Polish wedding traditions

One of my friends went to a Polish wedding recently and they had lots of vodka. Could maybe have vodka for drinks reception or a bottle on each table during the wedding breakfast? I'm not keen on vodka personally, but if there will be a lot of Polish (or Polish descendents) at your day they might like it ?.

I am sure the vodka would go down well. As long as they dont make me drink it, I don't do alcohol . The dances sound great I may have to look some up. Thanks

There is quite a few typical polish traditions one of them is parents blessing, where parents are giving their final blessing to you (it usually happens prior all the official ceremonies ie. church reception) during the wedding party there is several wedding games ill try to describe some later on, once you arriving to your wedding venue you are welcome with bread and salt as well as shot of vodka ( one of them is just a water - don't know the exact meaning of it) once you drink your shot you throw away empty shot galss behind you)

hope that helps, drop me a line if you are interested in more.

T.

Thank you, you have all been very helpful

This is what one of my couples are doing next month. I'm sure she said whoever got the Vodka wore the trousers in the relationship ?

Hi, such a surprise as I am actually Polish

As few of the girls mentioned we do have a parents blessing before going to the church. It is usually in the bride's house where both sets of parents give you and your future husband a blessing, then you are both going to the church.

Another one is where you are greet with the bread, salt and two shots of vodka at the reception, but some couples decide to have champagne instead. Bread and salt means wealth, love and happiness- you need to take a bit of the bread and dip in the salt, then eat it. Then you take one of the two shots. If you will have vodka that means you will wear trousers in your relationship . Then you have to throw glasses behind you for good luck.

There is also a tradition where groom have to carry bride through the door to the reception.

Money dance as it was mentioned is where bride and a groom dance and if anyone want to dance with one of them, have to pay some money to the best man or made of honour. It is suppose to be a collection for ie pram, honeymoon etc

We do also have veil throw instead of the flowers- but this depends of the region you are from.

One more thing which is not such a tradition, but we start weddings about 4-5pm and having party till morning, then few hours sleep and start again

Yes! lots of vodka and all for free - this is one of the things I could not understand for a long time, then I've realised alcohol in England is much more expensive lol

Hope that helps a little good luck with planning !!

That is a fantastic help thank you. I will definitely be including some very excited now

Hi there, if you can access BBC Iplayer search for 'A very british wedding', theres four episodes but I think one of the couples was a Polish man and Latvian woman. I'm not 100% sure if thats right but its all about different cultures and their wedding traditions. I found it very interesting.

One Polish church I have photographed several times have a tradition of the bride and groom arriving separately at the altar down different aisles.

Peter