Griswolds Take Europe

 {On moi, Hervé Léger strapless bandage dress, Jimmy Choo Abel glitter pumps, Lauren Merkin clutch}

 

When my in-laws emigrated to Miami from Buenos Aires in 1990, I know this much is true: They never expected their two macho progeny, Sebastian and Esteban, would fall in love with a brazenly loud Greek and sweetly quiet Hungarian gal, respectively. But life is never what we envision, and that’s precisely how this cookie crumbled for Cristina and Enrique Tettamanti. God bless their hearts.

The past two weeks, I fancied in the absolute revelry of  prancing through Hungary and Greece with 16 (yes, 16!)  family members (Don’t worry, I packed plenty of mommy meds for any unforseen meltdowns, but shockingly never needed any whatsoever. BUT I sure as hell drank enough sauvignon blanc to kill a mini horse. Don’t judge.) The impetus for the trip? My brother in law Esteban’s wedding to Hungarian-born Orsi.

Our Griswold-esque Euro Trip adventure starts in bewitching Budapest, Hungary — a city boasting views of the Danube River, a stunning Parliament, Chain Bridge, Byzantine architecture and loads of goulash and stuffed cabbage (which inevitably stuffed this gal’s gastrointestinal tract — but we’ll save that fun tidbit for a later post). Another interesting fact: Harry Houdini was born here and Hungary is revered for its traditional baths and pools where the men go, er, balls a blazin’. Eesh.

Back to the wedding at hand, kids. I shimmied into a tried-and-true look — an Hervé Léger strapless dress — paired with Choos. Aside from their major WOW factor, Hervés travel very well and won’t wrinkle if folded properly. The caveat with an Hervé? You cannot ingest a morsel of food for 3 days prior to wearing a bandage dress as Spanx lines totes show. These dresses are the devil’s work, I tell you.

Orsi, on the other hand, looked amazing, Esteban was over-the-moon happy, and after far too many Pálinka shots, everyone danced until 4 a.m. My daughter, Ava, shut down the dance floor with a mean rendition of the Macarena.

All in all, it was the perfect celebration of love — spicy Hungarian style.