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Wedding

A Polish wedding is a long time in perparation…

Making the Vodka

Making the Vodka
Part of the traditional Polish wedding is making the vodka. That doesn't mean distilling the vodka, though I suppose in a truly traditional Polish wedding, that might be the case. We followed the modern tradition (an oxymoron?) and simply bought good quality spirit (95% grain alcohol!) and diluted it. After...

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The Shopping List

To have a proper Polish wedding, you need to buy an almost obscene amount of food. Below is a portion of the shopping list prepared by the cook we hired. Item kg/liter lbs/gallon Baking goods Flour 30 66 Powered sugar 15 33 Raisins 1 2.2 Bitter chocolate 1 2.2 Vegetables Onions

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The Menu

There are several one rquirements at a Polish wedding. High on the list is eating. Well that's not all. You also have to dance, drink, talk, laugh, sing. But eating helps all the other things go smoothly. For example, the reason an average size guy like me can do 15-20...

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Preparation

The day before the wedding is furiously busy. The cooks are cooking up a storm; some folks are unloading truck-loads of drinks; others are washing cars. Lawns have to be mowed, flowers picked up, cheese bought (oscypek, traditional smoked sheep cheese). The Cooks and the Cakes The four cooks began working...

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Blessing

Blessing
The blessing is one of the most personal times of the whole wedding. Only family and closest friends are present as both sets of parents offer their blessings and best wishes to their children before the ceremony. It's usually a very teary affair, with one or both of the mothers...

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Procession

Procession
According to Polish custom, the bride and groom are actually the first to enter the church. They go in and sit down in front of the altar while all the guests file in. We decided to do it a little more "American" style: my Dad escorted Kinga's mother in, and I...

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Mass

Mass
The Mass, despite all the unexpected pre-Mass adventures, started on time at one o'clock. Our Mass, conducted by the rector, Stanisław Górecki was somewhat Spartan in that we elected not to have the traditional organ accompanyment during the prayers and recitations, so there was a spontaneous element to the Mass...

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Leaving the Church

Leaving the Church
With the Mass over, it was time to leave. I suppose of all the moments one imagines about one's wedding, this is one of the (for me) least exceptional. No shudders; no thinking, "I really feel married now"; no sense of anything except, "Whew, the most stressful part is now...

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Receiving Line

Receiving Line
After the newlyweds and guests leave the church, the bride and groom "receive" all the guests — nothing particularly novel about that for a non-Pole. What is novel is the kissing. Mwa, mwa, mwa — left cheek, right cheek, left cheek again. The men kiss the bride; the women kiss...

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