Jennifer will gather with her groom-to be Nayel Nassar and her freshly-divorced parents at a rehearsal dinner this evening in the stables of their 142-acre estate
Beaming bride Jennifer Gates and her dashing groom stepped out on the deck of their home to enjoy a quiet moment on Friday with her recently divorced parents Bill and Melinda Gates, and her little brother.
They posed for pictures on the deck then walked as a couple down the driveway, dancing and kissing.
Preparations for the multi-million dollar wedding of Bill Gates' daughter are in full gear, with 25-year-old Jennifer planning to gather with her groom-to be Nayel Nassar and her freshly-divorced parents at a rehearsal dinner this evening in the stables of their 142-acre estate.
An elaborate tent city has been set up on the property, and on Thursday potted trees were hauled in to block views of the venue from the roadway and give them some semblance of privacy.
An eighteen-wheel truck and vans hauled in equipment, while golf carts shuttled staff around the site and down the road to where another set of tents were erected to handle catering.
Beaming bride Jennifer Gates and her dashing groom stepped on the deck of their home to enjoy a quiet moment on Friday with her recently divorced parents Bill and Melinda Gates, and her little brother
They posed for pictures on the deck then walked as a couple down the driveway, dancing and kissing
The police chief, fire chief and town officials stopped by to see the progress. Several cops were stationed alongside the property, along with private security officers who were on hand to protect VIP guests and keep traffic flowing.
The roadway will be closed for the ceremony Saturday afternoon. And the town has posted signs banning the use of drones around the property.
'It's obviously not the wedding we would throw, financially speaking,' Liz, a neighbor who runs a dog-training business and was walking one of her furry clients past the estate, told DailyMail.com.
'Nobody can throw this, to put on something like this and to build this entire little city going on down here. It's quite the event, quite the event.'
Jennifer Gates, 25, will wed 30-year-old fellow equestrian Nayel Nassar Saturday at the 124-acre, $16 million North Salem farm that her billionaire parents purchased for her in 2018 shortly after her graduation from Stanford University
Her wealthy neighbors in North Salem include David Letterman and another riding champion, Georgina Bloomberg whose father, former presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, bought her a horse farm in the town in 2012
Preparations are well underway for the high-profile wedding with giant marquees and tents being erected in the grounds
A source estimated that construction costs for the pavilions will be 'at least $2 million'
There was talk about running cables into the stables and setting up propane tanks for a presumed barbecue for tonight's rehearsal dinner.
Two guitars, a piano and string quartet were placed around a stage, where workers were performing a sound check
The construction began weeks ago, prompting some locals to complain about the noise and disruption
The roadway will be closed for the ceremony Saturday afternoon. And the town has posted signs banning the use of drones around the property
The construction began weeks ago, prompting some locals to complain about the noise and disruption. Liz was happy to receive one of the gift baskets, including a fine bottle of red wine, the couple sent neighbors to smooth things over.
Still, she got no invite to join the 300 guests who are expected.
'I wish them well and I hope they have a beautiful, sunny day and they have a wonderful wedding,' she said, though she saw it might rain.
'And when it's over, all this will come down and then we'll be happy.'
The wedding has caused a surge in business for some local merchants, including the local pizza joint, Salem Pizza and Pasta, that had to shut down for an hour at lunchtime to fill a last-minute order for staff working the party.
The owner, who counts the Gates as customers, was taking it in stride.
'They come in here all the time,' he told DailyMail.com. 'They're very nice. In this town, everybody's famous. Everybody's a billionaire. You know who comes here? Richard Gere, Bloomberg, David Letterman. Everybody's nice. Once you have their kind of money, there's no reason to be mean. Only poor people are mean.'
In the municipal offices a mile away, staff were chatting and joking about the extravagance of the event.
'It's probably about $25 million,' one female employee told DailyMail.com. 'We're not invited, so we're angry.'
Back at the estate, workers barked out orders, as a purple-haired wedding planner roamed the grounds.
There was talk about running cables into the stables and setting up propane tanks for a presumed barbecue for tonight's rehearsal dinner.
They talked about the wedding as an 'open sky' event, with plans to remove tarps over the plexiglass tents so guests could see the sky.
A harpist was hired to set the mood for guests in a separate, climate-controlled cocktail tent. Eight chandeliers and a massive spotlight were being positioned.
Two guitars, a piano and string quartet were placed around a stage, where workers were performing a sound check.
'Somebody important is here, keep the music appropriate,' one staff member warned.
