Air Force wedding decorations may be challenging to find, but adding military-themed touches to a celebration can be a wonderfully patriotic way to honor both the bride and the groom.
About Military Weddings
A wedding in which the bride or groom is in the military service can be rich with tradition and symbolism honoring their service branch affiliations. From a ceremony in a military chapel to a reception at the Officers' Club or other hall on a military base, a military wedding is a unique but no less romantic occasion. While many couples prefer to use familiar classic wedding touches - the long white gown, colorful flowers, towering cake - there are many ways to add Air Force theming into the décor for a special flair.
Ideas for Air Force Wedding Decorations
There are many ways to add a touch of the Air Force into a romantic wedding celebration. Popular options include:
- Choosing blue bridal party dresses or other colored accents to match the Air Force dress uniform. Groomsmen or bridesmaids may wear uniforms if they are in the service, or coordinating attire with blue accents could blend well with other uniformed attendants. Steel gray, gold, or black accents also go well with Air Force colors.
- Blue flowers such as hydrangea, tulips, or other blooms adds a romantic flair with coordinating colors.
- Air Force emblems such as service branch insignia, unit symbols, flight or jump wings, or other icons can be used on wedding favor tags, as a charm on the wedding garter, or incorporated into pew bows, bouquets, or other decorative accents.
- Model aircraft can be a part of the wedding cake decorations or used in table centerpieces. Small toy aircraft can also be great Air Force themed favors.
- Wedding cake tops depicting service personnel or aircraft can be added to any cake design.
- The groom's cake or one layer of the wedding cake itself could be fashioned like an aircraft carrier, specific plane or helicopter, or the military insignia.
- Items from different deployments or Air Force bases can be incorporated into the overall wedding décor, such as Hawaiian leis and tropical flowers if the serviceman served at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
- If a buffet meal will be served, the buffet line could be decked out like a flight line, complete with military issue serving dishes and aircraft models.
Air Force Themes
If a couple wants to go all out with Air Force wedding decorations, they could choose a specialized theme to coordinate the entire affair rather than simply adding touches of the service to their decorations. Ideas include:
- Patriotic Theme: Red, white, and blue decorations are essential for an overall patriotic theme that can honor all military service and American pride as well as Air Force personnel.
- Sky's The Limit: Blue sky and clouds serve as the backdrop for this fun Air Force theme that can include arrangements of fighter aircraft in formation on the wedding cake, as centerpieces, or otherwise incorporated into the décor.
- Flight Movies: Adding Hollywood touches from popular Air Force movies such as Iron Eagle blends vintage showbiz with modern military aircraft for a fun take on an Air Force theme.
Finding Air Force Items
While there are many options for generic military items such as basic soldiers or camouflage gear, Air Force decorations can be much rarer. The following retailers offer a range of Air Force themed items:
- We Do Wed: Military couple wedding cake toppers
- Party Pro: Air Force flags in different sizes
- Glass Cake Tops: Aircraft, helicopters, and other flight-oriented cake toppers
- Party World's Party Wedding: Camouflage garter with Air Force emblem
- Candy Favorites: Gummi jet planes for favors
- Colorado Carla: Wide assortment of Air Force wedding items
- Bridal People: Decorations for a patriotic military theme
More Air Force and Military Ideas
There are many additional ways couples can honor the Air Force's military heritage in their wedding festivities in addition to specialized decorations. Popular options include:
- Venues: While getting married on an Air Force base may be the preferred choice for many military couples, other locations with Air Force flair include the military chapel at the Air Force Academy in Colorado or an air museum complete with vintage military aircraft.
- Arch of Swords: This is the most familiar aspect of a military wedding and having the happy couple pass through the arch of swords after an Air Force wedding is a traditional event with a fun and honorable history.
- Cutting the Cake: If either the bride or groom is an officer in the Air Force, they can choose the custom of cutting the wedding cake with the dress sword. If the sword is not normally a part of their dress uniform, however, it would be considered inappropriate to use this custom.
- Flyovers: Depending on the newlywed couple's connection to the Air Force, the location of the wedding, and current protocols, it may be possible to arrange a formation flyover after the wedding ceremony or as the couple departs from their reception.
- Flight Line Visit: If the couple is married on base, they may be able to visit the flight line after the ceremony for a few careful photographs. Adding a "Just Married" sign to the new husband or wife's aircraft can be a fun accent.
From Air Force wedding decorations to full Air Force themes and special events during the festivities, there are many ways to include military associations in a special and honored wedding celebration..
