Buenos Aires - Argentine weddings reflect the cultural heritage of the bride and groom, and the mix is often rich in a melting-pot country with a broad diversity. Most Argentines have more or less distant Spanish ancestry. However, many descend from Italians, and there are also smaller communities of Jews, Arabs, Armenians, Ukrainians, Greeks and others who are keen to show their roots in their marriages. In modern-day Argentina this often results in mix-and-match weddings.
"Weddings are the social introduction of the new couple. Although the parties have a wedding identity and clear characteristics linked to that kind of event, customs appear that identify the family of the bride and groom, or the couple," expert Magdalena Martinez Picabea told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Small touches in the food and the music remind the guests of the often diverse family make-up, and some traditions put down roots beyond specific communities. For example, it is usual in Argentine weddings to alternate food and music, with each course followed by a spell on the dancefloor.
"It started to be done like that in weddings of Jewish descent," said Claudia La Valle, director of Wedding Concept. "Now it is like that for everybody."
La Valle explained that weddings with Catholic roots generally featured the food first, and then a long dance, rather than the stop- and-go variant that is common nowadays.
Of course, the heyday of immigration in Argentina is long gone, and another trend has emerged: couples seek to break with tradition and to make their marriage unique, and uniquely Argentine at that.
In this context, a tango sometimes replaces the traditional waltz, ranches replace urban halls for the reception, and the menu is taken over by empanadas (small meat pies), choripanes (sausages on bread) and other common elements of the typical asado or roast.
Just as they vary depending on the cultural heritage of the bride and groom, Argentine weddings change whether they are held in the capital or in the provinces across a vast country.
In the provinces, for example, food is generally more plentiful but less sophisticated, guests dress more elegantly and often pay a cover charge or tarjeta, whereas in Buenos Aires the newly-married couple would be expected to pay for the whole party, noted Martinez Picabea, commercial director at the specialized site casamientosonline.com.
Still, all parties share a vocation for variety and a will to impress.
"Argentine weddings are characteristically long and fun. Parties last eight or nine hours. Those that start with lunch end at sundown, and those that are held at night end with breakfast," the wedding expert said.
The deep economic crisis that touched rock-bottom in 2001 resulted in an inverse phenomenon, with many seeking better conditions elsewhere, especially in Europe or North America.
"Generally, couples who live abroad and come back to Buenos Aires to get married like to go back to their roots and have typically Argentine weddings," said Picabea.
The country's economic collapse - complete with the freezing of bank accounts and a devaluation that saw the peso lose about two thirds of its value against the dollar - itself took a toll on wedding plans in Argentina. There were fewer guests per party and couples took precautions to set prices for services well in advance, experts recall.
But the country is at least solidly on the road to recovery, with impressive growth rates whose impact can be perceived on the streets. And this has brought Argentine marriage celebrations back where they started.
"Nowadays weddings are big affairs, the objective is to surprise the guest whatever the cost," said Picabea.
