Liz Hurley and Arun Nayar vs. Athina and Dodi



(image via terra.com.br)

Duelling weddings! In the corner to our right, we have the Wedding of the Year, the Athina Roussel-Doda nups. According to Ekathimerini.com:

"Onassis heiress Athena Roussel�s wedding on December 3 in Sao Paolo to Brazilian equestrian Alvaro Alonso de Miranda Neto � otherwise known as Doda � marks her victory in the love stakes. Possessor of a huge fortune � albeit administered by Swiss trustees, inherited from her mother Christina and her grandmother Tina � Athena is preparing for her big day despite the reservations of her father Thierry, who has made known his view that the marriage is premature. The paparazzi are already packing their bags, as the wedding is expected to be a magnificent affair, with both Catholic and Greek Orthodox ceremonies. When Athena reaches the age of 21 on January 29 next year, she will have a husband by her side in her new homeland of Brazil, where she has bought two floors in an apartment building in a Sao Paolo suburb � a home furnished by a German decorator. Jennifer Lopez will sing at the wedding at the 'Oscar and Louisa' reception center for guests from around the world, although the guest list is still a secret.

We give the grade of A, mostly because of JLo singing in Sao Paolo (originally reported, we cannot fail to note, by NYSocialDiary), but also the inspired East-West blending of Christianity with its Orthodox cousin and, no doubt, exquisite, glottal Byzantine chants. The Swiss trustees are just gravy at this point. The maintaining of a double secret guest list one week before the actual wedding is also quite swellegant.



(image via mundodelocio)

And, in the corner to our left, according to the extremely downmarket Newsoftheworld:

"LIZ HURLEY will marry her millionaire boyfriend ARUN NAYAR in India next year, I am delighted to reveal.

"The pair are planning to tie the knot in a lavish three-day ceremony�with Arun making an eye-popping entrance on an elephant.

"The star-studded bash will take place in the grounds of the 16th century Devigarh Fort in Rajasthan, India�now a swanky five-star hotel.

"Guests will include DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM, PATSY KENSIT and PAMELA ANDERSON.

"Actress Liz's close friends ELTON JOHN and DAVID FURNISH will also be there, with David taking the unusual role of �maid of honour'."

A grade of C-plus, needs remedial work, see me. And: Patsy Kensit? (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)

The 16th Century Indian wedding is a definite exotic plus, but the lamentable inclusion of Pamela Anderson, most recently of the even more lamentable "Stacked," on the guest list sounds vaguely ... jinxy. (Averted Gaze) Plus, 3 days of partying? We won't even entertain a snarky commentary on the elephant.

And, let's be honest, 21st Century Elton isn't the same as the existential 1970s Elton; nowadays he'd attend the opeining of an envelope.

A gilded envelope, to be sure, but still -- sniff, sniff -- 2nd class postage all the same. (Newsoftheworld)