[1] In the Chronicon Venetum by John the Deacon, it is mentioned that Maria was the daughter of a noble patrician, called Argyropoulos, who was a descendant of the imperial family.
This made her the second cousin of the emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, likewise great-grandchildren of Romanos I, through another of his daughters, Helene.
The marriage was celebrated in the imperial chapel of Constantinople with full imperial pageantry – the couple was blessed by the patriarch, golden wedding crowns were placed on their heads by the two emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII and there followed three days of festivities in one of the palaces called Yconomium.
[3] Maria brought to her husband great dowry, including a palace in the imperial capital, where they lived after the wedding.
Before they left Constantinople, Maria Argyra was already pregnant and begged the emperor for pieces of the holy relics of Saint Barbara, which were brought to Venice by her.