Cruise-Holmes Wedding Takes Italy, World by Storm

Nov. 18, 2006 — -- In the grand tradition of Brangelina and Bennifer, the code name for this story is "TomKat." Maybe code name is wrong. It's more of a brand name. And Rome is buzzing with it.

The Eternal City is hosting the wedding of the moment. A remake of "Roman Holiday." In this version, the Cary Grant role goes to the actor my (Irish) mother-in-law refers to as "that little fellow who is always running in movies." Already it's turning out to be a blockbuster.

Tom Cruise marries Katie Holmes -- TomKat. The word has my e-mail inbox bursting at the seams.

Here's just one example:

Subject: Tomkat dinner, What is being served?

The message goes on:

Please onpass to anyone who needs. Here's what the restaurant just told me.
Salad of mushroom and cheese.
Tuscan croutons
Pasta with shrimp and zucchini
Ravioli with white truffles
Gnocchi with Tomato sauce (Tom's favorite! He's had it here before.)
Seabass covered with salt
Sliced beef with artichokes
Profiteroles
White wine: Gavi
Red: Rosso di Montalcino

That's not the wedding meal itself. It's from Thursday at Nino's restaurant, where Cruise hosted an intimate dinner for 110. But you get the idea.

Rome's luxurious Hassler Hotel, atop the Spanish Steps, has suddenly become Rome's biggest tourist attraction. Fans and photographers jostling for just a glimpse have been camped out there for days. One Danish couple told me they hoped to see the groom rapel down to his limousine from the penthouse suite where he has been staying -- "Mission Impossible" style. I guess you get a little punchy standing for hours in a place like this, in a city where the permanent tourist attractions include the Vatican, the Pantheon, any number of Renaissance masterpieces, and some of the best restaurants in Europe.

In the tiny town of Bracciano, where the wedding is taking place, the commotion is even more pronounced. It's a beautiful medieval city on a lake that serves as the water supply for all the fountains of Rome. Bracciano has hosted plenty of popes and kings in its day, but never before Hollywood royalty.