….not to mention delicious food, live music, dancing and fine Polish vodka drinking!

On July 24, 2010 I’ve attended my cousin’s Lukasz (Luke) and his beautiful bride Anna wedding in Wroclaw, Lower Silesia region of Poland and wanted to share the whole experience with you. Mostly through pictures, because as they say: ” A picture is worth a thousand words”. It was a lovely wedding and reception! If you ever visit Poland and someone invites you to join them at a traditional Polish wedding don’t hesitate to accept. You’ll have a great time guaranteed, as weddings in Poland last from one to three days, get to try excellent cuisine, drink the best of Polish vodkas, sing and dance with fun loving and hospitable crowd. 

Marriage is an important rite of passage in all cultures around the world and is celebrated in unique ways in Poland depending on which region you visit.  For example, every year in June, in Wegrow, in the Mazovia region of Poland, a festival is held celebrating marriage traditions. The Festival of Wedding Rituals is a fabulous event with contests for best regional wedding ceremony, foods and music.  If you enjoy weddings, you will for sure enjoy this festival!

Priest greets and blesses couple before the Roman Catholic wedding ceremony.

Over 200 people attended Anna’s and Lukasz wedding. Four generations of family members and friends of the bride, groom and their parents.  On Saturday, in the early afternoon groom’s parents and grandparents traveled to the bride’s family home for a special blessing before the church ceremony.  At 4 pm the wedding ceremony started and lasted about an hour.  During a traditional Catholic Mass the couple exchanged vows and everyone enjoyed soloist singing “Ave Maria”.

Anna & Lukasz at the altar during the wedding ceremony.

Olivia - one of the beautiful flower girls.

Here Come the Newlyweds! - greeting guests and accepting gifts on church doorsteps.

The parents welcome newlyweds with bread and salt in front of the reception hall.

Traditional wedding bread.

Ania & Lukasz in the reception hall. The sign above them states: " God Bless the Newlyweds"

The reception was a culinary heaven! The variety and quality of food was amazing. It was simply impossible for one person to try everything. The tables were “bending” from all the foods and drink. We all started our culinary adventure with the main course which included traditional clear broth soup with noodles – “rosol” then potatoes, Silesian dumplings, eight kinds of hot meats to choose from and various vegetable salads.  Everything was so delicious!

"Rosol" - chicken broth with noodles. A must dish at Polish weddings.

Various potatoes and Silesian dumplings for main course.

Various meats for main course.

Various vegetable salads for main course.

More salads for main course - "buraczki" - beet root salad.

After eating main course, Ania & Lukasz did their first dance with wedding guests surrounding them.

Wedding Vodka card encouraged all friends to drink up for the health of the newlyweds and have a great time!

Various wedding desserts.

Various cold hor'dourves.

Various home-made cold meats.

More of home-made cold meats.

Pig roast and sausage.

"Bigos" - Hunter's Stew.

Besides all the wonderful cuisine and drink, wedding guests joined together in dancing and singing.  Each table received a booklet with traditional wedding songs.

Wedding song-book for guests.

Groom's grandfather (in middle) and other family.

Wedding guests/family.

Wedding guests/family.

Wedding guests/family singing and having fun with mother of the groom (in pink dress).

Wedding cake.

Anna & Lukasz sharing their wedding cake.

Ania & Lukasz getting ready for unvailing - "odczepiny".

Transfer of the vail.

On Sunday many guests gathered for a follow-up party called - ”poprawiny”.  It was a great party again, with wonderful music, food and lots of dancing and outside grilling.  Some out-of-town guests stayed until Monday to visit and party with the newlyweds and their parents. 

The table is set at the follow-up party - "poprawiny".

Home-made cold meats platter at the follow-up party.

Fish & seafood platter.

A beautiful vegetable salad.

Deviled eggs platter.

Home-made pate platter.

Home-made ham and pickled vegetables platter.

"Salceson" - a type of head cheese, smalec - "lard with onions" and pickled vegetables.

Veal stuffed with spinach.

Grilling and beer drinking outside.

...and some more outside grilling.

Anna & Lukasz

CONGRATULATIONS

TO

ANNA & LUKASZ

July 24, 2010

ON THEIR MARRIAGE!!!

