While marrying into the military may not be quite as glamorous as typically portrayed by Hollywood, it does have its perks. Here are a few:
Discounts!
Everyone loves a good discount and military brides are not exception. Even though many common military discounts are often withheld for those who are already married, many hotels, wedding venues and vendors offer discounts and freebies for the military couple-to-be. Do your first good wife duty and save your new family some cash by asking this simple question: “do you offer a military discount?”
Prizes, giveaways and contests
Have you heard of the military bride wedding dress giveaway? How about free military wedding photographer? Head over to your favorite internet search engine and take a look at the hundreds of companies out there looking to help military brides. These promotions often end quickly, so consider setting up a Google Alert for “Military Wedding Contest” to be sure you apply.
Free or cheap venues
Holding your wedding in a military chapel is usually free, and the chaplin is performing his military duties so you do not normally have to pay him a fee, either. Be sure to ask, however, about their wedding requirements. Many on-base chapels require you to sit through group or individual premarital counseling sessions before using their facility. The base’s Officer and Enlisted Club can also be rented for a fraction of the cost of a major event hall or hotel ballroom. These locations tend to book-up early because of their low cost, so make sure to pick reserve your spot.
Space A Honeymoons
After the stress of planning a wedding with you or your fiancé deployed, it’s time to think about a little vacation. One of your benefits as a military member or spouse is use of the Space A travel system. Through this you can save major money on flight costs by flying for free on military flights out of bases. Beware: You could spend more time getting to your destination and home again than you had hoped.
If you want to stay a bit closer to home for your honeymoon, skip the flying and check out the many destination that offer discounts or free entry to military members. Check out our Military Travel Center for more ideas.
