Inside Chelsea Clinton's Wedding in Rhinebeck
July 30, 2010— -- Didn't score a ticket to one of this summer's hottest weddings, the marriage of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky?
That's all right, neither did we. But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the quaint village of Rhinebeck, N.Y., where the couple are expected to say their vows this weekend.
The tiny village 100 miles north of New York City is filled with independent stores, grand Victorian mansions -- 437 buildings in town are on the National Register of Historic Places -- charming bed-and-breakfasts and enough restaurants to appease any appetite.
"It's just a pleasant, peaceful village to live in. It's clean. It's got culture," said Hal Dora, a clothing designer who runs a small boutique downtown on East Market Street. "It's a sweet village."
Don't expect to find a Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Gap or Taco Bell here.
"We've been very lucky that over the years. We've had very diligent planning and zoning boards that have protected us," said Mayor James Reardon. "Corporate America has been kept out. It's just a really quaint downtown area that's very pedestrian-friendly."
Nobody is quite sure what this weekend's wedding will bring. Reardon fears "a crush of press, paparazzi and curious onlookers coming to the village and really causing us some problems."
"Of course there's a lot of curiosity about what's going on," he said.
Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Ted Turner and former British Prime Minister John Major are among those rumored to be on the 500-person guest list.
On a typical week, Rhinebeck is significantly quieter. And that's part of its appeal.
"It's that little small town that everybody would like to live in," Reardon added. "Just a gorgeous area."
