Wedding Reception at Villa Julianna

That day I had the pleasure of photographing Anna and Todd, a Polish-American couple who had seen my photos from Julka and Krysiek’s wedding. Anna is from Warsaw, and Todd is from the United States, and the two of them actually met abroad too. During the wedding I photographed Todd’s preparations, where the whole groomsmen crew spoke English, except for one who is the boyfriend of Anna’s sister. At Anna’s place things felt more familiar, but the idea of bridesmaids was a bit American. In the end, everyone came together for the ceremony at the church in Powsin and the wedding reception at Villa Julianna.

Wedding preparations with the groomsmen


At the start, together with the film crew, we arrived to capture Todd’s preparations at Hotel Mrówka near Warsaw, quite close to Anna’s family home. It was clear that another party had already taken place there the day before, but that didn’t bother us. Everyone got ready in one of the hotel rooms, helping each other out as usual with bow ties, cufflinks and other men’s accessories. Along the way, Todd had prepared a special gift for his “best men”: cufflinks for the occasion.

  • Wedding rings
  • The groom putting on his tuxedo cummerbund
  • The groom's bow tie
  • A wedding guest drinking coffee from a white cup
  • The groom putting on his shoe
  • The groom spraying on some perfume
  • The groom opening a bottle of whisky
  • Hugs among the men
  • The best man fastening the groom's cufflink
  • The groomsmen helping each other with their bow ties
  • The groom and groomsmen in white shirts
  • Drinks before the wedding
  • The groom fastening the best man's bow tie
  • Wedding preparations at Hotel Mrówka
  • The groom handing out gifts to the groomsmen
  • The groom getting ready in a room at Hotel Mrówka
  • The groomsmen fastening their shirt cufflinks
  • A photo with the groom's groomsmen

Wedding preparations with the bridesmaids


After finishing at Todd’s, we went over to Anna’s, where the bridesmaids and the bride’s parents were running around the whole house. Anna, just like Todd, also had a small gift for her bridesmaids, in the form of earrings. Here the bridesmaids also got ready the car that the bride would take to the church. While we were there, we took a few keepsake photos of the bride as well.

  • The bridesmaids' dresses
  • The bride's shoes
  • The bride's make-up
  • A keepsake photo of the couple at the family home
  • The bride's make-up
  • A bridesmaid attaching a bouquet to the car door handle
  • A flower bouquet on the door handle of a black car
  • A group photo of the bridesmaids in dressing gowns
  • The bridesmaids in dressing gowns in front of the bride's car
  • A bridesmaid pulling the bride out of the room by the hand
  • The bride coming down the stairs in a dressing gown
  • A photo with the bridesmaids in dressing gowns in the garden
  • A bridesmaid fastening the bride's dress
  • The bride putting on her heels
  • Fastening the bride's dress
  • A bridesmaid fastening the bride's dress
  • The maid of honour putting a bracelet on the bride
  • The bride adjusting her earrings
  • The bride's mother helping with the veil
  • The bridesmaids fastening wrist corsages
  • The bride coming down the stairs
  • The bride leaving the flat
  • The Mercedes driver waiting for the bride
  • The bride holding her bouquet
  • The Mercedes driver waiting for the bride
  • The bride in front of the house with her bridesmaids

Polish-American wedding in Powsin

There was plenty of emotion in front of the church too, because this is where both sides of the family finally met. Some of them were meeting for the first time. This isn’t my first international wedding, but it is my first Polish-American wedding in Poland, and you can see that the atmosphere was like something out of a Hollywood film.

The parents walked the couple to the altar, which made for a special moment when the bride’s father brought her in. The film crew and I had just as much excitement a little earlier, when we wanted to get a few shots on that same aisle with the white carpet, but we were met with an unfriendly look from the woman decorating the church, who stared in horror at its immaculate white. Afterwards, things were much more pleasant.

  • The bridesmaids hugging the groom in front of the church
  • Groomsmen in black suits and sunglasses
  • The groom's mother hugging him in front of the church
  • Inside the church
  • The bride getting out of the Mercedes at the church gate
  • The father walking the bride to the church
  • The girls holding the bride's dress
  • The couple's parents walking to the altar together
  • The groom walking to the altar with the bride's mother
  • The groom kissing the bride's mother
  • The bride being walked to the altar by her father
  • The bride's father hugging the groom in front of the altar
  • The groom kissing the bride's hand
  • The father hugging the bride
  • The church during the ceremony
  • Groomsmen in black suits
  • The couple sitting in front of the altar
  • A bridesmaid speaking to the couple from the altar
  • The bridesmaids laughing in the pew
  • The best man's speech in the church
  • The bride holding the groom's hand
  • A bridesmaid's hands
  • The couple's parents in the church pew
  • The priest speaking into the microphone from the altar
  • The couple sitting on chairs with the groomsmen in black suits behind them
  • The bridesmaids in pale blue dresses, one after another
  • A bouquet of white flowers held in front of a bridesmaid
  • The priest wrapping the couple's hands together in front of the altar
  • The groom saying his vows into the microphone
  • The couple's parents in the church pew
  • The bride saying her vows into the microphone
  • The couple's parents and grandfather
  • The groomsmen
  • The wedding rings on a gold tray
  • The groom placing the ring on the bride's finger
  • The bride placing the ring on the groom's finger
  • A smiling priest wearing glasses
  • The couple's kiss
  • The bride holding her husband's hand
  • The groom delighted about the wedding
  • A church pew with a hymn book on it
  • The couple receiving a blessing from the priests
  • The couple leaving the church
  • Confetti over the couple as they leave the church
  • The couple leaving the church with heart-shaped confetti
  • The couple kissing in front of the church
  • The bride hugging a little girl
  • The groom's father hugging the bride
  • A grandmother kissing the bride while offering her congratulations
  • Wedding guests offering their congratulations

The wedding reception at Villa Julianna

After the ceremony, we headed to the wedding reception at Villa Julianna in Julianów. A beautiful white orangery surrounded by a green garden full of fairy lights. Inside, an equally white hall, decorated with greenery, drew admiration from the guests.

