A fun-filled Scottish Polish fusion wedding at The Principal Hotel, Edinburgh

 

When it comes to organising your big day it definitely helps if one of you is a professional wedding planner!

Oskar Gilchrist-Grodnicki has built a career on being The Wedding Guru Oskar so when he and husband George got engaged putting together their Polish Scottish fusion wedding came as second nature.

Even their choice of venue was a natural choice as Oskar had worked there, when it was still The Principal Hotel, for years.

“You could say he was in with the bricks!” smiles George.

Read on to see how they pulled off their perfect day, with beautiful pictures from Geebz Photography.

Oskar and George first met on a dating app and chatted for four months before their first date at Starbucks and a walk up Calton Hill.

“Our following three dates held the same pattern!” says Oskar.

“We still have a strong affinity with this spot.”

After two and a half years of dating George decided to test the water to see if Oskar was amenable to marriage.

He says, “The proposal was in Toni Macaroni in the Omni Centre. Oskar’s response was, ‘If that’s your proposal, where’s my ring?’”

However, it took them a while to find the perfect ring.

They wanted to fuse their Polish and Scottish cultures but it wasn’t until they were walking the stalls of the Royal Mile they found a bespoke ring maker with the ideal one; a band of tungsten with a gold Celtic knot band encased within clear ceramic.

Knowing they wanted an Edinburgh wedding they toured five separate venues but always felt a strong connection with The InterContinental.

With the venue booked the couple worked together to tie down the details, “then it was Oskar’s responsibility to ensure the entire vision came to fruition!”

He says, “The entire wedding was built around customs from both cultures and introducing our guests to a culture exchange experience.

“The colour scheme was Cadbury purple and white.”

The men chose all natural foliage with purple orchids, calla lilies and winter trees with hanging baubles for a sense of bringing the outside in.

Then the top table had a pergola covered in foliage and candle laden baubles with trailing orchids for a truly romantic feel.

While Oskar may have overseen the entire vision George made all of the wedding stationery and favour packages for each guests.

They names their tables in the opposite culture to the guests seated there and were themed in traditional folklore and cultural names with a translation for each.

Both grooms wore the Spirit of Scotland tartan with a purple tone to match the wedding theme, along with a Cadbury purple cravat.

They had four groomsmaids each and George took over dress shopping with his girls, trying on different styles at Crystal Bows Boutique with the obligatory prosecco and chocolates.

They opted for purple multi way dresses so each woman could express her individual style.

The grooms may have tied in beautifully with their ‘maids during the day but when it came time for the evening entertainment they switched it up and changed into the Polish Highlanders outfits in heavy felt and Slavic embroidery.

The grooms were played into their ceremony by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards playing Canon in D.

“It stated as a single bagpipe before being joined by the rest of the band,” remembers Oskar.

“It still sends shivers down my spine to hear it.”

As neither groom belongs to a particular faith they chose a humanist ceremony.

“We found it welcoming a friendly, whilst we were able to personalise the ceremony with symbolic gestures from both cultures,” says Oskar.

“It is a celebration of love rather than any particular religious doctrine.

“The ceremony was performed in a circular set up, ensuring inclusivity for all guests and we felt surrounded by their love and well wishes for us.”

George and Oskar wrote their own vows, speaking in both Polish and English.

Following the ceremony the guests were treated to drinks and canapes and were entertained by a magician.

Meanwhile the grooms returned to their special place Calton Hill for a private photoshoot.

As the speeches had to be translated into two languages George and Oskar remember them being long but Oskar’s best man John kept the guests amused with his humorous and light-hearted rendition, recounting their antics together.

George chose his uncle John for his best man. “He’s very special to me and is also my godfather,” he explains.

“He inspires me every day and often refers to me as his baby.”

George’s father’s speech was from the heart and Uncle John was emotional and melted everyone’s hearts.

The evening reception kicked off with the grooms appearing in their traditional Polish outfits for a choreographed first dance to a Polish song with English lyrics Baby Baby by Blue Café.

“The icing on the cake was when the dance ended with George lifting me in the air, ripping my trousers in the process!” laughs Oskar.

“Our guests were so impressed they requested a further two performances.”

Then it was on to Polish “midnight games” (at 10pm) consisting of team activities, a quiz and physical challenges to make the families bond.

Looking back Oskar and George were delighted with their day and advise other couples to enjoy each moment and make sure they plan to take five minutes during the day to catch up with each other and enjoy it all.

“Trust you gut instinct,” says Oskar. “Make sure you plan things that make you happy as you only get the chance once, so remember it for the right reasons!”

And, of course, if you fancy having your own wedding guru you could book a wedding coordinator – like Oskar!

“If you want expert advice and money saving tips, or even someone to take care of it all for you, He is your man!” says George.