Argentina: The one about our wedding

After we got engaged in 2018, we thought 2020 might be a good year for a wedding. It would give us plenty of time to plan the logistics, plus having a 2020 anniversary just sounded like fun. Looking back, boy are we glad we jumped the gun in 2019 given all that has transpired this year. In true Argentine fashion, we have finally taken the time to break down exactly how we spent our money for the occasion. Totals listed are in U.S. dollars.

Decorations

This category includes craft supplies that I used to make most of our decorations, as well as our flower budget.

Favors 

If there isn't cotillón at a party in Argentina, then it's not even worth going. What is cotillón, you ask? Glow sticks, heart-shaped glasses, flower necklaces, masks, and more! We also had take-home party favors of Fernet and Coke, a.k.a. the preferred drink of most Cordobeses. To top off the favors, we had a photo booth that printed photos instantly for guests to take home with them.

Photography

Our photographer, Vero, did both our engagement photos and our wedding photos. She was with us from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on our wedding day!

Paperwork

Everyone's favorite category! This total cost includes the price of our civil document, the church fee, and all my residency paperwork. It does not include the cost of Emi's U.S. visa, which is already in the thousands and we are probably only halfway there.

Venue

One thing I learned while planning our wedding is that if you don't know somebody who has a business or who can help you procure things, then don't even bother. Sometimes this works to your advantage, but sometimes it brings you to a moment of panic. We thought we had our venue secured. Of course the venue owner was a family friend. When we touched base with them a month or so after having gone to view the site, we were told that the date was no longer available. Cue: contacting alllll the venues in the city only to have the situation resolved after a few emotion-filled hours. When all was said and done, the cost of renting the venue was waived and all we paid for were the DJ, sound, lights, and city taxes.

Attire

Included here is my dress, which I had custom made by a designer in the city, my shoes, Emi's tie (he already had the suit), my hair and makeup, and our rings.

Travel 

We hired a bus to take our guests from the church to our reception venue, and then from the venue back home at the end of the night. The total cost for that last-minute expense was a whopping $40. Also included in this category are a rental car and our flights to and from Iguazú where my family, Emi, and I spent three days chasing waterfalls after the wedding.

Food

Naturally, we spent the majority of our budget on food. We did not have a sit-down meal at our reception, but rather four different "islands" of food. There was salad, meat and cheese platters, gnocchi (a must since it is good luck to eat on the 29th of the month), warm meat and vegetable dishes, pork sandwiches, and 3 a.m. French fries. This total also includes our open bar, hors d'oeuvres, tiramisu dessert, and cake with other goodies. Nobody left hungry.

There you have it. Upon crunching the final numbers, we joked that our total came to what some couples spend on just their photographer in the U.S. We planned for 50 people, which is a big factor to consider when seeing the total cost. While we would have loved to have celebrated with more of you who were unable to come, it was a splendid occasion nonetheless. And if, by chance, any of you are interested in a post-pandemic destination wedding in Cordoba, I know a gal who can help you plan it.