Engagement Session Sneak Peak

Our awesome photographers, Jason + Anna Photography, just posted a blog with some of our engagement photos. Eek!! My excitement is through the roof right now! Already mentally planning how to frame and put them up. Did I mention I'm excited?? :)

Disco Polo Friday: A Classic

Here's one of the most popular contemporary Polish songs from the past several years. Definitely not in the techno disco polo genre but well-known enough to get highlighted.

Thankful

for this ♥

Photo via the amazing Jason + Anna Photography. Much more to come! 

When Your Family Hates Your Venue...

So wedding planning is tricky. Yes, the wedding is about the couple that's getting married but there are also loads of family members that want to interject their opinions into everything. So what happens when your parents* dislike the venue you've chosen?? I know, I know, this is my fault for planning a big, fat Polish wedding, right? Well maybe or maybe not. Either way, it sucks to hear that the venue you and your man have booked and love isn't a fan favorite among the rentals. It was hard hearing their not-so-approving opinions but in the end it only brought me and my fiancé closer together. After some gentle negotiations and polite head nodding (alright I'll admit and tears shed) we came to a semi-peaceful truce. One that did not require a venue change. We explained our vision to them and helped them understand what we had in mind. In the end, I realize that our families only want the best for our wedding day (even though sometimes they have a funny way of showing it ahem) and I know it'll all work out. Sometimes you just need to go through some of this crappy stuff to be even more grateful for the awesomeness that awaits your future married life :) And c'mon it wouldn't be a wedding without some drama right?! haha


*Editor's Note:* My dad liked the venue from the start, he's pretty awesome.

Disco Polo Friday: Another Cheesy Dance Tune

So I realized that readers who aren't Polish may be a little confused about this type of music. Not to worry, check out this post for some background info on the topic :) It's kind of like our guilty pleasure, you hate that you like but you can't help that you do. Enjoy!

Dealin with the Details

So I've heard that you shouldn't stress too much about the details of a wedding and just focus on the big stuff. Easy enough, except that all a wedding is, is a series of tiny, friggin details. So how am I supposed to not stress about them?? Impossible I say. My way of dealing with it is trying to break things down into manageable chunks, survey the scene and try to make sense of it all. Needless to say, if I could afford to hire someone to take care of it all for me, I would, but alas that's only wishful thinking. So I'm back to the drawing board and taking care of those pesky little details...

Disco Polo Friday

Polish Wedding Survival Guide

So I've previously written about what to expect at Polish weddings here, here and here. But alas there is always more to learn! During my research of Polish weddings, I've come across some other interesting points. While perusing the Polandian blog, I came across these gems :) 

The disappearing bride and groom
You’ve survived the sitting, standing and kneeling business. Everything seems to be over and the newlywed couple are advancing back up the aisle towards the doors. You’re already loosening your belt in anticipation of the coming revelries when suddenly the bride and groom take a sharp left turn and disappear into some hitherto unnoticed wing of the church. What to do? Is there some special exit for newlyweds? Is something else tedious and detrimental to your buttocks going on? Panic not. More than likely they’ve nipped into a side chapel or nook to pay their respects to the local holy painting or finger bone of Saint Tibulus. They wont be long.

And another great one:

The vodka situation
Vodka is a big deal at Polish weddings. Talk of who is going to buy the vodka and where they are going to get it begins at least six months before people start considering less significant details such as wedding dresses or who to marry. Presumably there was a time when vodka was in short supply or had to be manufactured in the woods because, as far as I can see, the entire problem can me solved in a ten minute trip to the local supermarket. However, I digress.
Assuming the vodka is there and, to be honest, the wedding would have been canceled if it wasn’t there are a few things you should know. Vodka is only drunk collectively. Glasses are filled, somebody proposes a toast, vodka is drunk, and glasses are refilled in readiness for the next toast. There’s no casual solitary sipping. It’s all or nothing every time. Sometimes it will be a special wedding vodka prepared according to a traditional recipe known only to 84-year-old uncle Bogdan. These are often sweet and pleasant tasting but can still kill an elephant at 20 paces. Do not be tempted to fill in the time between toasts with a beer or a glass of wine, that way lies very messy but dimly recalled madness.

Check out the whole post here:
15 things you need to know about Polish weddings – the survival guide 

Image via myopera.com 

Some Disco Polo Fun :)

Polish Wedding Date Myths

When we first started planning a wedding, choosing a date turned out to be a little tricky, for various reasons. Apparently the Polish culture has some urban myths regarding days and months that you should get married on.

It's said to be bad luck to get married in a month that does not include the letter "r" in it. For example, May in Polish is spelled Maj, hence it's one of those unlucky months.
Now clearly, these are pretty much old wives tales, my own parents were married in May and recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary so take that you myth believers!

The day of the week that you get married on also supposedly has some significance. I found this interesting tidbit on a fellow Polish wedding blog:

Monday (Poniedziałek - p'ony'ej'aw'ek) - it is believed to bring to couple health.
Tuesday (Wtorek - ft'or'ek) - couples married on that day of the week will be wealthy.
Wednesday (środa - shr'od'a) - brings general luck in life.
Thursday (Czwartek - chv'art'ek) - financial trouble.
Friday (Piątek - p'eeo(n)t'ek) - worries and pain.
Saturday (Sobota - s'ob'ot'a)- general happiness with a little bit of trouble here and there.
Sunday (Niedziele - ny'ej'el'a) - happiness in marriage.

Hmm, too bad I didn't find out about this until after we'd chosen our Saturday date in June. (According to this info, we're pretty much in the clear with just a bit of trouble hehe) If all these myths were indeed true, I'd probably go with Tuesday or Wednesday, luck and wealth?! Not a bad combo jk ;)

When DIY isn't always better..

My original DIY wedding planning vision has been altered a bit

When I embarked on this whole wedding planning journey, I swore to myself that I would be different. I wouldn't cave to the wedding industry pressure and do things our way. I swore that I'd spend money only on the things that matter and put in the time and effort of doing the rest ourselves.

It was a pretty logical way of thinking, especially since DIY weddings are all the rage nowadays — and for good reason. Wedding costs are at astronomical heights and I totally get why there are entire websites and communities of dedicated DIY-ers who swear by this method. I think it's a great and sentimental way to truly make the wedding yours, but I also think that it depends on the bride and groom, wedding guest count and a whole slew of logistical, time-management and practical aspects that have to be considered.

So although I have a soft space in my heart for DIY weddings, the reality train hit me. I realized that sometimes it's better to spend money on the professional and sit back, relax and enjoy your day. Yea, that's right I said it. Cave into the industry and hire the pros, in the end it will be soo worth it. (At least this is what I've heard and what I've been repeating to myself.) In my case, that meant deciding to hire a professional florist in lieu of doing the flowers on our own. I realized that there literally wouldn't be enough time to get it all done and opting for a trusted professional really put my mind at ease.

Of course this doesn't mean you have to give up your vision of a wedding with a homemade touch, but prioritize what you realistically can accomplish. For me, it came down to wanting my guests to feel like guests and not workers. I definitely still plan on making a lot of items myself, but turns out sometimes leaving the big stuff to the people that do it daily is the way to go :)

Photo via www.diyweddingresource.com