Planning a Military Wedding? Here's What You Should Know

Planning a Military Wedding

Military weddings are a celebration of love, commitment, and service—often proudly steeped in tradition. But it also comes with a few extra layers of complexity. From navigating leave and deployment dates to incorporating cherished traditions like ceremonial swords and uniforms, there’s a lot to think about.

Whether you're a member of the Army, Navy, RAF, or another branch of the UK Armed Forces, this guide breaks down what makes a military wedding unique—and how Dreamsaver Wedding Insurance can help protect it.

Timings Can Be Tricky

Military life doesn’t always lend itself to predictable planning. That’s why flexibility and foresight are key.

• Leave Approval: Most service personnel will need to secure leave for both the wedding and honeymoon. But even previously approved leave can be cancelled at short notice if duty calls.
  
  
• Deployment Risks: Sudden or emergency postings could mean postponing or even cancelling your big day, especially for those in active service roles.
  That’s why it’s so important to build a little contingency into your timeline—and consider wedding insurance that reflects the realities of military life.

Honouring Tradition: Uniforms, Swords & Ceremonial Touches

One of the most special things about military weddings is the inclusion of time-honoured traditions. Some of the most popular include:

• Wearing No.1 Dress or Mess Dress for the ceremony and reception
• Forming a Guard of Honour with ceremonial swords or sabres
• Cutting the cake with a sword—a striking photo opportunity with a lot of symbolism

These traditions bring a strong sense of identity and pride to the day, but they also require extra coordination. For example, ceremonial uniforms may need to be borrowed from your regiment and fitted well ahead of time.
It’s also worth checking with your venue about any restrictions, particularly regarding weapons—even decorative ones like swords.

Planning Abroad or Well in Advance

Some military weddings take place overseas—especially for couples based on international postings. Others are planned far in advance to coincide with approved leave or operational downtime.

Whatever your situation, it’s worth considering the extra logistics involved with long-distance or long-lead planning. This includes venue bookings, supplier coordination and travel arrangements for guests, and being mindful of local customs that might influence your ceremony style or timing.

Don’t Overlook the Paperwork

If one or both of you are in the Armed Forces, you may need permission to marry abroad or in uniform, especially if you're planning on wearing ceremonial attire. Double-check with your chain of command or welfare officer to ensure you have everything in place.

And if you’re inviting fellow service personnel, remember their attendance might also be subject to last-minute changes.

One Last Thing: Military Wedding Insurance, Covering What Matters Most

Planning a wedding while serving in the military comes with unique challenges—but with the right protection, you don’t have to let uncertainty take the shine off your big day.

Dreamsaver Wedding Insurance gives you confidence that your celebration is covered—whether it’s planned two years in advance or being carefully coordinated around duty dates.

• Cancellation Cover – up to £100,000
  If previously agreed leave is cancelled, or you're called to sudden, unavoidable duty, we can help cover costs associated with cancelling or postponing your wedding.
• Ceremonial Attire Cover – up to £20,500
  Your uniform isn’t just formalwear—it’s part of your identity. We cover damage, theft, or loss of military wedding attire, so you don’t need to worry.
• Deposit Protection
  If a venue or supplier lets you down, we cover deposits—even those paid before you took out the policy.
• Public Liability Cover – up to £5 million
  Includes cover for the military couple, with options to extend this to guests if required.
• Cover for Weddings Abroad
  There’s no extra charge to cover destination weddings!

With nearly two decades of experience and awards to our name, we’ve earned the trust of over 50,000 couples—including many from the UK Armed Forces. If you're planning a military wedding, we’re here to help you protect it.

Click here to find out more about Dreamsaver Military Wedding Insurance.

This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute advice in any way. The information provided here is correct at the time of writing however please check the latest policy wording here for the latest policy terms, conditions and exclusions.