Break out the champagne! Chelsea Clinton is a married woman.
Surrounded by 400 friends, and her parents Bill and Hillary (who wore Oscar de la Renta), the former First Daughter, 30, wed her longtime boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky, 32, in Rhinebeck, N.Y., on Saturday. She wore a dress designed by Vera Wang, a family friend, who was also in attendance.
Shortly after the ceremony, President Clinton and Secretary of State Clinton released a statement. "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 guest list was relatively free of star wattage (without Oprah Winfrey or President Obama) but included Mary Steenburgen, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, actor Ted Danson, film producer Steven Bing, and a handful of congressmen and other prominent Democrats. According to The New York Times, the interfaith ceremony was conducted by Rabbi James Ponet and the Rev. William Shillady. (Chelsea is Methodist; Marc is Jewish).
On Friday, a swarm of paparazzi descended upon Rhinebeck, a small town in upstate New York, trying to catch a glimpse of the festivities. Hillary Clinton wowed crowds outside the rehearsal dinner Friday night, but everybody wanted to see how the teenager who grew up in the White House had blossomed into a blushing bride.
Danson, who attended with wife Steenburgen, stated, "We want to wish them the best," adding of the couple, "they are great kids, very family-oriented."
Clinton and Mezvinsky, an investment banker who has kept a private life, have been pals since they met at a conference in 1993, and they remained close at Stanford University. But only in 2005 did their friendship turn romantic, when they debuted as a couple at the opening of Tao nightclub in Las Vegas.
They have lived together in recent years in a downtown New York apartment, along with their Yorkshire terrier Soren. As for kids, "I'm not going to put any pressure on her," Hillary told People Magazine in 2007. "But my friends are starting to have grandchildren and it's a great experience, so I look forward to it someday."
Usually, politicians with presidential ambitions choose their words more carefully, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has left herself no wiggle room.
Asked on the Today show whether she will ever run for president again, the former First Lady and U.S. senator, who fiercely battled Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic nomination, laughed heartily and replied: "No. No. No. I mean, this is a great job. It is a 24-7 job. And I'm looking forward to retirement at some point.”
She also addressed pundits who say the Executive Branch's highest-ranking woman has been marginalized in the debate over two big national security threats: Afghanistan and Iran.
"I find it absurd," Clinton told NBC’s Ann Curry in the interview from Zuirch, Switzerland, adding that maybe it is a "woman thing."
"You know, I’m not one of these people who feels like I have to have my face in the front of the newspaper or on the TV every moment of the day," Clinton said. "I would be irresponsible and negligent were I to say, 'Oh no everything must come to me.' "
"Maybe that is a woman's thing," she continued. "My goal is to be a very positive force to implement the kind of changes that the president and I believe are in the best interests of our country. But that doesn't mean that it all has to be me, me, me all the time
On her way to the White House Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fell and fractured her right elbow, says her chief of staff, Cheryl Mills. The former First Lady was treated at The George Washington University Hospital and released, and will undergo surgery in the coming week, according to the Associated Press.
"Secretary Clinton appreciates the professionalism and kindness she received from the medical team who treated her this evening and looks forward to resuming her full schedule soon," Mills said in a statement.
Also painful, perhaps? According to her public schedule, Clinton will miss attending a World Refugee Day in Washington, D.C., Thursday with Angelina Jolie.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama at the International Women of Courage Award Ceremony in Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd L) speaks to the media as she visits the Meiji shrine in Tokyo February 17, 2009. Clinton is visiting Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and China this week on her first foreign trip as U.S. secretary of state.
As we get ready to enter a new era in the White House, I would share with you the email I (and thousands of others) received from Hillary Clinton. She may not be our next President of the United States, but she will always be a "leading lady".
All the best to Hillary...
Dear Carlos,This is not a goodbye, because we're all embarking on a new American journey.With our nation moving in an exciting new direction, you and I and all Americans are going to be a key part of the change that is coming. I couldn't be more hopeful about meeting the challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead.But I want to take just one moment to look back at the incredible experiences you and I shared over the last two years. From the moment we launched our historic campaign back in January 2007, I was deeply moved by the amount of support you showed me .We spent 17 months in a hard-fought campaign making sure that every American had a chance to make their voice heard. We made history by putting 18 million cracks in the very highest glass ceiling.And when that campaign came to an end, we kept working and fighting, putting our hearts into making history again by helping to put Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House.I'm so proud of all we accomplished, but most of all, I'm proud to call you my friend. Your devotion to making our country and our world a better place has been a constant source of inspiration to me.In our most difficult moments, it was you who kept our efforts moving forward. In our happiest moments, you and I celebrated together. Together we walked this amazing journey one step at a time and I couldn't have done without you.And as I take the first step on the next path in our journey, I know you'll be right there with me, as always, in my heart and by my side.Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.Sincerely,
Break out the champagne! Chelsea Clinton is a married woman.
