People News

Chelsea Clinton's opulent wedding in Rhinebeck

By April MacIntyre Aug 1, 2010, 0:27 GMT

Guests load up on buses to go to the wedding between Chelsea Clinton, and investment banker Marc Mezvinsky at the Astor Court Estate about 90 miles north of New York in Rhinebeck, New York, 31 July 2010. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

Bill and Hillary's little girl is now 30, and marrying in grand style in upstate New York.

Stars and potentates are turning out and celebrating today (June 30) in Rhinebeck on the Hudson river, a bucolic slice of new York state.

Chelsea Clinton marries investment banker Marc Mezvinsky, 32, Saturday evening. The two met as teens and later became romantically involved.

The nuptials are rumored to cost upwards of $3 million. The interfaith ceremony will be conducted by Rabbi James Ponet and Reverend William Shillady. Ms. Clinton is Methodist and the groom, Marc Mezvinsky, is Jewish.

The tally so far:

Two helicopter landing pads have been installed at Astor Courts, the private Hudson riverfront estate where the wedding is to happen.

The menu will feature gluten-free vegan dishes as well as organic beef selections.

Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen will be in attendance, and have known Chelsea since she was a baby.

Former president Bill Clinton dropped 20 pounds to slim down for the wedding.

The guest list: Only people Chelsea personally knows, 400+ attendees who are to be bussed in.

Oprah and Obama are not on the guest list.

The Clintons are staying at Astor Courts.

There is a lockdown at all local hotels for information, no divulging on who is staying at their establishments. The completely-booked local hotels were paid for by the Clintons, according to several news reports.

Some of the pre-wedding gifts for the attendees are chocolates from Samuel's and wine from Clinton Vineyards. "It's white, it's called Tribute and it's a Seyval Blanc. It's the 2009 vintage," Rita Flood, who works at Clinton Vineyards, told Us. "It's called Tribute for two reasons: one, initially, the owners called it Tribute to recognize the fact that they harvested their grapes on 9/11, and it was released in tribute of those who died in 9/11. And another tribute to honor the founder of Clinton Vineyards, Ben Feder."

A friend of the couple planned to read the poem, “The Life That I Have,” by Leo Marks.