On the 11th day of May

Four years ago today, Dan and I exchanged wedding vows in a civil ceremony in Siena, Italy.

The City Councillor says (in Italian):

In the year two thousand and five, on the 11th day of the 5th month, in the Town Hall of Siena, in a room open to the general public, in my presence, Councilor of the Comune of Siena, Registrar of Marriages, are the following persons:

Are you Mr. DD?
(Dan answers yes)

And are you Miss CG?
(I answer yes)

For my duty as a City official, and for your guidance, I shall now read the following articles of law out of the Civil Code of the Republic of Italy, which relate to the mutual rights and duties, of married couples

Art. 143.
By marrying, husband and wife acquire the same rights and undertake the same duties. Marriage imposes mutual duties of faithfulness, moral and material assistance, co-operation in the interest of the family and cohabitation.

Both husband and wife each according to his (or her) own means and capacity in the professional or domestic field, must attend to the needs of the family.

Art. 144.
Husband and wife, must agree upon the direction of their family life. The family residence will be established taking into account the requirements of the family. Both husband and wife have the power to put into action the direction they have agreed upon.

Art. 147.
Marriage imposes on both spouses the obligation to support, teach and educate their children, taking into account the abilities, natural talents and aspirations of the children, themselves.

Do you Mr. D take Miss C as your wife?
(Dan answers yes)

And do you Miss C take Mr. D as your husband?
(I answer yes)

Have the witnesses heard?
(Angie & Kimberly answer yes)

In the name of the law I declare that Mr. D and Miss C are united in marriage.

After this, the wedding document was read in Italian and English:

In the year two thousand and five, on the 11th day of the 5th month, in the Town Hall of Siena, in a room open to the general public, in my presence, Councilor of the Town of Siena, Registrar of marriages, are the following persons:

DD, Bridegroom, born at [location] on [birthdate]
CG, Bride, born at [location] on [birthdate]

and they have asked me to unite them in marriage. To this purpose I read to the spouses the articles of law 143; 144 and 147 out of the Civil Code of Law of the Republic of Italy. Then I asked the bridegroom whether he wanted to take C as his wife, and whether the bride wanted to take D as her husband, and as both have answered affirmatively in the presence of the witnesses, I declared that they are united in marriage.