The ceremony began with Kinga and I checking that our personal data had been entered correctly into an enormous, leather-bound book that included, I assume, all the official marriage licenses for some given period of time.

Then the representative of the “urzad stanu cywilnego” (“office of civil state” directly translated) invited us into a small room, put on her official “Rzeczpospolita Polska” chain and began explaining the serious nature of the state we were about to enter.

Kinga and I exchanged vows and rings, then there were congratuations followed by champaign and chocolates.

The whole thing lasted about half an hour.