George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin are set to marry in Venice on Saturday 27 September, and the uber luxurious and extensive preparations are already underway.According to reports, Hollywood's most eligible bachelor and his beautiful lawyer love have hired out not one but two glamorous hotels in Venice – the five-star 79-room Belmond Hotel Cipriani – previously detailed by HELLO! Online as one of the wedding venues, and the seven-star Aman Canal Grande hotel in the Palazzo Papadopoli.
Venice's only seven-star hotel is the favoured setting for the reception, reports Italian newspaper Il Gazzettino, if the legal ceremony takes place in the former Doge's Palace Ca' Farsetti. Built in 1550, this luxurious Grande Canal-front palazzo that is reached only by private motor launch, had one of the first elevators, electric-powered chandeliers, and phone systems in Venice. It is situated in the San Polo district of the city built on water, one of the oldest parts known for its beautiful palaces and churches.
The stunning 24-room property, which boasts some of the best views of the city – to be particularly enjoyed from the roof terrace – offers a library and games room, as well as beautiful sprawling gardens, including one of the few private gardens on the canal itself. Rooms come with a price tag ranging from £1,000 to £3,200 a night.
The Belmond Hotel Cipriani, meanwhile, will reportedly host the bride and groom-to-be on the eve of their wedding day when they sit down to dine with their guests, who include Matt Damon and his wife Luciana, Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford, Sandra Bullock and U2 frontman Bono. Two-time Oscar winner George and his future wife have chosen intimate settings for their private wedding – a key factor for Amal – with perhaps just 60 friends and family members.
Cipriani, a long-standing favourite of Hollywood royalty (Al Pacino, Jude Law, Uma Thurman, and Owen Wilson have all been guests), is situated on the leafy semi-private Giudecca Island and accessed by boat. It commands unrivalled views of the Venetian Lagoon, the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Square – from a secluded vantage point.
