America was abuzz on Saturday with what is being billed as the 'wedding of the century' with former first daughter Chelsea Clinton set to tie the knot with investment banker Marc Mezvinsky, after an intensively secret build-up.
The star studded wedding will take place in Rhinebeck, a quaint rural retreat for the New York elite, amidst a news black out which has triggered a media frenzy with hundreds of scribes descending on the small town.
The bride, 30, met her would-be-husband as a teenager and her nuptials with Mezvinsky, 32, are set to take place at the grand Astor Courthouse, which has been declared a 'no-fly' zone, with hundreds of security personnel blocking all roads leading to the venue.
The bride's parents, former president Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are already in Rhinebeck for the wedding, which will have a guest list of 500, but sans President Barack Obama and the first family.
According to unconfirmed reports the guests include talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, Hollywood mogul Steven Speilberg and former British Prime Minister John Major.
Obama won't be there as he says that he wasn't actually invited and that in any case, two presidents would be "one too many" at the wedding.
But media reports do not rule out the possibility of the Obamas making a grand entry by keeping their participation a secret for security reasons.
Estimates of the wedding cost, has been put between $3 to 5 million.
Bill Clinton meanwhile charmed the locals during a casual stroll through the town, saying that he was pleased with his daughter's choice of life partner.
"I like him (Mark) very much," a smiling Clinton said "I really do. I admire him. Hillary feels the same way."
Casual in jeans and a black golf shirt, Clinton shook hands and greeted the crowd like he was back on the campaign trail, reported New York Daily News.
His surprise appearance came before a private rehearsal dinner last night in a renovated stone barn, after months of secrecy over the wedding.
After weeks of speculation about everything from who designed the dress, to the cost of the wedding cake, the ceremony will finally take place at 5 pm local time.
The nuptials will reportedly include both Christian and Jewish traditions as Chelsea is a Methodist while her fiance is Jewish. Nothing has been announced about whether Chelsea is converting to Judaism or other options.
Image: Chelsea Clinton
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