Chelsea Clinton wedding: A sneak peek

Despite the over-the-top secrecy - or maybe, in part, because of it - the world is abuzz over Chelsea Clinton's upcoming nuptials to her investment banker beau, Marc Mezvinsky.

"I think in America, we don't really have royalty and I think that Chelsea growing up in the White House is kind of our royalty. So this is kind of like our royal wedding," says Randy Fenoli, Fashion Director at New York's famed Kleinfeld Bridal salon.

Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, is expected to marry on July 31 in Rhinebeck, New York, a charming town on the Hudson River.

"All signs are pointing towards it being a sort of formal, classic wedding," says Millie Martini Bratten, Editor in Chief of Brides Magazine. "Vera Wang is reportedly making the dress; Oscar de la Renta will be dressing Hillary. It is a grand space. We expect everything to be floor length. Men will probably be in tuxedos. Gorgeous space for a candlelight wedding."

Rhinebeck, a town of about 8,000 residents, is just 75 miles from the Chappaqua, New York, home the former president and first lady bought before her successful run for the U.S. Senate in 2000. The Clintons have passed through the town a number of times.

"I've seen so many celebrities come through the town and that's kind of part of our everyday life," says Josh Kroner, owner of Terrapin Restaurant in Rhinebeck. "Last Labor Day, Drew Barrymore decided to come to Rhinebeck and rented a house with a bunch of friends, just for a vacation. They wanted to stay here and they ended up coming to the restaurant. The first night they were here and they loved it. So I had the opportunity to sit down and ask her 'Why did you want to come to Rhinebeck?' And she said, 'This is great. It's so peaceful.' It's just a wonderful way to get away from the bustle of her busy life."

And though Chelsea's rehearsal dinner is rumored to be taking place at Kroner's restaurant, he, like all local Rhinebeck vendors, will not confirm or deny anything.
Mum is also the word when it comes to Chelsea's wedding dress which is reportedly a custom gown by Oscar de la Renta or Vera Wang. Fenoli, star of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress," says expect classic, modest elegance.

"I think she is going to be a little bit more conservative on her wedding day," says Fenoli. "And if you look at what she wears typically, she usually wears jackets and high necks and v-necks and strapped dresses. I don't think I've ever seen her in a strapless dress. Most wedding gowns today are strapless. And the fact hat she's marrying a gentleman that's Jewish, I think that she's probably going to honor his tradition and have some kind of coverage. So I'm expecting something either high-necked with a little bit of coverage on the shoulders and possibly even a shrug or a bolero to cover up her shoulders for the wedding."

Not only have the Clinton's evaded the press with wedding details, according to Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, guests too have been left in the dark. "How do you invite 400 guests to a wedding and not tell them where you're going? Well the guests received an invitation that was round. It's kind of in the shape of a plate. It looked like a plate. A very heavy cardstock. It was blue and white. It had the formal wording of an invitation where they request the honor of your presence and then it had everything but where it was. And that was information they were told they will find out along the road," says Miller. (Read: Clinton wedding is leaving some feeling left out)

Despite the added security measures, wedding guests can expect to an unforgettable evening filled with personal touches.

"I think supporting local vendors is obviously a huge part of it for them," says Miller. "Their wedding favors, or gifts that they're going to give to their guests, a local Rhinebeck farmer's market calendar, a wood block print and a little orange tote. He's a bride that could get any sort of elaborate favor from anywhere around, forget the country, the world, and to me it is the perfect gift for the guests to do something local."

But in the end, experts agree that the day is all about the bride, groom and their families.

"It's so wonderful to hear the Secretary of State and the Former President Clinton talk about their daughter's wedding. She's obviously the light of their life, they're only daughter," explains Martini Bratten. "To know that Hillary Clinton is signing her emails 'mother of the bride.' And saying as she wanders the world, working towards world peace, that this is the most important thing in her life. It's really very grounding and touching and telling."

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