Leave

• In order to get time off from the Army for your wedding, you have to file a leave request using DA Form 31. Many couples choose to wait until the entire unit is on block leave, so that there's less of a chance plans will get changed and so as not to use any personal leave days.
  
  

Chaplain

• You don't have to use an Army chaplain to perform the ceremony, but this is an option. If a chaplain from the Army does perform the ceremony, you should not pay him a fee, but it is good etiquette to extend an invitation to the reception, along with his spouse if applicable.
  
  

Arch of Sabers

• Following your ceremony, you could leave the church through an Army Arch of Sabers. This is traditionally formed outside, unless there's bad weather, and can include groomsmen, ushers and other members of the military not in the bridal party. The saber bearers form two lines in pairs, facing away from one another, and on the commands "Center Face" and "Arch Sabers" from the senior saber bearer, they turn to face one another and raise their sabers with the tips touching the saber tip of the person across the aisle. Only the bridal couple may walk through the arch.
  
  

Attire

• Members of the Army may get married wearing the appropriate uniform. Officers wear evening dress uniforms for white tie affairs and dinner/mess dress uniforms for black tie weddings. Non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers wear their dress blues or Army green uniforms to correspond to formal and informal weddings. Boutonnieres may not be worn as part of the uniform. If you are inviting members of the military as guests, you may want to include on your invitation whether or not they're invited to come in uniform.
  
  

Receiving Line

• If the couple chooses to have a receiving line at the reception, protocol demands that the groom stand before the bride if he is in uniform. If he is not in uniform or the bride is the member of the military, the order in which they stand doesn't matter.
  
  

Cake Cutting

• Traditionally, the military couple uses a saber to cut the first piece of cake. The groom should present the saber to his new wife and place his hand over hers to cut the cake together. This must be an undecorated saber and should be cleaned by a member of the wedding party before being returned to the scabbard.