Sharing the Bread, Salt and Wine
at a Polish Wedding

A Special Polish Tradition For Your Wedding

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Polish Bride, Engagement Ceremony

In Polish culture, weddings are preceded with engagement celebrations. Those are usually small parties held for the closest family members of the groom and the bride and are meant to get the two families meet and get to know each other better. In some cases, it is time when the parents-in-law meet for the very first time, so it is a show off time accompanied with fancy dinner, luscious desserts and a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. The engagement dinner party pretty much means that both families accept the engagement.

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Polish Wedding Traditions 

If you, your groom or bride has any Polish roots there are several ways you can express your heritage on your wedding day. Here are a few ideas:
1. The Bread and Salt Blessing
The sharing of the bread and salt is an old Polish tradition. At the wedding reception, the parents of the bride and groom greet the newly married couple with bread, which is lightly sprinkled with salt and a goblet of wine.
With the bread, the parents are hoping that their children will never hunger of be in need. With the salt, they are reminding the couple that their life may be difficult at times, and they must learn to cope with life’s struggles. The parents then kiss the newly married couple as a sign of welcome, unity, and love.
2. The Oczepiny Ceremony (The Unveiling and Capping)
This tradition is still the mainstay of many Polish brides, representing a rite of passage from young woman to married woman. All single ladies circle the bride as the maid or matron of honor stands behind the bride and removes the veil from the bride’s head as music is played. A married woman is given the responsibility of pinning the cap on the bride as all married women circle around the bride. At this moment, the bride is officially considered a married woman.
In some weddings, after the unveiling the bride will toss the veil, rather than the bouquet, to one of the single women.
3. Serving Polish Foods
Serving Polish foods at your reception is a fun and tasty way to celebrate your wedding day. Some Polish favorites are:
- Cheese and fruit
- Barszcz (Polish beet soup)
- Bigos (Hunter’s Stew)
- Dumplings
- Pierogi (dough pockets)
- Roasted meats and vegetables
- Meat pastries
- Walnut torte
- Poppy seed macaroons

In addition to food, you may like to serve Polish drinks as well, such as Polish vodka or wine. You may even consider giving a small bottle of Polish liqueur as a wedding favor for each guest.
4. Singing/Dancing to Polish Music
A popular song is called “Sto lat” which literally translated means “100 years”. It is always sung to celebrate any major occasion, such as a weddings, birthdays, etc.