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The Cotswolds was a hive of activity today ahead of the society wedding of the year as Apple heiress Eve Jobs gets set to wed her TeamGB star fiance.
The wedding ceremony of the Apple heiress and model to TeamGB equestrian star Harry Charles will be held at St Michael’s and All Angels church in Great Tew on Saturday in what is being billed as the society wedding of the year.
Dozens of staff this morning descended on the Norman church to prepare for the £5m wedding.
Workmen were seen arriving at the church with Persian rugs, lighting rigs and floral display pieces to transform it into the perfect setting for the summer wedding of the year
The Grade I listed church, which dates form 1170, is just half a mile from Soho Farmhouse where many of the guests are believed to be staying.
There was a parallel buzz of activity in the grounds of the nearby Estelle Manor country house hotel at Eynsham Hall where the main wedding party is to be held.
One worker who was shuttling between venues told us: ‘It’s all for the Jobs wedding – it’s going to be quite a do.’
Another said: ‘This is a real takeover of the Cotswolds. They’re inviting hundreds of people and block booking venues.’
St Michael’s is one of the most beautiful venues in the Cotswolds and was the choice when film director Sam Mendes and classical musician Alison Balsom had their 2017 ceremony there.
A team of set designers were laying £15,000 Persian rugs running up the church aisle from the doors to the chancel – while others were adding temporary upholstery to pews.
Lighting rigs and speakers were also being set up.
Huge white polystyrene balls, placed all around the church and by the altar, will hold garlands of freshly cut flowers on Saturday morning shortly before the ceremony begins.
Wicker fence screens were erected at the entrance to the churchyard last night to shield the bride and groom and their guests from view.
Specialist cleaners arrived after lunch today to spruce up the ancient place of worship for the society wedding of the year.
The ceremony is expected to be conducted by St Michael’s newly appointed vicar, Cannon William Burke, a former infantry officer.
Cannon Burke declined to discuss the wedding, but tradesmen involved in the huge operation were more forthcoming.
One told MailOnline: ‘The wedding ceremony will be here at St Michael’s but the main party is being held at Estelle Manor….’
The grounds of Estelle Manor, where rooms start at £795, is the scene of major preparations this morning including stages and tents.
One local told us: ‘There are going to be a lot of VIPs here this weekend.’
The Manor is renowned internationally as a venue for huge weddings as its copious grounds can accommodate hundreds of guests – while Soho Farmhouse is a glamorous private members club is beloved by A-list celebrities.
Eve, 27, who once was named by society bible Tatler as one of its ‘new generation of It Girls’, and sportsman Harry, 26, got engaged last September and began dating in 2022, making their debut just a year ago at the Paris Olympic Games.
Their extravagant nuptials will take place over four days, and come exactly one month after Eve jetted to the Italian isle of Capri for a glitzy hen do.
And on the guestlist are a mixture of British sports stars, American politicians and even a sprinkling of royalty.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris is tipped to be among the VIP guests, with Sir Elton John reportedly set to be performing – for a rumoured fee of £1million – and even Princess Beatrice expected to attend.
Eve’s mother Laurene, left a widow following Jobs’ passing in 2011 aged 56 from pancreatic cancer, is said to have gone ‘all out’ for the wedding with help from renowned society events planner Stanlee Gatti.
A-list parties are set to fly to Oxford airport on their private jets, where they will be met by helicopters to transport them to the venue.
Also making the VIP guestlist are Kamala’s daughter Phoebe and Bill Gates’s daughter Jennifer, according to the newspaper.
They will be joined by celebs including Arctic Monkeys star Matt Helders, Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica – an equestrian, Apple designer Jony Ive, Sofia Abramovich, daughter of ex-Chelsea owner Roman.
And it’s not just Kamala set to make an impression from the politics scene in the US – as a source told the paper that ‘a lot of important American political figures’ will be present.
Sources close to the family previously said invites have gone out to figures from fashion, sport, and business, with speculation that Princess Beatrice and Jennifer Gates may be among the attendees.
Eve, a model and show jumper in her own right, has two older siblings and one half-sibling. Reed Jobs, 33, and Erin Jobs, 29, will likely be at the wedding. However it’s currently not known if her half sibling Lisa Brennan-Jobs, 47, will attend.
Aside from her siblings, Eve has a plethora of high-profile friends descended from other tech billionaires, who will likely see her walk down the aisle.
She is also friends with Lilli Hymowitz, daughter of billionaire Gregg Hymowitz, the CEO and founder of investment firm EnTrust Global.
