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George Clooney is about to be married!
It's a day many celeb watchers thought would never arrive.
George Clooney is getting married.
Yes, one of the world's most eligible and sexy bachelors, Clooney, 53, is to tie the
knot with British human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, 36, in a twilight ceremony in Venice
on Saturday.
Their Saturday evening wedding, at Venice's seven-star Aman Canal Grande Hotel, where
Alamuddin stayed the night before, was expected to be the symbolic ceremony; the civil ceremony
is expected to take place Monday at the 16th-century Palazzo Cavalli adjoining the Ca' Farsetti,
the Venice town hall where civil weddings routinely take place.
Earlier Saturday, photographers snapped Clooney, Cindy Crawford and her husband and Clooney
close friend, Rande Gerber, having late-morning coffee at a table on the garden terrace of
the luxury Hotel Cipriani, where Clooney has been a regular guest over the years and where
his wedding party is staying.
Hotel staff formed a protective barrier between Clooney and his guests, but then Clooney apparently
waived them away, the Associated Press reported.
Outside the hotel, photographers had gathered in boats trying to catch a glimpse of the
star. After someone yelled, "Is this really happening, George?" the actor feigned looking
at his watch and yelled back: "Yeah, right now."
Well, soon.
Clooney alerted the world on Sept. 7 to the impending nuptials when he announced at a
charity event in Florence:"I met my lovely bride-to-be here in Italy, whom I will be
marrying in a couple of weeks, in Venice of all places." He added, "I would just like
to say to my bride-to-be, Amal, that I love you very much and I can't wait to be your
husband."
It was widely thought the two, engaged since April, would wed at his Lake Como estate.
But Venice it was. It's a favorite destination for Clooney, a regular attendee at the Venice
Film Festival. Besides, it's widely considered one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Alamuddin, by the way, was expected to have her beautiful younger sister Tala as her maid
of honor, and already the Italian and British media are calling her the potential Pippa
Middleton of the George-and-Amal nuptials.
Paparazzi have been swarming in Venice's picturesque locales along the Grand Canal since early
Friday, when guests, including Matt Damon, Ellen Barkin, Clooney's cousin Miguel Ferrer,
began arriving. The couple arrived at the Cipriani, on an island across from St. Mark's
Square, in a water-taxi named Amore, waving at onlookers as they passed under the Rialto
Bridge and at the paparazzi snapping away in the sunshine.
The bachelor and bachelorette parties took place Friday night. The wedding-eve festivities
caused a traffic jam in the Canal as about 30 boats crowded the canal to get a glimpse
of bride arriving for her bachelorette night at the Aman, says People. She wore a red and
black gown — short in the front with a train in the back — as she stepped off her water
taxi, followed by an entourage of 14 women, including her sister and mother.
Italian media have reported that Clooney and Alamuddin were to be married by Walter Veltroni,
the former mayor of Rome and a close Clooney pal. He was spotted by photographers arriving
at the Aman on Saturday afternoon. The two met in Rome in 2007, according to Corriere
della Sera, when Clooney received a Peace Summit Award for promoting peace in Darfur.
Singer Lana Del Rey was to serenade guests. Or was it Andrea Bocelli? Both had been rumored.
The guest list was A-list all the way, including Bono, Barkin (Clooney's Ocean's 13 co-star
who threw a bridal shower for Alamuddin in New York City in July), Sandra Bullock, Damon,
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts.
People reported just a few weeks ago that Alamuddin's parents were "thrilled" to be
welcoming Clooney to the family.
Clooney was previously married to actress Talia Balsam for four years until their divorce
in 1993. His recent loves have included Elisabetta Canalis and Stacy Keibler, both of whom married
in recent years. It is the first marriage for Alamuddin.