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Polish Engagement and Wedding Traditions


Roxy  4 | 16  
2 Jun 2007 /  #1
What are the traditions associated with engagements and weddings in Poland?
krysia  23 | 3058  
2 Jun 2007 /  #2
The engagements are usually in a parent's house, they have a big meal and the parents meet.
They have a bachelor/bachelerette night, meaning the end of freedom.
There are two weddings, one is a civil ceremony and the other a church wedding.
You can marry a non-catholic in a catholic church but that person has to sign an agreement that the children will be raised as catholics.

Weddings are usually on a Saturday lasting till morning, longer if you live outside the city.
May is considered a bad luck month.
The guy comes to girl with his parents who give them their blessings and then they all go to the court house then to the church, if they have it the same day.

In the past the bride was lead to the altar by her father, and the groom by his mother which is still a tradition in the US but forgotten in Poland. Now the young couple walk up to the altar together and behind them walk the witnesses, her parents, his parents then rest of the family. The bridesmaides and groomsmen are normally not practiced.

They walk out after the ceremony and greet guests and family, some give them flowers and later are showered with coins.
When guests arrive to the wedding they usually stay with family instead of hotels. In large cities the reception is in a restaurant or a hall but in the country it is at a home and weddings last 2 or even 3 days and more people come. Next day are the poprawiny where they eat the left-overs and that lasts only a few hours.

The bride and groom are greeted with bread, salt and wine an old tradition which promises happiness and future wishes for the new family.
The wedding ring is worn on the right hand.
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
2 Jun 2007 /  #3
There are two weddings, one is a civil ceremony and the other a church wedding.

It can be only in a church now.
xXlisaXx  8 | 182  
2 Jun 2007 /  #4
No wonder i'm not having any luck getting close to the Polish guys. I wear my nan's wedding ring on my right hand. They most probably think i'm married. Worn it since the year she died never taken it off. (Sorry nan but think it will have to come off)
krysia  23 | 3058  
2 Jun 2007 /  #5
It can be only in a church now.

Wow, when did that change?
Wroclaw  44 | 5359  
2 Jun 2007 /  #6
It can be only in a church now.

I don't think this is correct.
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
2 Jun 2007 /  #7
slub.waw.pl/konkordat.php
daffy  22 | 1153  
2 Jun 2007 /  #8
you cant 'force' people to marry in a church.

muslims, jews, protestants, atheists (marriage is not a catholic concept alone)
krysia  23 | 3058  
2 Jun 2007 /  #9
What this says is you can have a church wedding only, but if you want you can still have both ceremonies. It's just a new option since 1998 for not having two ceremonies .

In the US you only have one ceremony, either in church or in front of the judge.
bunia  1 | 134  
2 Jun 2007 /  #10
The bride and groom are greeted with bread, salt and wine

eeer wasnt it vodka insteed of wine ?

It can be only in a church now.

you can have only one wedding in church which will be containing both register office and catholic ceremony.
If you dont want to have church ceremony - you can go to register office alone

Now the young couple walk up to the altar together and behind them walk the witnesses, her parents, his parents then rest of the family

more likely now is that all guests and familly will be sitted in a church and only young couple will walk up to the altar together.

reception usually lasts two days. At 00:00 (midnight) of the wedding day there is a ceremony called oczepiny. Thats when bride takes off her veil and groom his tie/fly. Then they will throw it to catch by single women/men. Lots of signing and plays around that :)))

And obviously LOTS of drinking and LOTS of eating and LOTS of dancing during whole reception :)
Syrena  7 | 73  
2 Jun 2007 /  #11
I once saw a wedding video from Poland - the reception went FOREVER and they played all these games, which, honestly, I found really annoying rather than fun - and by the look on many faces, they did too! I think by the time it was over - sometime near dawn, the 'happy couple' were exhausted - so much for the wedding night!
bunia  1 | 134  
2 Jun 2007 /  #12
the reception went FOREVER

thats whole fun of it :)

they played all these games, which, honestly, I found really annoying rather than fun

