Former First Daughter, Chelsea Clinton, 30, wed Marc Mezvinsky, 32, at Astor Courts, a 50-acre estate in Rhinebeck, NY on Saturday. Over 400 guests watched Chelsea walk down the aisle in a strapless gown by Vera Wang, who also was in attendance.
As a matter of fact Vera Wang was probably one of the more popular names you may have recognized from the guest list. Considering that her parents former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are internationally known and connected, no A-list celebs (i.e. Oprah Winfrey) or well-known politicians (i.e. President Obama) were even invited. The rumor of a $3 million ceremony was also squashed late last week. Cost is estimated at hundreds of thousands.
The interfaith ceremony (Chelsea’s Methodist; Marc is Jewish) was led by Rabbi James Ponet and the Reverend William Shillady.
The newlyweds met in 1993. They stayed in contact while both students at Stanford University. Their first outing as a couple was in 2005 when they attended the opening of Vegas nightclub Tao. They moved in together a short while after in New York.
.
Here’s the statement the Clintons released after the ceremony:
“Today, we watched with great pride and overwhelming emotion as Chelsea and Marc wed in a beautiful ceremony at Astor Courts, surrounded by family and their close friends. We could not have asked for a more perfect day to celebrate the beginning of their life together, and we are so happy to welcome Marc into our family. On behalf of the newlyweds, we want to give special thanks to the people of Rhinebeck for welcoming us and to everyone for their well-wishes on this special day.”
The White House announced a mother-daughter vacay scheduled for August 4-8 at the Villa Padierna in Marbella. Only daughter Sasha will make the trip. Malia will be away at an undisclosed summer camp.
During the trip, the First Lady will meet with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
The President is also skipping this trip to celebrate his 49th birthday on August 4th at the home of Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm for a fundraiser. Each guest will donate $30,000 each to the Democratic National Committee.
Last week, the White House announced summer vacation plans for the Obama family. First, the entire First Family will return to Martha’s Vineyard for a 10 day vacation starting August 19th. No details on where the family will stay or what activities are planned. Last summer, the family stayed at the Blue Heron Farm and the president was seen playing golf and tennis while the First Lady, Sasha, and Malia shopped and frequented restaurants.
Prior to this vacay, the family minus Malia who will be at camp, will visit Florida’s Gulf Coast the weekend of August 14th. The region’s economy which relies on tourism continues to suffer due to the BP oil spill. Both the President and First Lady have encouraged people to continue to visit the Gulf Coast’s beaches that are still open and unaffected.
A Quinnipiac University poll indicated 55% of Americans have a favorable view of Mrs. Obama while only 49% have a favorable view of the President whose ratings continue to decline and have hit their lowest since he was elected.
However, the first couple both top Sarah Palin who projected a 35% rating.
Quinnipiac University conducted its poll July 13-19, 2010 with 2,181 registered. It had a 2.1 percentage point margin of error.
As you all know, the glitzy White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner happened last weekend and the “who’s who” in politics, journalism, and Hollywood were there. I didn’t feel like posting all of the pictures of the celebrities that attended or rehash the President’s clever and witty jokes. The only news I could report on Mrs. Obama was what she was wearing (which I’ll go ahead and do anyway) and Jessica Simpson’s revelation that she wants to be Michelle Obama because “she’s such an incredible woman, and she’s with such a powerful man.”
However, one piece of news that caught my attention was a storyCNN’sEd Henry posted about encouraging Mrs. Obama to send out her very first tweet. Henry who subtlety mentioned he sat at the head table with the President and First lady asked her to send her first tweet on his iPhone after she mentioned she never tweeted.
After much hesitation and approval from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and the President, Rollins dictated her tweet (with Gibbs review and approval): “from flotus: here at dinner this is officially my first Tweet. i am looking forward to some good laughs from the potus and jay.” Great story! Here’s Henry’s Twitter account.
Prabal Gurung dress; earrings by Bochic; cuffs by Bochic and Sutra Jewels
Happy tax day! On the day most Americans dread, the White House released the tax return of the Obamas which indicated they paid close to $1.8 million in federal income tax and $163,303 in Illinois income taxes. Last year, the First Couple raked in $5.5 million mostly from his book sales. They gave $329,000 to charities and the President donated his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize award to 10 charities.
Last week, CNN caught a rare personal moment between the President and First Lady. As he walked outside surrounded by Secret Service agents and staff, Mr. Obama spotted his wife nearby and shouted “Hey FLOTUS. I was just looking for you!”
Aware the cameras were rolling, they skipped the PDA when they caught up with each other opting for the “politically correct” gesture of holding hands as they walked together into the West Wing together.
This past Tuesday (February 9, 2010) the President and First Lady hosted “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.” The concert will air tonight (February 11, 2010) at 8:00 PM on public broadcasting stations nationwide. The star-studded line-up includes Yolanda Adams, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, and others. As emcee, Morgan Freeman read excerpts from famous civil rights speeches.
This concert is part of the White House Music Series Michelle launched last year which has included observation of country, jazz, classical music, and Latin music genres.
MTV’s hit reality show “Jersey Shore” is one of those shows that’s so trashy you can’t help but watch the incoming train wreck every week. Snookie and the rest of the cast literally have become overnight celebrities. The network and cast are currently negotiating contracts (i.e. paychecks) for season two.
In an interview with People, Michelle admits she’s heard of the show but “not seen it.”
So, what do they watch? Well, the First Couple watch ESPN’s SportsCenter in the morning while they work out together. Sasha and Malia can only watch Nickelodeon and Disney on the weekends.
Scott Baio, former star of “Charles in Charge,” attempted to be funny on Twitter by tweeting “WOW He wakes up to this every morning” and attaching an unflattering photo of the First Lady. The Republican actor found himself defending himself against fans and enemies alike who accused him of being racist and cruel. Baio has insisted the tweet was a joke. No word yet from the White House. Us Weekly has more on this story and picture (we decided not to post it).
In response to the tragic situation in Haiti, the First Couple have donated $15,000 from their personal bank account, a check written to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. Here is the official statement:
“The President and First Lady have been inspired by the way that millions of Americans have responded with tremendous generosity to the Haiti crisis – even in these tough economic times,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest says, “So, today, they sent their own check for $15,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund to support the ongoing relief efforts in that country.”
Also last week Michelle taped a 30-second PSA urging Americans to donate to the Red Cross for relief efforts.
