What are polish weddings like?

What are polish weddings like?

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Discussion

boroandy87

168 posts

121 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Missus is polish, I've heard much of the above to be true.

Its basically Food, Vodka, Vodka, Food, Vodka, Dance, Vodka, Food, Food, Vodka.

These guys don't need an excuse to drink, so giving them one is akin to lighting the touch paper. I caught the backend of a christening....Jesus H Christ indeed...

Chunkymonkey71

13,015 posts

197 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Shenanigans said:
I need an invitation to one of these! Sounds fking brilliant!
I'd invite you to mine but you're oot the gang since you sold the swift...!

;-P

Mr Roper

12,985 posts

193 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Chunkymonkey71 said:
I'd invite you to mine but you're oot the gang since you sold the swift...!

;-P
Can i come?

Chunkymonkey71

13,015 posts

197 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Mr Roper said:
Chunkymonkey71 said:
I'd invite you to mine but you're oot the gang since you sold the swift...!

;-P
Can i come?
Ro- if you're not there then the wedding is on hold!

aka_kerrly

12,416 posts

209 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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I went to a good friend's wedding to a lovely Polish lady earlier this year.

Wonderful event, yes there was lots of drinking, lots of food , dancing - the Polish are much better dancers than 99% of the British public etc. Not just all about Vodka though, you have to sample some Polish Mead - wonderful drink with a meal and sits well with vodka and champagne.

thetapeworm

11,192 posts

238 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Restraint seems to be the key unless you are either Polish or a hardened alcoholic, I'm sure I still have a hangover from one I attended several years ago in Warsaw.

The main thing I now know is that you won't get chucked out at the end (because the end tends to be at least 24 hours later), the food doesn't stop after a few courses and there is no need to drink quickly to try and ensure you get plenty down you before it's over... it just keeps going, long after you are curled into a ball outside somewhere.

Attendees at the one I went to had another wedding the next day, they basically left the reception and went to the church to start all over again.

The best wedding I've been to (don't tell my wife this please).

Paddymcc

929 posts

190 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Watchman said:
Mine was fun. Got to reception around 5pm. When all the guests had assembled, we ate bread and salt washed down with champagne.

We were expected to have the first dance (I don't, yet my wife is virtually a professional) which was uncomfortable for me (particularly as most Poles dance fairly well).

Everyone settled down to their tables, replete with a litre bottle of vodka. First dinner was brought out around 6pm, and then another course every hour until the last one at 11pm.

Speeches are NOT a Polish thing however after the 2nd course I delivered a prepared speech in English (with my wife translating) to show the attendees a little of what we do in the UK and to introduce me and my family to the wider-polish-family. My (English) best man did the same with a few hand-out slides, again to introduce me to them, and this went down fantastically.

Lots of shots of vodka.

Music played by a live band - 2 keyboards and a singer - they were brilliant and played for hours (until mid-morning), with the singer (a very attractive girl who "hit it off" with one of my cousins) acting as the MC all night. Normally in the UK, an MC would would need to attract people to the dance floor. In Poland you can't get people off it.

At midnight, there are two things that happen. First is Oczepiny - a few fun games tending to be slighty sexy in nature. No shortage of female volunteers.

Second thing at midnight is that the bride (and a number of other female guests) go and get changed. In the case of the bride, she changes from her wedding dress into some other dazzling creation. Had me mesmerised anyway.

And then just more music, dancing, vodka and merriment until whatever time people pass out or leave. My wife and I were last to leave (I'm dead proud of this) at around 6am. I had drunk a fantastic amount of vodka throughout the night, helped in part by my increased tolerance at that time of my life (I rarely drink at all these days) and the enormous amount of food that was delivered to each table throughout the first half of the party. Despite the vodka, by 6am I was so sober that "practically" (if not legally) I could have driven everyone home. I didn't.

Amazing night. Even some of the Polish guests fondly recall/remember that night as "one of the best ones".
Sounds like every wedding I've been to in ireland

Chunkymonkey71

13,015 posts

197 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Paddymcc said:
Sounds like every wedding I've been to in ireland
Minus the fighting!

