It's almost here -- and as you know, Chelsea Clinton's highly anticipated upcoming nuptials to Marc Mezvinsky are already being hailed as the wedding of the century! Though the Clintons are being tight-lipped about the big day, which is supposedly this Saturday with a ceremony at 6 p.m., we've rounded up plenty of predictions and insider info.
The dress: The rumors have been put to rest, as Women's Wear Daily (WWD) confirmed today that Chelsea Clinton will be wearing a custom Vera Wang gown. The bride-to-be was spotted Tuesday outside Wang's Manhattan showroom. Then again, there's always the possibility that she could don more than one gown. MOB Hillary Clinton has reportedly been spotted at Oscar de la Renta's Manhattan showroom and insiders at MSNBC.com say that both mother and daughter have made appearances there in recent weeks. Still, WWD insists it's all Vera -- and there are even custom designed gowns for the flower girls and the bridesmaids too!
The cost: Chelsea and Mark's wedding is now rumored to have a $3 million price tag making it one of the most lavish weddings in history (other top contenders include Sir Paul McCartney's wedding to Heather Mills, now divorced, and Elizabeth Hurley's wedding to Arun Nayar, estimated at $2.5 million). Other experts from E!Online claim the wedding could be as high as $5 million.
Among the most expensive aspects? Try $200,00 for security, $500,000 for high-end flower arrangements and bouquets (reportedly from Boston-based company Winston Flowers), and $600,000 for air-conditioned glass-walled tents. This morning, TMZ.com, also reported the Clinton's will spend some $15,000 on "Presidential Series Luxury Washrooms" -- that come complete with "sinks with hot water, marble interior, air conditioning, skylights and flushing toilets, plus plenty of paper products and soap," according to Associate Content.
Location, location, location: Part of the reason that the wedding could be so expensive, is due to it's remote location and the fact that everything will have to be brought in from elsewhere. Supposedly Blue Ribbon will share catering with with the St. Regis and Olivier Cheng Catering. The wedding has been rumored to be at the Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, NY; but of course, we've also all been hearing the "Rhinebeck Conspiracy Theories" that it's really just a decoy location to keep the media away from the real wedding. Astor Courts is a Versailles inspired private mansion built in 1902 and was recently put on the market (and then suspiciously taken off the market) for $12 million. The rehearsal dinner will reportedly be held in a "stone barn on a 525-acre estate called Grasmere," Erica Orden of the Wall Streeet Journal reported today. The cost for the rehearsal dinner alone, with an estimated guest list of 100-200 guests, could easily run in the $100,000-$250,000 range.
The Food: Given the remote location, it wouldn't surprise us if each guest meal was $1,000 to $1,500. But it doesn't end there. NY Magazine reports that each guest will receive a bottle of wine from Clinton Vineyards (cute) upon their arrival.
And there's still more to come! Check back for our wrap up of Chelsea's big day. And don't forget to weigh in below and tell us your own predictions for Chelsea's wedding. What do you think it will be like?
Photos above, clockwise from left: Flowers from Winston Flowers of Boston; Astor Courts courtesy of The New York Times; Mark and Chelsea out on the town; Astor Courts outdoor terrace that looks onto the Hudson River, courtesy of The New York Times.
