Image Courteasy: New York Times
New York:
The upcoming nuptials this weekend of former first daughter Chelsea Clinton and her fiancé, Mark Mezvinsky could be the most talked about American wedding in quite some time, some in the US are calling it the wedding of the century.
Most of the details have been treated with the covertness of a state secret. But a few, like the expected location in Rhinebeck, New York, are leaking out.
The quaint and rather sleepy town of Rhinebeck, a weekend getaway in New York's Hudson Valley, is about to get a major awakening, at least for a weekend.
Rumor has it that this quiet town is the site of the most anticipated American wedding in quite some time; that of Chelsea Clinton and her investment banker beau, Marc Mezvinsky.
Though the date has been confirmed, Saturday, July 31st, all other details are shrouded in secrecy.
And while local hotel managers and restaurant owners aren't spilling what they may, or may not, know, Rhinebeck residents are talking, and excitedly so.
"I happen to know from a very reliable source that she is getting married here," said local realtor Cynthia Carlaw.
The buzz in Rhinebeck is that Clinton and Mezvinsky will be tying the knot at the Astor Courts, a grand and private 50-acre estate, totally hidden from prying eyes and television cameras.
Though her parents, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton are notoriously public, it should come as no surprise that the publicity-shy Chelsea Clinton wants to keep her own wedding under tight wraps.
"In choosing a place like Rhinebeck as opposed to the Hamptons or somewhere where there might be a lot more people, I think that her personality of this kind of understated, quiet, private will be reflected in this personal and elegant affair," said Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings.
When she was a curly-haired young girl with braces growing up in the White House, her parents passionately guarded her privacy, asking the media to leave her in peace.
As she grew older, Chelsea stayed almost completely out of the spotlight, except for when she campaigned for her mother's 2008 presidential bid.
"She's grown up in front of our eyes, in front of America, as this gangly little 13 year old girl in the White House into a vibrant woman," said Randy Fenoli, the Fashion Director at New York's popular Kleinfeld Bridal.
Chelsea's 32-year-old fiancée has a background not entirely unlike her own. He's the son of two former Democratic representatives and a fellow graduate of Stanford University.
The two first met when they were teenagers, but only started dating in the past few years.
Unlike, Clinton, who is Methodist, Mezvinsky is Jewish, leading many to speculate whether the nuptials will feature both a rabbi and a minister.
Another much anticipated question: Who will Chelsea be wearing? Oscar de la Renta seems to be the rumour-mill favourite, but others believe she'll don Vera Wang.
For that answer, and most of the wedding details, very curious public will just have to wait.
"I think we're fascinated because we know the family really well, or we feel like we do. They've been in our lives for a long time... We've seen the triumphs of the election, we've seen the personal distress in their own family life. We've seen Chelsea growing up in the White House and really being the glue that held things together for a little while. And now she's grown into this beautiful, strong, grounded young woman that we want to cheer on," said Brides magazine editor Millie Martini Bratten.
Randy Fenoli said Chelsea's wedding is the closest Americans will get to a royal wedding.
"In America, we don't really have royalty and I think that Chelsea, growing up in the White House, is kind of our royalty. So this is kind of like our royal wedding."
With a royal price tag to match, Clinton and Mezvinsky's wedding will reportedly cost somewhere between three and five million dollars.
But unlike most royal weddings, Chelsea's won't be televised or covered by the media. So curious fans hoping to get a glimpse of the bride and groom will just have to wait for the still photos to be released
Most of the details have been treated with the covertness of a state secret. But a few, like the expected location in Rhinebeck, New York, are leaking out.
The quaint and rather sleepy town of Rhinebeck, a weekend getaway in New York's Hudson Valley, is about to get a major awakening, at least for a weekend.
Rumor has it that this quiet town is the site of the most anticipated American wedding in quite some time; that of Chelsea Clinton and her investment banker beau, Marc Mezvinsky.
Though the date has been confirmed, Saturday, July 31st, all other details are shrouded in secrecy.
And while local hotel managers and restaurant owners aren't spilling what they may, or may not, know, Rhinebeck residents are talking, and excitedly so.
"I happen to know from a very reliable source that she is getting married here," said local realtor Cynthia Carlaw.
The buzz in Rhinebeck is that Clinton and Mezvinsky will be tying the knot at the Astor Courts, a grand and private 50-acre estate, totally hidden from prying eyes and television cameras.
Though her parents, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton are notoriously public, it should come as no surprise that the publicity-shy Chelsea Clinton wants to keep her own wedding under tight wraps.
"In choosing a place like Rhinebeck as opposed to the Hamptons or somewhere where there might be a lot more people, I think that her personality of this kind of understated, quiet, private will be reflected in this personal and elegant affair," said Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings.
When she was a curly-haired young girl with braces growing up in the White House, her parents passionately guarded her privacy, asking the media to leave her in peace.
As she grew older, Chelsea stayed almost completely out of the spotlight, except for when she campaigned for her mother's 2008 presidential bid.
"She's grown up in front of our eyes, in front of America, as this gangly little 13 year old girl in the White House into a vibrant woman," said Randy Fenoli, the Fashion Director at New York's popular Kleinfeld Bridal.
Chelsea's 32-year-old fiancée has a background not entirely unlike her own. He's the son of two former Democratic representatives and a fellow graduate of Stanford University.
The two first met when they were teenagers, but only started dating in the past few years.
Unlike, Clinton, who is Methodist, Mezvinsky is Jewish, leading many to speculate whether the nuptials will feature both a rabbi and a minister.
Another much anticipated question: Who will Chelsea be wearing? Oscar de la Renta seems to be the rumour-mill favourite, but others believe she'll don Vera Wang.
For that answer, and most of the wedding details, very curious public will just have to wait.
"I think we're fascinated because we know the family really well, or we feel like we do. They've been in our lives for a long time... We've seen the triumphs of the election, we've seen the personal distress in their own family life. We've seen Chelsea growing up in the White House and really being the glue that held things together for a little while. And now she's grown into this beautiful, strong, grounded young woman that we want to cheer on," said Brides magazine editor Millie Martini Bratten.
Randy Fenoli said Chelsea's wedding is the closest Americans will get to a royal wedding.
"In America, we don't really have royalty and I think that Chelsea, growing up in the White House, is kind of our royalty. So this is kind of like our royal wedding."
With a royal price tag to match, Clinton and Mezvinsky's wedding will reportedly cost somewhere between three and five million dollars.
But unlike most royal weddings, Chelsea's won't be televised or covered by the media. So curious fans hoping to get a glimpse of the bride and groom will just have to wait for the still photos to be released
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