Type R Tom

3,859 posts

148 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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I had a great time, from what I can remember, only the second time I’ve ever had proper memory loss. It all started innocently enough with more food than you can imagine but also an insane quantity of vodka. Being the only Englishman there I had a shot with someone at every available opportunity and by the 5th course things were getting hazy.

The night culminated it me dancing with every girl in the room (according to my GF) and eventually being carried out by the Groom and Best man. Beetroot coloured vomit is what I remember next and woke the next day with the hangover from hell and a rather miffed GF.

I was rather mortified to hear the story and of course having to return to the scene of the crime for more of the same, not that it mattered, everyone took it in good spirit and was greeting me like an old friend, including one girl whose feet I had trod on while dancing, don’t remember that!

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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The memory loss/lost hours thing is a recurring theme!
Happened to me, never happened before or since, just at the Polish wedding.
Drink goes down too easily, the vodka was so smooth it was actually a pleasure to drink and no hangover!
Weird stuff.

paul.deitch

2,086 posts

256 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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Thanks for the heads up smile I have been invited to one next year in Gdansk for a Polish lady and a South Korean guy and think that I have to attend now to watch this potential culture clash. If it turns out well (badly smile ) I shall report back.

RaeB

552 posts

213 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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A rather respectable friend and her husband went to a Polish wedding and had a great time. I thought she was quiet the day after. Over a year later I hear the story of her laying in the gutter waiting for the taxi whilst her husband explained to the police they were married, ok, just been to a wedding etc. Apparantly it was the vodka shots that got to her!

Adz The Rat

13,945 posts

208 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
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My brother married a Polish lady at Easter, so we all went to Torun for the wedding. It was fantastic.

As others said, on the day of the event, the food and drink start early and just keep coming and coming. At like 1am they wheeled out 2 full turkey roasts, then set them on fire.

I dont drink so remember it all quite well, but the English were mostly in bed by midnight where as the Polish were still dancing til the small hours.

No trouble, no fighting or arguing, just all happy.

Aeroresh

1,429 posts

231 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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So in summary, they're pretty similar to our weddings except you can substitute wine/beer for their vodka?

Type R Tom

3,859 posts

148 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Aeroresh said:
So in summary, they're pretty similar to our weddings except you can substitute wine/beer for their vodka?
Nothing like ours really, over 2 days and no “formal” sit down meal with food going on all night and party games. Not saying they are better, just different.

BristolRich

545 posts

132 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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aka_kerrly said:
the Polish are much better dancers than 99% of the British public etc.
Yes agreed… the Grandfather rolled out the Accordion and anyone Polish aged between 8 and 90 got up and started to Polish folk dance around. Cleary every song had a specific dance, and everyone knew what to do from very young ages upwards. Absolulty fantastic atmosphere.

Some Brits tried to join in, the majority stood hands in pockets looking awkward or at their iPhones. On relection I guess all we have that is similar is "The Birdie Song" and "Agadoo"... Says it all really.

And then there was the Russian Champagne...

anonymous said:
[redacted]
Yes same here...a weekend on the sauce concluding in no hangover.


Edited by BristolRich on Tuesday 23 September 07:14

Tuvra

7,920 posts

224 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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In fairness they sound fantastic, I can imagine it being epic of there are plenty of fit (Polish) birds there smile

Slightly off topic, how do these compare price wise to a UK wedding? Very well I'd assume?

Adz The Rat

13,945 posts

208 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Tuvra said:
In fairness they sound fantastic, I can imagine it being epic of there are plenty of fit (Polish) birds there smile

Slightly off topic, how do these compare price wise to a UK wedding? Very well I'd assume?
My brother said it was much cheaper than an equivalent wedding here. The brides family paid for most of it.

The photographer for example, he was fantastic. Some of the very best wedding shots Ive ever seen. He spent all day / night there and part of the following day. They got digital copies of all shots and a printed album, £600 I think.

littleguy

190 posts

120 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
This sums it up perfectly.

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Tuesday 23rd September 2014
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Be careful with the vodka. A couple of nights after our wedding, where I proved my invincibility against vodka, 6 of us met at my brother-in-law's place to repeat the quick-fire vodka tasting. I got horribly pasted. I was sick for the whole of the next day (including during the flight home - oh boy that's a day I wish I could forget) and felt rotten for a further 3 days.