!), b/c his unit probably will be going to a non-combat zone and and then he wants to get to AFG before they start pulling out.  Therefore, our wedding has to wait. :(  Yup, military always comes first!

    I agree with everyone else: wait on reserving anything since you don't know firm dates yet, but definitely start gathering ideas!  That is what I'm doing. :)  On one hand, it almost seems ridiculous to start planning so early (over 2 years ahead!) but on the other hand, we have some advantages over brides who are doing things really quickly.
    ~Malori, proud Army fiancee to Mark~
  • edited December 2011
    When in December did you get engaged?  He proposed to me on December 12, 2010. :)
    ~Malori, proud Army fiancee to Mark~
  • edited December 2011
    It was December 11th! I guess we have lots in common :) Luckily I managed to talk my guy out of volunteering to deploy... I can deal with deployment if I have to, but I'd rather not if I have any say in the matter!
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  • edited December 2011
    I'm in a similar situation.  My FI and I set a date and put down deposits with our date set 9 months out...now my FI has an opportunity to volunteer to deploy the end of Oct 2011 with our date set at Oct 9, 2011...not sure if we should move our date or hope that the deployment doesn't get moved up! We have military clauses that we will use the same vendors but the date will change if he does get deployed.
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