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Polish wedding glossary: korkowe, zadatek, poprawiny and other terms in venue offers

What korkowe, zadatek, zaliczka, poprawiny, cena za talerzyk, the alcohol package, service and the gross bill mean in a Polish venue offer, with amounts.

The Złote Wesele team

Published 8 min read

Contents

Polish venue offers and contracts have a language of their own, and many of their words have no exact English equivalent. Below are nine terms that most often decide what you'll pay, each explained in a few sentences, with an amount and a link to the guide where we work it out in full. They're in Polish alphabetical order, as you'll meet them in the documents.

Cena za talerzyk: the price per plate

The cena za talerzyk (price per plate) is the price of the wedding menu and waiting staff for one adult guest; according to 2026 market overviews, it's usually 300⁠–⁠450 zł. It usually covers dinner, hot courses served during the night, cold dishes, soft drinks and waiting staff. It usually doesn't cover alcohol, corkage, a service percentage, the cake or extra hours. Children pay less, often half the price per plate at ages 4⁠–⁠10. In our example, a 320 zł plate ends up as a bill of 440 zł per guest.

More: Wedding price per plate in Poland

Korkowe: corkage

Korkowe (corkage) is the fee a venue charges for serving alcohol you bought yourselves; according to a 2026 survey of venues around Warsaw, it's usually 15⁠–⁠60 zł per guest there. It covers receiving and storing the bottles, chilling them, glasses, serving at the tables and clearing up. Some venues charge it per bottle, opened or brought in. Your own alcohol plus corkage works out cheaper than a 130 zł venue package with 10% service as long as corkage is under 92 zł per guest.

More: Corkage at a Polish wedding

Obsługa: the service charge

Obsługa here means the service charge: a percentage some venues add to the bill, most often 10%. It's not the same as the waiting staff (obsługa kelnerska), which is usually already in the price per plate. What matters most is what it's charged on: 10% of the food alone is less than 10% of the food and the alcohol package. In our example, 10% of the food and the venue's alcohol comes to 3,997 zł for 100 guests.

More: Hidden wedding venue costs in Poland

Pakiet alkoholowy: the venue's alcohol package

A pakiet alkoholowy is alcohol the venue sells at a fixed price per adult guest, for example 130 zł; alkohol tylko z sali ("alcohol from the venue only") means you can't bring your own. For 80 adults, a 130 zł package comes to 10,400 zł, or 11,440 zł with 10% service. An average night with alcohol bought in a shop costs about 51 zł per adult, or 4,080 zł. Check what's in the venue's package: the brands, how much per guest and for how many hours.

More: Corkage at a Polish wedding and How much alcohol for a Polish wedding

Poprawiny: the day-after party

The poprawiny is the second day of a Polish wedding, usually the day after, with its own menu and its own price per guest; according to 2025 market overviews, it's usually 150⁠–⁠250 zł per guest. There are usually fewer guests and a shorter party, so less alcohol too. The venue prices the poprawiny separately and often has a separate deadline for the guest count. The final bill for the whole wedding often arrives only after the poprawiny.

More: Hidden wedding venue costs in Poland and the wedding alcohol calculator, which counts the poprawiny too

Rachunek brutto: the gross bill

The rachunek brutto (gross bill) is the whole amount you'll pay the venue, VAT and every surcharge included: in our example 43,965 zł for 100 guests, though the price per plate makes it 32,000 zł "on paper". Brutto means including VAT, which is usually 8% on catering and 23% on alcohol. If an offer gives prices netto (before VAT), you'll pay the VAT on top. Compare venues by the gross bill for the same guest list, not by the price per plate.

More: Wedding price per plate in Poland and How to compare wedding venue offers in Poland

Waloryzacja: price indexation

Waloryzacja (price indexation) is a contract clause that lets the venue raise the price before the wedding, for example by inflation, which Statistics Poland (GUS) put at 3.6% for 2025. That turns a 320 zł plate into 331.52 zł, and under a clause allowing "up to 15%", into as much as 368 zł. In case of doubt, the Polish Civil Code considers unfair a clause that lets the venue raise the price without giving you the right to withdraw (article 385³(20)). Before you sign, ask for a guaranteed price, or for an index with a cap.

More: Wedding venue contracts in Poland: what to check before you sign

Zadatek: the binding deposit

A zadatek is a payment made when you sign, which the venue can keep if you don't perform the contract, and if the venue doesn't perform it, you can demand twice the amount (article 394 of the Civil Code). For a wedding venue it's usually 500 to 5,000 zł, or from about 10% to 30% of the price. If the wedding goes ahead, the zadatek is deducted from the bill. It's refunded in the single amount if you end the contract by mutual agreement, or if nobody is at fault.

More: Wedding venue deposits in Poland: zadatek vs zaliczka

Zaliczka: the advance payment

A zaliczka is part of the price paid in advance, which is in principle refunded if the contract isn't performed, even if you're the ones who cancel: 5,000 zł paid as a zaliczka comes back, while 5,000 zł paid as a zadatek the venue could keep. The zaliczka has no article of its own in the Civil Code. Cancelling with a zaliczka isn't necessarily free, though: the venue can claim damages if it shows a loss, or a contractual penalty if the contract sets one. The wording of the contract decides whether a payment is a zadatek or a zaliczka.

More: Wedding venue deposits in Poland: zadatek vs zaliczka

Frequently asked questions

What is korkowe at a Polish wedding?

Korkowe is corkage: the fee a venue charges for serving alcohol the couple bring themselves, covering storage, chilling, glasses, serving and clearing up. It's usually 15⁠–⁠60 zł per guest, and some venues charge it per bottle.

What's the difference between a zadatek and a zaliczka?

The venue can keep a zadatek if you cancel, and if the venue doesn't perform the contract, you can demand twice the amount. A zaliczka is in principle refunded whoever cancels, although the venue may claim damages or a contractual penalty.

What are poprawiny?

The poprawiny is the day-after party of a Polish wedding, usually the next day, with its own menu and its own price per guest. According to 2025 market overviews, it usually costs 150⁠–⁠250 zł per guest.

What does the price per plate cover in Poland?

Usually dinner, hot courses during the night, cold dishes, soft drinks and waiting staff for one adult guest. It usually doesn't cover alcohol, corkage, a service percentage, the cake or extra hours.

Is the service charge included in the price per plate?

Not always. Waiting staff are usually included in the price per plate, but some venues add a separate service percentage to the bill, most often 10%. Check which lines the venue charges it on.

What does "alkohol tylko z sali" mean?

"Alcohol from the venue only": you can't bring your own alcohol and buy the venue's package instead, priced per adult guest, for example 130 zł. For 80 adults that's 10,400 zł, or 11,440 zł with 10% service.

Sources

The legal texts and sources are in Polish.

All guides

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