The couple’s parents welcomed them in a typically Polish way, with bread and salt, and shot glasses of vodka that were traditionally thrown into the air. After that, Todd carried Anna over the threshold of the hall, all the way to the middle of the dance floor, where the guests were welcomed.

After the first dance, the guests were left to settle in and get to know each other, and in the meantime we quietly took Anna and Todd, along with their best man, maid of honour and family, out into the garden for a quick family session in that remarkable setting. Afterwards we returned to the official part of the evening, which included some touching speeches from the best man, the maid of honour and the parents. There were a few tears too.

  • The orangery at Villa Julianna
  • Greenery at Villa Julianna
  • A tree covered in fairy lights and a candle
  • Greenery at Villa Julianna
  • The garden at Villa Julianna
  • The garden at Villa Julianna in Julianów
  • A table with the guest book for the couple
  • Tables at Villa Julianna
  • 00004 wesele polsko amerykanskie villa park julianna
  • Drinks in a metal bucket and flowers on the wedding table
  • Bread and salt
  • The couple's parents waiting with bread, salt and shot glasses
  • The couple entering the hall
  • The couple's parents welcoming them with bread and salt
  • The bride kissing the bread
  • The couple throwing the shot glasses over their shoulders
  • The groom carrying the bride in his arms
  • The groom carrying the bride into the hall
  • A portrait of the couple
  • The couple with the groomsmen and bridesmaids
  • The couple posing with a groomsman
  • The bride surrounded by her bridesmaids
  • The bride's father shouting something
  • A photo of the couple with their parents
  • The groom and groomsmen in dark sunglasses
  • The groom and groomsmen

Time to get the party started!

  • A toast to the couple's health
  • The couple at the wedding table
  • The couple kissing at the table
  • The couple at the wedding table
  • A speech from the couple's fathers
  • The bride's mother smiling and clapping
  • Children playing on the dance floor during the reception
  • A bridesmaid in a pale blue dress holding a child on her lap
  • A bridesmaid speaking to the bride
  • The best man speaking to the couple
  • The groom pointing at himself with a mock-serious look

The first dance

After a few toasts, it was time for the first dance. As it happened, I caught them during their last rehearsal, just before the official performance on the dance floor in front of everyone. They gave it everything!

  • Rehearsing the first dance
  • The couple during the first dance with guests in the background
  • The groom dipping the bride backwards
  • The couple's first dance at Villa Julianna
  • The groom spinning the bride on the dance floor
  • The bride in a dance pose with her arm raised
  • The couple dancing on the dance floor. The groom looking delighted
  • The couple kissing while dancing on the dance floor
  • The first dance at Villa Julianna
  • Wedding guests on the dance floor
  • A bridesmaid with her husband and child

A concert at the wedding

Todd and his groomsmen crew are quite a wild bunch too. This time they decided to go all out and put on a concert at their own wedding for his beloved. Even the grandparents joined in.

  • A friend of the bride hugging her on the dance floor
  • The bride's grandparents embracing on the dance floor
  • The bride's mother holding a child
  • The groom dancing with a guitar and the bride on the dance floor
  • The groom playing guitar and pointing at the bride
  • The groom rocking out on the guitar
  • Dancing on the dance floor
  • Wedding dancing on the dance floor
  • The bride dancing and singing on the dance floor
  • The couple embracing while dancing on the dance floor at Villa Julianna

Sparkler photos at the wedding

I’m always a little worried that not all the sparklers will light, or that it will be too dark, but it always works out. It was the same this time.

  • A photo of the couple with sparklers
  • The couple kissing surrounded by sparklers in the garden at Villa Julianna
  • A father and son holding sparklers during the wedding photos

Wedding games at Villa Julianna

Around midnight it was time for the wedding games, and as usual plenty was going on, though thankfully no one got hurt, despite the games with cutlery. I’ll admit I’m always a bit worried something might happen to someone, and I’ve never actually witnessed an “accident during the games.” I hope it stays that way, because for the guests it’s always great fun!

  • The bride throwing her veil over her shoulder
  • The groom blindfolded while throwing the bow tie
  • The winner of catching the bow tie
  • A man who caught the groom's bow tie during the bouquet and veil ceremony
  • A wedding guest who won the bow-tie-catching contest
  • The first dance of the
  • The groom holding the bride's shoe during the wedding games
  • Wedding guests having a great time
  • The groom wondering whether to pick up the shoe
  • The bride and groom picking up shoes during the wedding game
  • The bride kissing the groom, who is sitting on a chair behind her
  • A wild wedding game on the dance floor
  • A wedding game about how many limbs touch the floor
  • The bride hugging a friend on the dance floor
  • Men running as fast as they can during the wedding game
  • Four wedding guests on white chairs taking part in the wedding game
  • A little girl passing shoes during the bouquet and veil ceremony
  • A wedding game of collecting shoes
  • Wedding guests spotting the camera lens through the window
  • Lanterns at the entrance to the wedding hall
  • Villa Julianna at night
  • A statue in the fountain dripping with water

I spent more than just the wedding day with Anna and Todd. We did their outdoor session on a separate day, and you can see that in how relaxed the photos turned out. If you’re planning your own day, take a look at what’s in the packages, or check out their session in Powsin, with dancing in the woods and flares by the Vistula.

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