On Eve Of Chelsea Clinton's Wedding, Details, News, Conjecture And Gossip

Tomorrow night, at the sprawling Astor Courts estate in Rhinebeck, New York, Chelsea Clinton will marry Marc Mezvinsky.

It has been called, variously, "the wedding of the year," "the wedding of the decade," and, yes, "the wedding of the century."

At the turn of the century, architect Stanford White designed the Beaux Arts building, to be known as The Ferncliff Casino, for John Jacob Astor IV and his wife. The "sporting pavilion" featured indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a bowling alley, and a shooting range. You can see photographs of the property here.

Since the Hudson Valley News exclusive, reporting the nuptials would take place in Dutchess County, the weekly's website has been a wellspring of news, gossip and grainy photographs.

Earlier today, the Political Junkie mocked the secrecy surrounding, and speculation about, the Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding.

While NPR's Ken Rudin ridicules the media frenzy, The Two-Way can't resist.

So, without further ado...

From The Reliable Source, some details about the groom:

Marc Mezvinsky won Chelsea Clinton's heart, and may also be the best-qualified fellow to survive such a pressure cooker occasion. The 32-year-old hedge-fund trader is, like her, the son of two high-powered politicians who endured scandal and loss. Mom Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky was a popular correspondent for Washington's NBC-4 in the '70s and '80s later elected as a Democrat to Congress from Pennsylvania; she lost her seat after one term. Dad Ed Mezvinsky served two terms as a congressman from Iowa before Marc was born; convicted of defrauding investors of millions in 2001, he served seven years in federal prison.

Before they started dating, Clinton and Mezvinsky were childhood friends, then pals at Stanford University. They named their dog after Soren Kierkegaard.

According to The New York Post, "by all accounts, Marc is a mensch." He is no pauper, either. In 2008, Mezvinsky bought a 2,000-square-foot, $3.8 million condo in the Flatiron district.

Needless to say, it was tough to score a wedding invitation.

Last month, New York magazine's Doree Shafrir reported on the invite list, claiming it consists of 400 names -- "a good size for a wedding by ordinary standards, but barely big enough to accommodate the people who slept in the Lincoln Bedroom during Bill Clinton's presidency."

The New York Daily News puts the number at 500, which further illustrates no one really knows anything about any of this.

According to Shafrir, "Chelsea has instituted a strict no-strangers policy: She must personally know every invitee." Rumored to be on the list: Oprah and Terry McAuliffe. Not on the list of attendees: President Obama.

A team of chefs -- from Blue Ribbon Restaurants, St. Regis Hotels and Resorts and Olivier Cheng Catering and Events -- will handle the catering, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Boston-based Winston Flowers, whose previous clients include Cartier, Gucci and Veuve Cliquot Champagne, will provide floral arrangements, as will floral designer Jeff Leatham. Mr. Leatham is the artistic director of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, according to his website, and his previous clients include Mr. Clinton and Madonna, as well as Eva Longoria and Tony Parker.

Reportedly, because of an allergy, the bride -- who is an avowed vegan -- has commissioned a gluten-free cake.

According to CBS, "it's still unknown whether Chelsea Clinton will wear Oscar de la Renta or Vera Wang." A photographer for Women's Wear Daily spotted her in New York City, entering Wang's boutique, wearing "a gigantic, floppy straw hat."