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Politics & The Nation
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010 Finally, Chelsea’s big day arrives
by Michael W. Savage in rhinebeck, n.y.
The wedding spectacle known for its hype, rumors, political in- trigue and breathless celebrity speculation got under way Satur- day night, as Chelsea Clinton tied the knot with her longtime boy- friend at an historic estate in up- state New York. The happy couple — a former
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first daughter and Marc Mezvin- sky, an investment banker and po- litical offspring himself — suc- cessfully kept details of their sumptuous celebration more or less mum, especially the exclusive guest list. After dark, former president Bill Clinton and Secre- tary of State Hillary Rodham Clin- ton allowed a statement about their “great pride and overwhelm- ing emotion,” and their staff of- fered a few grace notes about the interfaith ceremony, which was conducted by Rabbi James Ponet and the Rev. William Shillady. (Mezvinsky was raised in the Jew- ish faith, while Clinton is a Meth- odist.) Along with their vows, there was a reading of the Seven Blessings, a Jewish tradition. This amounted to the first offi- cial confirmation of an event marked by efforts at secrecy. The party venue, the Astor Courts es- tate, was never actually confirmed, even as long-gowned, tuxedoed in- vites arrived at 6 p.m. In truth, any doubts that Rhinebeck was not the venue were dispelled Friday at lunchtime, when Bill Clinton bounded into at a local restaurant. Fellow diners were dumbstruck as he went from table to table, shak- ing hands and apologizing for the commotion that has beset the qui- et community. By noon on Saturday, the celeb-
rity spotting had become an en- thusiastic diversion in Rhinebeck, and the sightings became ever more common. Actors Ted Dan- son and Mary Steenburgen, by their amiable presence, revealed themselves as among the 400- plus who made the final cut. Steenburgen, a long-term friend of the Clintons from Arkansas, confirmed that guests had been sworn to secrecy, but said Chelsea was a “beautiful person” and that she and Mezvinsky had always been determined to do the wed- ding their way. A little later, at the Gigi Tratto- ria restaurant where the former
BILL O’LEARY/THE WASHINGTON POST
Townspeople and tourists wait near a hotel for a glimpse of celebrity guests in the small Hudson Valley town of Rhinebeck, N.Y.
on
washingtonpost.com Summer
blockbuster
See the scenes from Chelsea Clinton’s wedding day, plus a look at the first daughter through the years.
washingtonpost.com/ chelsea-wedding
president enjoyed a Friday lunch, fashion designer Vera Wang wan- dered out. Her spare stylings had been an early favorite as Chelsea’s wedding dress of choice. Wang found herself surrounded by a crowd within moments before be- ing whisked away by a bodyguard. Madeleine Albright, former
secretary of state, left soon after, having lunched with Terry McAu- liffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. They were making the most of their trip to the region, seen Sat- urday morning, along with attor- ney Elizabeth Bagley, visiting the nearby Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.
Back in Rhinebeck, more hold- ers of coveted invites appeared: Billionaire movie producer Steve Bing, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D- N.Y.) and former Clinton adviser Douglas Band were seen lunching at Foster’s Coach House Tavern. Tinted windows on shuttle bus-
es kept other guests shielded from snapshot-takers and gawkers. De- spite the invasion of political heavyweights and A-listers, some spectators would not settle for anyone less renowned than Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand or Steven Spielberg, who were ru-
mored to be invited, and then ru- mored not to be invited, and were, at any rate, nowhere to be seen. On Friday night, crowds gath- ered outside the Beekman Arms, another hotel fully booked by the wedding party. Guests, including the bride’s parents, were seen heading from a rehearsal dinner to a cocktail party at the local tavern. The frenzy has been a shift for Rhinebeck, an upmarket village whose citizens pride themselves on living quietly with wealthy neighbors in their midst. By Sat- urday evening, every local had a war story about how they or a friend had been interviewed by journalists from Poughkeepsie to Japan. On Friday, Wayne Brandes, a retired electrician, hawked com- memorative T-shirts. A pizza pur- veyor gave out free slices of its “wedding special” (with peppero- ni spelling out “I Do”), while a lo- cal deli offered a “Hillary’s Secre- tary of Steak” sandwich. Not everyone was overjoyed, though. Some residents on River Road, leading to the Astor estate, said they were annoyed by the dis- ruption. Others, noting road clo- sures and security squads, com- plained that Chelsea was being treated like royalty. Planners sought to soothe ill feelings by de- livering bottles of wine to neigh- bors, along with permits to ensure they could pass roadblocks. On the whole, however, leafy, normally sleepy Rhinebeck seemed happy to have a moment in the spotlight.
savagem@washpost.com
Staff writer Manuel Roig-Franzia contributed to this report.
Events subject to change or cancellation.
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