A Presidential Wedding

It's been hard to miss the coverage of Chelsea Clinton's upcoming wedding.



Electricians in tuxes? Widened driveways for heavy limo traffic? Heated port-a-potties? (This time of year?) That's quite a wedding!

But dodging the press after a pre-wedding pedicure? Less than enviable.

I can't imagine how it would feel to have your every wedding detail leaked to the press - and now to the public as well. As a woman who's guarded her privacy this long, Chelsea deserves to celebrate such a personal moment without helicopters buzzing about overhead.

Throughout history, the nuptials of First Daughters have been newsworthy affairs. The most recent of these weddings was not nearly as covered up in paparazzi, though.

I loved the feel of Jenna Bush's wedding to Henry Hager two summers ago at the President's ranch in Texas. The big stone cross, an heirloom diamond, a low-key location, exchanging vows on your family's land. And the flowers? Jenna, you had me at "hydrangeas."

The First Twin pulled off an intimate ceremony, keeping the press at bay and managing media hysteria by releasing several official photographs.

As far as I can tell, she had the best of both worlds - a wedding at home surrounded by guests of her choosing, also celebrated tastefully by the media with a few hand-picked shots.

Despite the buzz around Chelsea Clinton's guest list (Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand) and the over-the-top details of her reception, I'm crossing my fingers she can have a quiet, meaningful ceremony. I hope for her what we all hope for every bride - that the day turns out just as she'd wished.

It's probably best that President Obama has said he was not invited; maybe that will keep just one or two photographers in D.C. for the weekend. He's right when he says the Secret Service manpower would be unfathomable. And so would the TMZ-style coverage.

What's more your taste? Hair-down, dad-in-a-suit ranch wedding or a glamorous, flashbulb-filled New York affair?