I am writing this post while I rock gently in a water taxi on the Grand Canal in Venice in front of the Aman Hotel. I am slowing getting asphyxiated on the engine fumes as we hover here. On board are eight people, three photographers, two camerapersons, an assistant and me. We are all waiting for the newlyweds – George Clooney and his wife Amal to wake up, get in George’s water taxi—named “Amore”– and cruise on over the Cipriani Hotel to join all their guests for brunch. Then we will chase behind them all the way hoping for the best shots of the couple. This week I’ve been trying my hand at being a paparazzo and I must admit I’ve never had so much fun on a story.
Yesterday we spent most of the day in the water taxi chasing various elements of the Clooney story. At dawn the APTN team boarded our first water taxi and cruised down the Grand Canal getting beauty shots of the city in the morning mist. We left one crew in front of the bride’s hotel and then headed over to Clooney’s Hotel the Cipriani. There was hardly anyone around the Cipriani Hotel and the concierge called out to us and offered to give us some breakfast.
The concierge at the Cipriani, Roberto Senigaglia, is absolutely charming. Our water taxi driver pulled us into the docking area and Roberto – in his white jacket with an ear-to-ear smile brought us a plate of melt-in-your-mouth buttery cornetti followed by espressos in little porcelain cups. Then he told us that we could relax because the action would not start until 6pm when all the guests would be leaving the hotel to go to the Aman Hotel for the big event. So we took off, back to the Aman Hotel, off to the airport to do star arrivals, then back again to the Cipriani, where we caught George having breakfast with Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber.
By 5:30pm there were about 20 boats with journalists, camerapersons, photographers, tourists, curious on-lookers and a police boat and Finance Guard boat trying to keep us all back from the entrance. George Clooney and his guests appeared in the garden area, the men in tuxedos and the women in gorgeous floor-length dresses. Waiters in white coats moved around them pouring glasses of champagne. Cindy Crawford was in a sleek violet dress with a halter top. Anna Wintour had a long black and white dress with a fluffy white thing around her neck.
By 6pm there were about 10 water taxis with little purple flags on the front with the initials AG for Amal and George, one after another they pulled up at the entrance and the guests stepped down into the boats. The loyal concierge Roberto was there helping all the women who seemed to have difficulty with their high heels and long dresses. One woman took off her shoes and a long slit in her dress momentarily revealed a little too much leaving all the photographers on my boat debating whether or not she was wearing underwear. (That’s what happens after 8 hours on a water taxi—the level of discourse goes down a notch or two). Bono gave a big hug to Roberto the concierge as he left, Matt Damon in sunglasses smiled and waved to all of us, as did Bill Murray.
When George finally got into his water taxi, the fun began. His taxi took off followed by 30 frantic water taxis with photographers (and me) climbing on the roofs, photographers in smaller boats were shouting “George! George! Look here George!!” as their boats scooted around George’s water taxi, his taxi charged forward into the lagoon and then the unexpected happened.
A gigantic cruise ship, towering higher than the city of Venice blocked the way. George’s taxis screeched to a halt, or whatever boats do when they half to stop suddenly and it was a field day for the paparazzi. We all caught up to George’s taxi, making the area choppy withal the waves. By that time we were all shouting “George, George, George!!” I must say, he is a natural—he remained cool, calm, collected, waved, smiled, and chatted with his guests. From high above the passengers on the cruise ship waved and took pictures of all of us. Finally the cruise ship passed we all charged forward and then there was a loud horn – a Venetian ferry boat blocked our way again. By this time it seemed like a floating circus.
Then the ferry passed and we were all off and running – Water taxis moved around so the photographers could get the shot of George with St. Mark’s Square in the background, then suddenly jostling and splashing – we in the Grand Canal. The place was packed, a crowd on a vaporetto (Venetian water bus) passed, and I thought the passengers would flip the boat over the all crowded so far to one side to catch a glimpse of Clooney. As we passed under the Accademia bridge there were hundreds of people yelling “George, George” – he waved and smiled. Venetians emerged from their elegant palaces and took photos with their phones, tourists in gondoliers looked shocked as the parade came by. At one point we got very close and I yelled loudly “Hey George!” and he smiled and waved at me. Yes, at me. That was my last wave.
The parade rolled on, AP’s Andrew Medichini snapped away from the roof of our water taxi, I frenetically texted messages to my AP wire colleague Colleen Barry with details and color for the story.
Finally we arrived at the Aman Hotel – journalists and camera crews were so crowded on the dock across the way, I thought they might sink it. APTN cameraman Luigi Navarra was rolling Live on the action. George then climbed out of his taxi, waved to all of us, rubbed his hands together in anticipation and went in to get married.
And I am still sitting here in the water taxi, and the newlyweds still have not appeared. I guess this is the life of a paparazzo.
Ah Trisha, you are so my type of fashion reporter “a black and white dress with a white fluffy thing around her neck”. I love it.
Don’t quit your ‘day job’.
peace,
Lin
ps hope you had a nice visit back home this summer. I will be in Venice in 3 week :->
Ha! You are right! I was asking all the news photographers on the boat with me what that “white fluffy thing” is called and they didn’t know either. And I got really stuck on Cindy Crawford’s halter top which wasn’t exactly a halter top but I didn’t know how else to describe it. I would make a hopeless fashion writer! About all the fashion I do is the Cardinal’s outfits — zucchetto, Mitre — and all that stuff.
