Selena Gomez’ big wedding weekend has kicked off in style with a glamorous rehearsal dinner at a country mansion in Goleta’s tony Hope Ranch neighborhood – a vast 1,863-acre estate in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The Friday night feast saw guests – including her megastar bestie Taylor Swift who was seen sweeping in in a convoy of three SUVs – descend on the 10-bedroom white-washed property after being chauffeured to the spot in a fleet of Mercedes buses.
The palatial home, which sits on a seven-acre lot and was built in the 1930s, is owned by insurance boss Greg Econn according to records.
Gomez, 33, will say ‘I do’ to music producer Benny Bianco, 37, in a ceremony at the romantic Sea Crest Nursery – a 70-acre private plantation in Goleta dotted with palm trees and cycads.
Along with abundant foliage, the property also sits on a clifftop bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and, on Friday, contractors were seen setting up a series of marquees.
Photos taken by the Daily Mail show tubs of decorative blooms already set up around the tents while a romantic glow will be provided by strings of fairy lights.
Selena Gomez ’ big wedding weekend has kicked off in style with a glamorous rehearsal dinner at a country mansion in Goleta’s tony Hope Ranch neighborhood
Gomez, 33, will say ‘I do’ to music producer Benny Bianco, 37, in a ceremony at the romantic Sea Crest Nursery – a 70-acre private plantation in Goleta
Increased security could be seen at the venue as Friday wore on, with Gomez thought to be ponying up $300,000 to keep her nuptials safe.
Among the guests who will be there to see Only Murders in the Building star Gomez say yes is Swift who jetted in alone from Kansas City earlier today.
The blonde star – who promised Gomez she would be her flower girl after her engagement was announced – is staying at the glamorous Rosewood Miramar which sits in the swanky celebrity enclave of Montecito.
The upscale property boasts rooms overlooking the Pacific and the golden sand of Miramar beach with the cheapest accommodation starting at $1,014-per-night.
Despite the romantic choice of hotel, the stunner’s own fiancé Travis Kelce was forced to miss out due to the Kansas City Chiefs squaring off against the Baltimore Ravens at the Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Swift aside, most of the 170-strong guest list are being put up at the El Encanto luxury spa resort in Santa Barbara and will be bussed to the main events.
The swanky property – which is owned by Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen – starts $1,000-per-night and is sold out for the weekend.
Other guests set to be celebrating in Santa Barbara this weekend include hotel heiress Paris Hilton and Gomez’s Only Murders in the Building co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin.
Taylor Swift, the highest-profile member of the guest list, is pictured at this year’s Grammys
The Friday night feast saw guests – including Swift, who was seen sweeping in in a convoy of three SUVs – descend on the 10-bedroom white-washed property
Increased security could be seen at the venue as Friday wore on, with Gomez thought to be ponying up $300,000 to keep her nuptials safe
Partygoers were chauffeured to the spot in a fleet of Mercedes buses
Among the guests who will be there to see Only Murders in the Building star Gomez say yes is Swift who jetted in alone from Kansas City earlier today
Swift aside, most of the 170-strong guest list are being put up at the El Encanto luxury spa resort in Santa Barbara and will be bussed to the main events
The palatial home, which sits on a seven-acre lot and was built in the 1930s, is owned by insurance boss Greg Econn according to records
A sign posted outside the rehearsal dinner venue
The Rare Beauty founder previously joked: ‘Marty’s the ring bearer’.
Gomez and Blanco have had a relatively short engagement and announced they would wed early last December in an Instagram post she captioned: ‘Forever begins now’.
The sweet post was accompanied by a carousel of photos that included a close-up of her stunning marquise cut solitaire diamond engagement ring.
Other happy snaps included a photo of the beaming pair cuddled up together and another of Gomez, glamorous in a shaggy beige jacket, admiring her sparkler while seated on a picnic blanket next to a champagne bucket.
Gomez’ marriage to Virginia native Blanco marks a new chapter in what was once a turbulent love life that included a high-profile relationship with troubled Canadian singer Justin Bieber.
That ill-starred romance started in 2011 when she was just 18 and he 16 and flamed out for good in 2018 – just months before the boyish megastar wed his now-wife Hailey.
In a 2020 interview with NPR, Gomez described the relationship as ‘toxic’ adding: ‘I’m not being disrespectful.
‘I do feel I was a victim to certain [emotional] abuse.’
Although Gomez also met Blanco while she was in her teens, neither remembered the meeting and the pair only became close after collaborating on the March 2019 tune I Can’t Get Enough.
The video featured Blanco dressed as a white teddy bear and the pair became pals but romance didn’t blossom until they worked together on a second aural sensation in Single Soon – her August 2023 smash hit.
That led to sparks flying and by December the same year, the couple confirmed they were an item with Gomez declaring online of Blanco: ‘[He is the] best thing that’s ever happened to me. The end.’
The duo made their red-carpet debut at the 2023 Emmy Awards and the following February, a smitten Blanco declared his happiness during an interview with Zane Lowe on his Apple Music show.
He told the veteran DJ: ‘I’d have to say overall it’s the safest that I feel and it’s been really lovely and I’ve only grown through it, so it’s awesome.’
