Monika & Piotr

The Details

DATE

July 25, 2026

CEREMONY

3:00 PM at Holy Trinity Parish

1035 Ellis St E,

Windsor, ON

N8X 2J2

RECEPTION

5:30 PM at Dom Polski

1275 Langlois Ave,

Windsor, ON

N8X 4L6

CEREMONY

3:00 PM

PROCESSION

4:30 PM

RECEPTION

5:00 PM

DINNER

5:30 PM

PARTY

8:00 PM

Dress Code

We're celebrating in full colour. Our wedding is inspired by the vivid spirit of Polish folk tradition. Dress to be seen: rich reds, cobalt blues, sunny yellows, floral prints, and folk-inspired patterns are more than welcome. Leave the neutrals at home and come ready to dance.

A Foreigner's Guide to a Polish Wedding

Wedding Superstitions

When she is walking down the aisle, it’s crucial the bride not trip over her veil. Since it is also critical that she not look back to make sure it’s properly positioned, responsibility for minding the veil falls on the bride’s attendant.

Next check out the bride’s shoes. Tradition has it that they mustn’t be open-toed – future wealth and fortune would fly right through any open toes. The wrong shoe is not the only accessory choice that can doom the marriage – custom dictates that brides never wear real pearls, as they will bring a lifetime of misery.

If you see the bride subtly move a patch of her wedding dress to cover the top of her groom’s shoe, she might be following the old belief that this will give her a position of dominance in the relationship.

The Ceremony

To kick start the day of festivities, the ceremony actually begins with the parents’ blessing at the bride’s family home. This is referred to as the błogosławieństwo and involves prayer, holy water and well wishes for the bride and groom. The young couple may encounter another old Polish custom called bramki en route to the church or venue. Bramki or gates are usually where neighbours and friends block the path of the wedding procession to demand a “ransom” —typically vodka—to allow the couple to pass, symbolizing the start of the journey together. The actual wedding ceremony itself is called ślub and it is typically held at a Catholic Church. When the newlyweds are leaving the church, they are often showered with coins or rice. According to tradition, that will give them money, fertility, and abundance.

Bread, Salt, Vodka

Upon the newly-weds arrival at the reception, their parents welcome the couple with a traditional presentation of bread and salt. The gift of bread and salt is symbolic — bread is offered so that the couple may never know hunger, while salt reminds them of life's difficulties and the importance of learning to cope. Following the bread and salt, the couple are presented with two glasses — one of vodka, one of water. They are offered first to the bride, who must make her selection without knowing which is which. Tradition says that whoever ends up with the glass of vodka will be the dominant partner in the relationship.

Food & Drink

A traditional Polish wedding is not a sprint, but a marathon, so pace yourself. If you attend a wesele, which translates to a wedding reception come with an empty stomach and dancing shoes. The meal typically starts with a bowl of rosół, followed by a hot meal and to help keep the party going, another hot meal is served every couple hours. On top of that, there is a cold buffet that is on display after the main dinner called a stół wiejski. This spread includes many traditional dishes like kielbasa, smalec, homemade pickles and other cured meats. What about the refreshments? It is rare to find a bar at a Polish wedding as the bar is at your table. Vodka, being the drink of choice in Poland, is found on each table along with a collection of mixers. Guests may spontaneously raise their glasses and start chanting ,Gorzko, gorzko!’, meaning ,Bitter, bitter!’ in order to get a kiss from the groom and bride.

Polonez

The Polonez is a simple yet graceful Polish national dance – one of five, along with the Mazur, Krakowiak, Oberek and Kujawiak. Its origins can be traced back to a 17th-century dance called the chodzony (walked dance), which originated in ritual village wedding festivities and over time came to the courts of the nobility. Today, dancing the Polonez at studniówka (prom) remains an obligatory element of the ceremony – it is probably impossible to imagine a studniówka that is not officially opened with the ceremonial national dance.

You may see it crop up again so if you want to learn the basics of this dance, follow the links:

Polonez - lekcja 1

Polonez - lekcja 2

Oczepiny

Where many weddings would be winding down as midnight approaches, a Polish wedding is about to mark the beginning of a longstanding tradition—the removal of the bridal veil. This occasion is called “oczepiny”, representing the transitional moment for the bride as she moves from her single youth towards her married future. Besides removing the veil, custom dictates that the bride’s hair would also be unbraided and cut to reflect her new marital status. These days, brides don’t follow this tradition with a new hairstyle and instead oczepiny have evolved to become a moment for fun and games. Even the groom gets involved by throwing his tie into a crowd of single men. It’s said that those who catch the tossed garments are next to marry.