Pop sensation Dua Lipa and her new husband Callum Turner are set to tie the knot once again this weekend in a glamorous, no-expense-spared three-day Sicilian extravaganza. Just hours after an intimate civil ceremony in London’s Marylebone Registry Office, a team of workers began closing roads around the venues in Palermo that will host the celebrations this weekend.
Star-Studded Guest List
Top showbiz names including Elton John, Olivia Dean, Mark Ronson, and Charli XCX will be among the guests for the rumoured £1 million bash. The 'Candle In The Wind' star is even rumoured to be planning a mini concert for the couple, and talk of the celebrations has gripped the city of Palermo for days.
It was initially thought the wedding party would take place in September, but the date has been brought forward due to rumours that the 'One Kiss' sensation will be playing a gig in the Italian capital, Rome, at that time.
Venue Details
The ceremony itself will take place at the 17th-century Villa Valguarnera, perhaps the most sumptuous of the villas in Bagheria, an idyllic town ten miles from the capital. Many will recognise this venue as it featured in the opening credits of the hit series The White Lotus. The 18th-century building is a major historical landmark with ornate gardens and a sweeping grand staircase.
Streets around the Villa are expected to be closed off in the coming days, with convoys of catering vans bringing in supplies. Although guests may have to have an early night, as the venue is only licenced for outdoor music until 11:30 pm, they can move inside for an extra 90 minutes of dancing.
On Monday, workers began blocking the entrances to the historic Palazzo Gangi in Palermo’s edgy Kalsa neighbourhood and erecting screens to prevent paparazzi from getting shots. The stunning 18th-century Palazzo – which is privately owned – has a spectacular Galleria degli Specchi (Hall of Mirrors), and the ornate Baroque setting will be the centre of the party on Saturday. Many will recognise the venue as the setting for the classic ballroom scene in the iconic 1963 Sicilian film The Leopard, starring screen legend Burt Lancaster. A second civil ceremony is expected to be officiated by the Mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla.
No Expense Spared
No expense will be spared for the wedding, with the couple estimated to be worth more than £100 million thanks to Dua Lipa’s singing success and Turner’s acting career – he is lined up to be the next James Bond. Three hundred family and friends will attend the three-day shindig, which begins on Thursday. Private jet slots have been booked up at Palermo’s airport, and a fleet of blacked-out limos will ferry guests to various villas and hotels. Private security firms have also been doing a roaring trade, with teams of bodyguards hired, and all staff involved in the wedding have been made to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Wedding planner Alessandra Grillo was spotted arriving in Palermo on Monday to oversee preparations and to check out other key locations, including the legendary five-star Villa Igiea hotel overlooking the sea. Two floors of suites have been booked out, and the hotel is closed for the weekend to all except those invited to the wedding.
Designer Donatella Versace is said to have made the wedding dress, and Dua was spotted in Rome on Friday for a final fitting before jetting back to London for her civil ceremony on Sunday. Versace is said to be bringing 26 outfits for Dua to choose from, as well as another wedding gown for another 'I do' ceremony.
Local Excitement
A source in Palermo said: 'Everyone has been talking about this wedding for days. It’s going to be so cool and glamorous with such a lot of showbiz stars. We all have a soft spot for Dua because she always speaks so highly of the city and loves wearing the football shirt of the city’s club. But things are being kept very closely guarded with screens going up and people having to sign confidentiality agreements.'
Palermo FC president Dario Mirri told local media after Dua was pictured in the club shirt: 'It was love at first sight. She put it on. And she had her picture taken with our jersey.'
Dua and Callum fell in love with Sicily during a holiday last summer, and she is often pictured in the famous pink and black strip of the city’s football club. They also attended the wedding of Charli XCX and The 1975’s George Daniel when they tied the knot last September in Tonnara di Scopello, just down the road from Palermo. According to Conde Nast, the nuptials have made Sicily the wedding destination of the year, and bookings for the sun-kissed Mediterranean island are said to be shooting through the roof.
