What is a Polterabend?
German · also called plate smashing, German pre-wedding party
The night before a German wedding, guests smash porcelain outside the couple's home — and the couple sweeps it up together. The noise is meant to drive off bad luck, and the sweeping is the actual point: the first thing they do as a couple is clean up a mess together.
What gets broken, and what does not
Porcelain, crockery, tiles, sinks - anything ceramic. Explicitly not glass, which is considered unlucky, and not mirrors. Guests bring their own chipped plates and old dishes rather than anything new being bought to destroy.
It is loud, informal and held outdoors, usually with beer and food, and there is no dress code or programme. Anyone can come; unlike the wedding it is not really an invitation-only event.
The sweeping
The couple clears it up together, with a broom and a dustpan, in front of everyone. The symbolism is not subtle and it is the reason the tradition survives: the first shared task of the marriage is tidying up a mess other people made.
Some couples keep a shard. It is also, practically, a lot of broken ceramic to dispose of, which is worth thinking about before it is all over a driveway.
Planning it properly
A tradition only goes well if the people running your day know it is coming. These are the things to say out loud, and who to say them to.
- Do not let anyone bring glass
- Glass is considered unlucky and is genuinely dangerous underfoot. Say so on the invitation.
- Arrange disposal in advance
- A large quantity of broken ceramic needs a bin and somewhere to take it. This is the part everyone forgets.
- Check with a venue or your neighbours
- It is loud and it is late. If it is not at a private home, the venue has to agree to it.
- Hold it the night before, not on the day
- It is an evening of standing outdoors with beer. Putting it the night before a wedding morning is the tradition, and it is worth respecting the hour it ends.
Common questions
What happens at a Polterabend?
Guests smash porcelain and crockery outside the couple's home the night before the wedding, and the couple sweeps it up together. The noise is said to drive off bad luck and the sweeping represents facing tasks together.
Why can't you break glass at a Polterabend?
Glass is considered unlucky, and mirrors especially so. Only porcelain, crockery and other ceramics are smashed - and guests bring their own old dishes rather than buying anything new.
Who is invited to a Polterabend?
Traditionally anyone - it is an informal, open evening rather than an invitation-only event, which is part of what distinguishes it from the wedding itself.
The vendors who make this work
Polterabend depends on people who have done it before. Every review on Lazo comes from a couple who actually got married with that vendor, and rankings can't be bought.
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