Inside Alan Faena and Grace Goldsmith’s Theatrical Four-Day Wedding in Buenos Aires
.jpg)
In May 2021, Alan Faena crashed Grace Goldsmith’s mother’s birthday party at Saxony Bar—but he turned out to be a welcome addition. As the hotelier behind the Faena Miami Beach, where the bar is located, he’s a well-known character in the city thanks to his all-white outfits accented with a matching hat and, on occasion, a cape. “Naturally the only person that could crash a private party at the hotel was Alan,” Grace says, laughing. They struck up a conversation at the bar, but left that night as friends.
In March 2022, Alan decided to ask Grace—an art services specialist and founder of fashion line Grace Roses—on a date. A whirlwind romance followed, with Alan proposing to her just three months later at his home in Punta Del Este. After taking a walk in the rose garden, Grace went to set up a backgammon game. Soon, she noticed a piece was missing—and in its place was an engagement ring. “When you know, you know,” Grace says.
A year later, they tied the knot during a wild four-day wedding weekend in Alan’s hometown of Buenos Aires. On the first day, the couple hosted a welcome dinner at Palacio Paz, a Beaux-Arts mansion by famed French architect Louis-Marie Henri Soratais. The night began with cocktails in the courtyard before a traditional Argentine tango show in the great hall. Dinner was held in the Hall of Mirrors–inspired sala de musica, where a singer belted out “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from the balcony. “The idea was to transport everyone back to when Buenos Aires was the Paris of Latin America and to experience the Old World feel the country preserves in its historical landmarks,” Grace says.
On Friday night, the Faena family hosted a traditional shabbat dinner at Alan’s home. Alan’s mother, Elisa. She cooked traditional Syrian dishes like lachmagine, mechshe, and kibbeh for 120 people. “We come from very different backgrounds, cultures, and periods of time in life, but one of the things we share in common is the value of family in our lives,” Grace says. Afterwards, guests headed to a cabaret night at the Faena Hotel in Puerto Madero.
The next day, Alan and Grace wed in a theatrical traditional Jewish ceremony at Temple Libertad—an 19th-century synagogue where, decades earlier, Alan’s own parents married. Grace wore a custom Oscar de la Renta dress modeled after her own mother’s. “My intention was to wear my mom’s wedding dress, but when the fit wasn’t right, I did my best to recreate its beauty,” she says. “It is simple, traditional, and elegant just like hers was.” She paired it with her mother’s pearl necklace and a veil with embroidery meant to evoke angel wing feathers. While getting ready, she wore a “Mrs. Faena” robe she designed herself for Grace Roses.
Alan wore a custom outfit by designer Katharine Grace, including a jacket embroidered with a blazing heart symbol with their initials—AG—and a shirt with pearl buttons to match Grace’s pearl necklace. The pants included a motif of a Cupid’s arrow, while his top had included feather from a bird native to Punta del Este.
Alan—who is credited with creating “neighborhoods” around his hotels that often include aesthetically-cohesive theaters, bazaars, and even concert spaces—did all the planning. He envisioned their nuptials as an opera, complete with dramatic cues and ethereal set design: adorning the temple’s arches with green flowers, and scenting the halls with palo santo. (There was an organist, a guitarist, and a full choir for music.) Before Grace walked down the mirrored aisle, the temple went dark—and then lit up as she took her first step. The final act was an emotional ring exchange under the chuppah, before the couple departed in a 1950s vintage car. “I produced for the love of my life, an opera of love,” Alan says. “And she was the muse of every act.”
Later that evening, the couple threw a raucous party at the Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, where they lined the hotel’s cathedral with red roses—a nod to the garden where they got engaged—and projected their AG initials on the wall. A “Love Is All” neon sign illuminated the pool, while an eight-foot cake doubled as decoration. “Alan lifted me onto the platform of the cake so I could reach the top to cut the first piece,” Grace says. Meanwhile, their custom AG logo was printed on napkins, ice cubes, and even performer’s outfits. (Of which there was a lot: Alan and Grace organized multiple theatrical acts, including exotic dancers, a cabaret performance, and a live band.) The hora, meanwhile, lasted for a full 45 minutes.
.jpg)