May your life be filled with happines and joy forever!

(and BIG THANKS for your hospitality!)

Wojanow Palace - Historic Hotel of Poland

On my travels to Poland I always make an effort to stay at a historic hotel instead a chain hotel. In fact, many of our countryside stays during cooking vacations in Poland include four nights at a romantic, one-of-a-kind palace, castle or manor. That’s where you can truly experience luxurious accommodations, exceptional regional cuisine and legendary Polish hospitality. I recently interviewed Krzysztof Kaniewski – the Secretary and member of the management team of the Historic Hotels of Poland (HHP) Association based in Warsaw, Poland. He handles daily operations, public relations, new membership drives, meeting arrangements etc. on behalf of this outstanding association. Here’s the interview:

1) How long has Historic Hotel of Poland Association (HHP) been operating?
Historic Hotels of Poland Association (HHP) was founded in April 2008. My wife Barbara and I invited 15 owners of historic hotels from across Poland to Staniszow Palace in the Lower Silesia region for an April 15th, 2008 meeting. It was after that meeting that the association was founded and officially registered in court in June, 2008. Since October, 2008 HHP has been a prestigious member of the Historic Hotels of Europe www.historichotelsofeurope.com of which Historic Hotels of America is also an affiliate.

2) How many hotels are currently part of HHP association?
We started out with 15 hotels, today, after a year in operation, association has 30 facilities and has, despite the economic crisis, been flourishing mainly because of addition of new facilities in palaces and manors where renovations started a year or two ago, and are being finished today.

3) What are the requirements to join HHP?
Requirements include: enrollment in the Register of Historic Monuments, high level of customer service, overall aesthetics etc. To become a member of HHP, a facility also has to receive a recommendation from one existing member; and final decision to grant membership belongs to at least two members of the association’s management team, after touring the facility.

4) Are HHPs mostly privately/family owned?
All of our facilities are privately owned however, in the statute we don’t require that. But, as life has showed us explicitly, what’s private is good, and what’s government owned (luckily, less and less) unfortunately looses class. We also have two instances where inheritance of family estate occurred: Palace Hotel in Kurozweki is being run by Prince Marcin Popiel, and Palace in Palczewo by Michal Dembinski.

5) What do participating hotels offer clients that they normally wouldn’t get while saying at non-HHPs?
Specific atmosphere, often (however, not always) interiors decorated with antiques, fabulous cuisine, facilities surrounded by parks with old interesting trees and shrubs, and as a result offering romantic and quiet places for relaxation, corporate trainings, weddings….

7) What kind of cuisine is offered at participating HHPs?
Of course Polish cuisine with elements of regional cuisine however, often menus don’t lack dishes from international cuisine. Owners of our biggest facilities make a special effort to hire distinguished Polish chefs because they know that excellent cuisine attracts more guests.

8)What kind of activities are offered besides the accommodations at HHPs?
Many of our upper tier facilities offer professional SPA centers (Palace Mierzecin, Castle on the Rock, Wojanow, Klekotki Mill, Castle Ryn…) with swimming pools. Many have their own horse stables (Palace Galiny, Palace Mierzecin, Kurozweki…). Bikes are available as well as boats, tennis courts, soccer fields, archery target shooting, running trails and ski slopes nearby…

Jaworowy Country Manor - Historic Hotel of Poland

Galiny Palace Complex - Historic Hotel of Poland

Kosciuszko Manor - Historic Hotel of Poland

Krzysztof Kaniewski can be contacted via email at: info@hhpolska.com

Barbara Kaniewska is the author of several historic hotels guide books, for example: “Culinary guide to historic monuments/places” published by “Globalna Wioska”, or “Poland – Nights in historic monuments/places” published by “MUZA” and many articles published in Rzeczpospolita Polish newspaper; also text about Americans: “What and where does President Obama eat?” or about ribs in restaurant Lawrys in Chicago.

Historic Hotels of Poland can be found online at: www.hhpolska.com  / www.hhpoland.com

When on their website don’t forget to sign up for a 10% rebate card on accommodations & dining at participating hotels.