The Polterabend

My Parents bringing the veggie delights to the BBQ

All photos by Jo Bartholomew

We started the wedding weekend in Bawley Point with a Polterabend, a really fun German wedding custom...

It's a celebration the night before the wedding.
The word "Polterabend" comes from German verb poltern (making a lot of noise) + noun Abend (evening).

The wedding guests are smashing some plates and porcelain dishes, which the bride and groom will have to clean up together. This is based on two beliefs:
1. Shards bring luck. This is an old German saying/superstitious belief, "Scherben bringen Glueck"
2. The couple must thereafter take care of cleaning up the pile of shards. This is supposed to make the couple aware that they will have to work together through difficult conditions and situations in life.

Safe to say people really had a blast smashing the dishes and watching us clean up.
We also decided to dress up in traditional German folk outfits. I think Dave looked really great in his "Lederhosen" and really wore them well.

Gathering with everyone after setting up decorations & arranging flowers all day long turned out to be such a good idea. Starting off the weekend with an amazing delicious BBQ (mainly vegetarian thanks to my awesome Mum, but some extended relatives on Dave's family snug in some meat...) that our families put together, smashing plates and welcoming everyone created such a warm relaxed atmosphere that stayed with us for the rest of the weekend. We all fell into bed very tired that night. Luckily we were all staying in cottages on the same property, just a few steps away from each other.


So many amazing memories were made that weekend I will remember all the little things forever!
I love you, Dave!!!! I love you ALL, friends & family who came to celebrate with us.