Just how to convey a little of the joy I’ve shared in so many Polish weddings? (this was no. 5!) Each a little different, as times change and individuals make their choices, but essentially the same. All full of laughter, smiles and a just little mischief.
On Saturday I was in Chorzów, a city in Poland’s industrial heartland. This link to Wikipedia will satisfy those of you who might be curious. For the others, it’s enough to mention a ‘Royal’ coal mine and iron works, and the adjoining city of Katowice.
Of course, we start at the church. I failed dismally to get any good photos of the ceremony. I was even thwarted at the end when, instead of walking back up the aisle towards us, the happy couple departed via a side aisle. But I have my memories, of the tinkling of bells, and the sun filtering through stained glass windows, bathing the altar and choristers in an amber glow.
My cousin Adam’s car had been spruced up for the occasion, and his son, Łukasz, became chauffeur for the day. I love the Polish way of decorating wedding cars.
After the ceremony and the confetti, a cascade of coins pelted the ‘lucky’ couple, a symbol of future wealth. That’s Łukasz, the chauffeur, standing by the wall with a box to collect up the cards of those not going to the reception.
We pile onto a bus and are driven to the reception. The venue is a total surprise- Park Sląski, a 13 hectare reclamation project which has transformed the former slag heaps into an outdoor playground on a huge scale. My jaw probably dropped at the sight of the cable cars gliding across the lake. A friend of the groom later explained to me that the cars had just recently started operating, and that it was the intention to extend them to link the far corners of the park. I would have loved the opportunity to explore a little further, but the day was all about a wedding, and we were deposited at the Marysin Dwor Park hotel to await Przemek and Magda.
This is probably a good time to explain that the groom, Przemek, is the only child of my cousin Basia, sister to Adam, with whom many of you will be familiar. Adam and Basia are the children of my beloved Aunt Anna, there with us in spirit only. Above, left to right- Adam and his wonderful wife, Marta; the bride and groom; Basia and husband Zygmunt; Łukasz again and his younger sister, Ula. Weronika, his older sister, you may remember got married last May. She and Wojtek were at home looking after their newborn.
On to the toasts, and then the newly weds threw the swiftly drained glasses over their shoulders and reached for brush and pan to sweep up the mess. A nice domestic beginning to married life.
A little eating, a romantic first dance, a chorus of ‘Sto lat'(100 years)and noisy demands for the couple to kiss, then it’s time for the d-jay to get folks to mingle. And they don’t need much encouragement! Before long we are all hop-skip-stomping gleefully to a combination of Polish and English pop songs. Till the cake makes it’s flaming entry.
The bride and groom set about their task of dancing with every single guest, after we’ve consumed vast quantities of food, toasted the whole world ‘Na zdrowia!’ (good health), and watched a humorous video of the couple’s respective childhoods and meeting.
The night passes in a whirl of dancing, and even Dad manages a little soft shoe shuffle with his stick. When we finally leave to return to our hotel, it’s to discover another wedding reception still in full swing there. A wall of joyful sound hits us.
If you’re not familiar with Dad’s story you can read about it here.
Beautiful account Jo! Felt like I was part of the celebration 🙂
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You need to be able to eat your own weight! 🙂 🙂
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From the looks of that cake, I should not have a problem with that! 🙂
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I’ll have to get you an invite 🙂 I think there’s another wedding next Easter! (my 70+ year old uncle is going to marry a lass he knew at school)
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Wouldn’t that be grand! I better start practicing my Polish 🙂
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Me too!!! 🙂 Enjoyed your company this evening. Will visit as soon as I sort myself out.
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Good night Jo! Was hoping to catch up with Gilly, but it’s way too late….I better go find my bed 🙂
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How wonderful to see all these different traditions 🙂 There is so much attention to detail and I love the colours. Thanks for the cake, I can imagine this was a wild evening and full of joy! Were there any bridesmaids?
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Hi Gilly! 🙂 Just the one- a slender young lady in deep blue. She’s in a couple of the shots I think. No children at the reception. Huge fun 🙂 🙂
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The joy of the day comes through in your photos Jo and what a lot of traditions and memories you have shared with us. Are you back home now?
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Yes- back in the armchair with the fog licking at the window. People keep telling me it’s Autumn and I’m starting to believe them 😦 They’re not the best of photos but they’re quite atmospheric, I think, so thanks Pauline. 🙂 Love to Jack!
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I think photos are mainly about the memories. Jack sends hugs back to you
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Beautiful memories were made here.
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They really were, Viv. 🙂
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I truly enjoyed the virtual attendance to the wedding! Thanks for bringing me along.
Beautiful family and ceremony. I just missed to see you there!
Cheers!
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I was dancing! You should have joined me 🙂 🙂
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I cannot forgive myself for having missed that joyful moment!
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beautiful wedding! so lovely and fun! and what a beautiful family you have Jo. thanks for sharing! 🙂
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They’re lovely, aren’t they? And that’s just a fraction of them, LolaWi 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it.
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I can see you enjoyed it very much with your family and friends Jo. Beautiful shots of this joyous occasion. 😀 ♥
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They do know how to put on a celebration in Poland, Sonel, and I took full advantage of it! Hugs, darlin’. 🙂
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A happy time for everyone! So glad your Dad could be part of it all, too.
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He just loves to be ‘in the thick of it’, Ann! Comes from being one of a big family, I guess, and then being deprived of it. 🙂
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It looks like such a lovely, happy occasion – a special day with family and friends.
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Yes, everyone wore a smile and there was so much laughter, Elaine. A really lovely day 🙂
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What a lovely wedding, everything looks so pretty and that cake looks delicious – what sort of cake is it Jo?
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Truth be told, it was a very sickly sweet cake, Sam, and not really my cup of tea, but Mick wolfed his down. 🙂 There was a kind of coffee mousse with morello cherries sandwiched between the sponge, and then peach icing on the outside. The table was beautiful decorated, wasn’t it?
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It does sound like a very sweet cake, would need lots of ice cream or cream to balance the sweetness 😉 The tables looked beautiful, whomever decorated did a lovely job.
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What a lovely event, Jo! I have been to a Polish wedding in Poznan and gosh, the number of food and drinks served were plenty and it was amazed me 🙂 One of the best weddings I have ever been 🙂
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I guess I’ve had quite a lot of practise, Indah, but I’m still no good at downing shots of vodka in one go. 🙂 The dancing I can just about keep up with.
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Oh how wonderful – love and long life to the married couple! I love seeing and reading about all the traditions. And your lovely Dad – how fantastic that he could be there 🙂
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Thanks, Tanya! Dad’s had so much pleasure from finding his ‘lost’ family (and I have too 🙂 )
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What a lovely day 🙂 thank you and also the happy couple for sharing
One of my fun past jobs was being a ‘registrar of births, deaths and marriages’. The latter were always fascinating.
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In spite of the language barrier, it was a lot of fun, Becky. 🙂 Glad you could share it with us.
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so b eautiful, I love wedding ceremonies… Thanks and Love, nia
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Glad you enjoyed it, Nia. I saw the lovely wedding car in your post too 🙂
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– and wedding cake too, perfect… 😀
Thanks for sharing these lovely photos… 🙂
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I thought you should have my piece, Drake. I was already too full, and cake is for sharing 🙂
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