The normally sleepy town of Rhinebeck, N.Y. -- population just 7,762 as of the last census -- is buzzing with excitement about the big event it will be hosting Saturday: the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and her fiancé, Mark Mezvinsky. Although many of the locals aren't likely to be on the guest list, they're eager for their town to make a good impression on all the Clintons and their VIP guests.
"It's a great thing to happen here in Rhinebeck," local Paul Schiavo tells Life & Style. "We want them to have a wonderful wedding."
Staffs at venues involved with the wedding have been working overtime to make sure everything looks its best. "I've been working for days," Pepe Femina, landscaper at the Beekman Arms, the inn where many guests are expected to stay, tells Life & Style. "We're just about ready."
Even vendors who are not involved in Chelsea's nuptials are joining in the celebration -- and hoping the influx of visitors provides a boost in business.
At the Rhinebeck deli, a sign advertising three new sandwiches -- the Chelsea, the Hillary and the Bill -- is posted in the front window.
"We're going all-out with window displays," Megan Martino, a makeup artist at Rhineback's Face Stockholm boutique, tells Life & Style. "On Saturday, we're going to have a live bridal show in the store windows. We've hired two extra makeup artists to come in and help because we're hoping a lot of the female guests will want to have their makeup done for the wedding."
Photo Credit: INF Photo
