Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco Host Star-Studded Rehearsal Dinner Ahead of Santa Barbara Nuptials
Steve Martin, Martin Short and Paul Rudd join Gomez and Blanco at a Hope Ranch mansion as Swift reportedly stays near the venue for security; Meryl Streep reportedly out.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco hosted a star-studded rehearsal dinner Friday night at a mansion in Hope Ranch, Goleta Valley, California, as they prepare to wed this weekend in the Santa Barbara area. The gathering brought together Gomez’s “Only Murders in the Building” cohort, including Steve Martin and Martin Short, along with co-star Paul Rudd, at a lavish 1,863-acre estate. While photos show the cast arriving in tailored suits, details about the guest list and the exact schedule for the weekend remain closely held by those involved.
Photos obtained by Page Six show Martin, 80, arriving and chatting with Rudd as guests gathered at a long table set with wine glasses and water. Short, 75, arrived in a dapper suit, and sources said he was joining the table-and-tête-à-tête moments that punctuated the evening. Gomez’s other co-star, Martin Short, attended the affair, and Gomez’s fiancé, Blanco, was also present as the couple’s rehearsal dinner unfolded amid the wedding weekend.
In addition to the core “Only Murders in the Building” ensemble, the weekend’s guest list has produced rumors and confirmations about who will or will not attend the private ceremony. Notably, Meryl Streep, who had been linked romantically to Short, did not appear at the dinner, as a Daily Mail source noted she had to drop out of the wedding weekend unexpectedly. Taylor Swift, a close friend of Gomez, was not photographed at the outdoor party on Friday, though Page Six reported she would be staying nearby for security purposes and not at the rehearsal as a general guest.
The wedding is planned for Saturday at a private Santa Barbara estate, with guests reportedly staying at El Encanto hotel. Page Six cited an insider saying the wedding party would be shuttled to the ceremony location without knowing the destination ahead of time, heightening the sense of privacy around the weekend. The hotel’s rooms — around $3,500 a night — have been booked to accommodate the guests during the wedding weekend, a detail that underscores the scale of the event and the commitment to discretion surrounding the celebration.
Gomez, 33, and Blanco, 37, are set to tie the knot on Sept. 27. The star couple publicly acknowledged their relationship in December 2023, after more than a year of dating, with Gomez sharing a carousel of photos of a diamond engagement ring and captioning it “forever begins now.” The couple confirmed their romance late last year, and Gomez had previously celebrated a high-profile bachelorette party in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in August, sharing images of a luxurious yacht celebration with close friends Racquelle Stevens, Ashley Cook and Courtney Lopez. The party’s style and tone were consistent with the couple’s public narrative of a joyful, intimate wedding weekend rather than a blockbuster Hollywood gala.
As guests prepare for the weekend’s events, hotel corridors around El Encanto and surrounding Santa Barbara streets buzz with anticipation. A Page Six source noted that all attendees would be collected and driven to the venue, with the destination kept secret until the moment of arrival, a plan designed to preserve privacy and security for the couple and their guests. The couple’s social media accounts have not provided a formal update on the weekend’s activities, but images and reports from reliable outlets have painted a picture of a celebration centered on close friends, family, and the entertainment industry’s notable figures.
Gomez, a former Disney Channel star who has ascended to global pop culture prominence, has leaned into a more low-key, intimate wedding approach with Blanco, reflecting a trend among some high-profile couples to prioritize privacy and personal significance over a star-studded ceremony. The couple’s story—Blanco’s proposal last December, subsequent confirmation of their relationship, and Gomez’s public celebration of engagement—has drawn widespread attention as fans and observers await the weekend’s events and any potential post-nuptial announcements that may come from Gomez or Blanco in the days ahead.