I woke up this morning, and I wondered if we’d hear from you. This is just wonderful. I bet you had a ball.
You mean George didn’t zip up to the side of your boat for a photo shoot with his favorite journalist? What is wrong with him? Great story. Fun to be the papparazi once in a a while!
Actually I am flabbergasted that with all the hoopla planned nobody thought to check the cruise ship schedule of arrival! What a hoot!
It really was hilarious. Some of us wondered if George actually planned it that– he wanted the paparazzi to catch up and get good shots of him.
Loving the details! From the espresso to the water chase, what a scene! Doesn’t make me envy the guests, I would find it dreadful to have to walk in a long gown and high heels down dock steps and get into a water taxi! Someone should give us a best and worst dressed line-up from this red-carpet wedding! can’t wait for your next post –
Thank you Nancy — I have definitely have seen some interesting outfits on the women — men have it easy but boring — all in tuxedos. Yesterday the newlyweds came out together and I thought he dress looked awful on her. Very short in front and long in back, a white macrame base with pink, violet and red petals from some material sewed on. I am starting to run out of steam, but I will try to do one last wrap up post.
. . don’t know what to say really! :-)
What a beautiful couple, smart too, I hope there will be some Cloonini.
I didn’t even think of that. It would be lovely if there were some little Cloonini! Can’t really imagine George as a Dad but I guess they would have plenty of money for lots of Nannies.
Trisha, you look fantastic and in your element among the celebrity elite! The pictures are wonderful and I especially love the story of breakfast brought to you by the concierge at the Cipriani. (It beats my Venice breakfast brought by the gondolier’s mama!)
Having been an entertainment publicist for many years and knowing some of these players, I find the events of the last few days rather perplexing. George has always been a very private person and has always LOATHED the media and paparazzi with a vengeance. He could have had a very private and elegant wedding which would have been in the manner that Brad Pitt and Angelelina Jolie carried off theirs. But he announced where it would be held, literally sending an invitation to every tabloid and media outlet to come. What celebrity does that? And to Venice? That city is a no-hide, every-corner-is-a-stage city. This wedding was planned to be seen and all of the PDA between the two was more than I had ever seen from Clooney that wasn’t accompanied by popcorn and a box of milk duds.
P.S. If you get bored, I can give you the name of a hot gondolier! :-)
It is really strange — I think you were the one who suggested that it is almost as though Clooney is “directing” his own film. Everything here is a photo-op. Which then brings back the question of whether or not he wants to go into politics. Also, as far as public displays of affection are concerned, yesterday when they left the hotel all the paparazzi were yelling at them “kiss, kiss, bacio, bacio” and both stoically avoided giving each other a kiss. One colleague suggested that that is probably because the exclusive “kiss” photo is part of the Vogue deal. Who knows? There are lot of things here I don’t quite understand. Also, several photographers here keep telling me that it is all a big fake, that Clooney is gay and it is all just a show here. That seems odd to be, but what do I know.
Oh Trisha – what a delicious experience for you. I am living vicariously through your posts and hope you soon post photos of the newlyweds. You are juggling a lot of things. Thank goodness you don’t have to steer the boat too. I hope your daughter enjoys hearing the tale.
Hi Linda — I have been having a fabulous time, but I am starting to think this extravaganza might be getting a tad over the top. I wouldn’t want to bore all of you blog readers with too much of this stuff. But a photo of the newlyweds I will post for sure. My daughters don’t really care at all. I have been sending them some photos but they are more worried about who is going to take them to the birthday party and orthodontist appointment. Oh well.
Darn! I was so hoping AP would relent and let you dangle from a copter! Ah well! It’s great for you to have a great time on a story.
A presto,
Joan
I guess times and technology have changed since the Tom Cruise wedding. At this wedding there were no helicopters, but there was apparently a drone with a camera on it. I did not see it.
I’m glad they are getting married. happy for them, but I don’t care all that much. They are people just like you & me. All this breathless fuss is ridiculous considering innocent people are being decapitated by evil zealots in the muslim world. Yes, the MUSLIM world.
Well, we certainly would not want to condemn all Muslims or people living in the Middle East. George’s new wife is Lebanese of Druse origin for starters.
This is the life of paparazzo and … the star (oh, my goodness!)
It must have been a really long weekend for you! For me it was a bit of a yawn. I hate huge blown up publicity/celebrity events. They were just two people getting married. I hope you managed to enjoy a little bit of Venice at least?!? Wouldn’t you hate to be a paparazzo!!!
Great post Trisha, you really captured the atmosphere of the weekend which was a little crazy wasn’t it?! I caught a touch of Clooney Fever too and spent the weekend camped out on a jetty across from the Aman Hotel waiting to catch a glimpse of the couple although sadly nobody offered us a mouth-watering breakfast so I think you definitely had the better deal!! Keep the fab posts coming, I’m really enjoying reading them! Cheers, Liz
Thank you Liz! Gosh, I had crews on that jetty all weekend and past by there frequently in a water taxi — I would have said hello if I knew you were there. It was lots of fun, wasn’t it.
Small world eh Trisha!!