'We're listening to Randy Newman radio,' another employee replied, satisfying his boss
An elaborate tent city has been set up on the property, and on Thursday potted trees were hauled in to block views of the venue from the roadway and give them some semblance of privacy
The police chief, fire chief and town officials stopped by to see the progress. Several cops were stationed alongside the property, along with private security officers who were on hand to protect VIP guests and keep traffic flowing
The wedding has caused a surge in business for some local merchants, including the local pizza joint, Salem Pizza and Pasta, that had to shut down for an hour at lunchtime to fill a last-minute order for staff working the party
The father of the bride arrived in New York City ahead of his daughter Jennifer's wedding this weekend to fellow equestrian Nayel Nassar.
The 65-year-old landed in Newark in his private jet, then transferred to Manhattan via helicopter.
He was accompanied by his stepmother Mimi Gardner Gates, 79, who was married to Bill Gates Sr until his death in September 2020, aged 94.
Gardner Gates, a celebrated art historian, was sporting a jaunty hat with an orange pom-pom and beamed happily as she landed in New York.
She married Bill Gates Sr in 1996 and was director of the Seattle Art Museum for fifteen years and is now director emerita, overseeing the Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas.
Gates, worth an estimated $132 billion according to Forbes, was carrying a brown leather holdall as he disembarked.
The father of the bride was casually dressed in a polo shirt and chinos, ahead of Saturday's $2 million celebration.
His ex-wife Melinda, 57, has been in New York City since Monday, and the bride-to-be, Jennifer, since Tuesday.
Bill Gates, whose daughter Jennifer will get married on Saturday at the horse farm she owns north of New York City, touched down in Manhattan on Thursday, with his stepmother Mimi following closely behind with a dramatic pom-pom hat
The father of the bride, worth an estimated $132 billion, was all smiles as he touched down on the East Coast
Gates, whose divorce from Melinda - his wife of 27 years - was finalized in August, arrived in Manhattan several days after his ex-wife. Melinda Gates has been enjoying some pampering time with their daughter Jennifer since she arrived in the city on Monday
Preparations for the wedding on Thursday were continuing apace, with Jennifer's horse farm a flurry of activity.
The site was abuzz with workmen, supervised by crowds of people.
Trucks carrying supplies were seen arriving at the home, and workmen carried sofas onto the site and erected what appeared to be a wooden platform - possibly a dance floor.
Another team were carrying large trees, giving rise to speculation that the Gateses could have followed in Prince William and Kate Middleton's footsteps, and requested a woodland canopy for their nuptials.
New York state troopers were seen at the house, and public safety officials were spotted inspecting the site before the high-profile guests arrived.
Jennifer treated herself to some pre-wedding pampering in New York City on Thursday as she prepares to walk down the aisle in an extravagant ceremony this weekend.
The bride-to-be was seen leaving the ritzy Greenwich Hotel in downtown Manhattan early on Thursday morning before heading off to a salon in Tribeca for a bridal manicure and pedicure with her mother and friends.
Workers were seen at Jennifer's farm on Thursday, erecting what appeared to be a wooden platform or dancefloor, created around the trees
Those on the grounds were all smiles on Thursday, ahead of Saturday's big event
Jennifer, 25, said yes to Nassar in January 2020 and so preparations for their big day have been many months in the making. On Thursday a group of people were seen negotiating the plans and preparations
Workmen are seen on Thursday carrying what appeared to be a sofa towards the site of Saturday's celebrations
The roads around the Gates property were being tightly monitored on Thursday
A public safety official is seen on site on Thursday, inspecting the preparations for the lavish bash
Trucks full of supplies were seen coming and going on a sunny Thursday afternoon, as the preparations continued apace
Workmen were seen on Thursday manhandling huge trees, giving rise to speculation that the bride and groom could follow in the footsteps of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and deck the venue with branches
A large tree was seen being carried by a team of workers on Thursday, in readiness for the wedding on Saturday
The 25-year-old, who will tie the knot with 30-year-old millionaire equestrian Nayel Nassar on Saturday, looked elegant as she stepped out in a black face mask and got into the back of a black SUV.
Jennifer wore a cream-colored duster coat, white turtleneck, jeans, a chain-strap purse and was sporting bare nails.
She was assisted by her chauffeur with loading her designer baggage into the trunk. A hotel porter was also seen packing a second vehicle with several garment bags, including one that may have been carrying the bride's wedding gown.
She then headed down to Salon M in Tribeca where she met her mother and couple girlfriends and spent a few hours getting dolled up.
Melinda, 57, was seen arriving separately wearing a white frill sleeve top, black skinny pants, and black ballet flats.
Jennifer chose a bright red manicure to match her toenails while Melinda opted for a soft pink pedicure only, with a back massage. Both later changed into