You have to understand that and it is part of our tradition

and by the look on many faces, they did too!

that only means that wodzirej and band were crap, not that tradition is bad.

sometime near dawn, the 'happy couple' were exhausted

but happy ! :)
Syrena  7 | 73  
2 Jun 2007 /  #13
Hi B, yes I think the band was crap! I think a good band makes a big difference, naturally. I've been to a few polish weddings in Oz and they played a few games - which were entertaining and funny - the best fun was boogie-ing... I always have fun at these weddings and polish people here tend to booze it up bigtime and that always makes for more laughs...
sapphire  22 | 1241  
3 Jun 2007 /  #14
No wonder i'm not having any luck getting close to the Polish guys. I wear my nan's wedding ring on my right hand. They most probably think i'm married.

this made me laugh.. lisa they will most definitely think you are married.. suggest you take it off pronto. Remember to check his right hand too..this one caught me out.
Ken Noddy  2 | 161  
3 Jun 2007 /  #15
This is very confusing, the girl I liked had a ring on her right hand. Whoops. I was always told to check the left hand for an indication.
sapphire  22 | 1241  
3 Jun 2007 /  #16
oh dear..sorry Ken. well at least you will know where to look next time you encounter a Polish woman.. I didnt know either until I found out the hard way. It not just Poles, some other E Europeans and Greeks do this too... and Im sure many others that I dont know of.
bunia  1 | 134  
3 Jun 2007 /  #17
hehe it works both ways.
When i came to UK and fancied a bloke it didnt even occured to me to look for a wedding ring on left hand.
Oh well, then i found out and now i know ^^
sapphire  22 | 1241  
3 Jun 2007 /  #18
well its good we all know now. theres a lot of married British men who dont wear rings at all.. especially those long time married. It doesnt seem to be considered as important for a man to wear a ring as a woman.
xXlisaXx  8 | 182  
3 Jun 2007 /  #19
Remember to check his right hand too..this one caught me out.

The Polish guy i kissed all New years Eve wasn't wearing a ring but found out he's married.
And yes taken the ring off.
sapphire  22 | 1241  
3 Jun 2007 /  #20
i think its best to assume that all Polish guys over a certain age (not sure what that age is.. maybe 28?) are married. In my experience he didnt try to hide it as he was wearing a ring, when I did eventually notice and question it he tried to tell me the truth, but his English was terrible so I didnt fully understand for a while.
xXlisaXx  8 | 182  
3 Jun 2007 /  #21
i think its best to assume that all Polish guys over a certain age (not sure what that age is.. maybe 28?) are married.

Well bang go my chances then i'm well over that age. lol
Gigel  - | 23  
10 Jun 2007 /  #22
A bachelor`s party - interesting tradition. Bt youshould feel free after marriage - you`ve then gt all you needed, haven`t zou? All u wanted...
389  4 | 31  
15 Jun 2007 /  #23
Do abduction for a girl happens?
shewolf  5 | 1077  
15 Jun 2007 /  #24
i think its best to assume that all Polish guys over a certain age (not sure what that age is.. maybe 28?) are married.

Well bang go my chances then i'm well over that age. lol

There's nothing wrong with marrying a younger man. :)
shopgirl  6 | 928  
15 Jun 2007 /  #25
Looks like there is no alternative. OH WELL! :D
alana  6 | 30  
28 Jul 2007 /  #26
Merged: wedding traditions info for a foreigner

can someone tell me what are the polish wedding traditions and if possible what are the procedures to follow if i am a foreigner who will marry a polish citizen
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
28 Jul 2007 /  #27
There were similar topics.
alana  6 | 30  
28 Jul 2007 /  #28
dziekuje bardzo
zion  
28 Jul 2007 /  #29
two post about the same staff or you are really in love with this guy or you really need to get out of the islands !!!!! how did you meet a pole ?? there ?? on the net ???
alana  6 | 30  
28 Jul 2007 /  #30
same post coz i need concrete information concerning these things, i do not need to be judge ... like what u are doing....

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