Pals of intellectual pinup Andrew Solomon have long suspected the Anglophile would have preferred to have been born Princess Diana. So it was no surprise at all to learn where the National Book Award-winning author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression has decided to get married: Althorp, the childhood home and final resting place of the ill-fated princess. The 500-year-old estate on 14,000 acres will set the stage for a gay wedding sure to rival Elton John's in elegance and extravagance.

Since Solomon, the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, already occupies one of the largest private mansions in Greenwich Village, and he recently purchased an old Astor estate on the Hudson River, some might see his wedding to journalist John Habich as his latest excursion into conspicuous consumption. But since this will be a family occasion, Solomon was undoubtedly attracted by the more gemutlich aspects of the Spencer family estate: "Despite the obvious grandeur and history of the surroundings, Althorp is essentially a family home, which exudes warmth and comfort, setting it apart from any hotel..." the couple enthuse on their wedding website. "The same resident House staff who provide the very highest standards of care for Lord Spencer and his family and friends offer a welcome that is far removed from the cold formality so often associated with stately homes."

Solomon and Habich have made a few concessions to accommodate the more ragtag of their American guests. Hats, for example, will not be required for the ladies (A.M. Homes is breathing a sigh of relief at this fact), and traditional morning suits are optional (though clearly preferred) for the gentlemen.

Bachelors from coast to coast will be sad to learn that the pharmaceutical heir is off the market, but they can stay in his good graces by buying the happy couple some foliage for their self-styled "acreage" upstate. According to Solomon's elaborate directions, tree-givers may choose a River Birch, a Paw Paw tree, a White Oak, or a Carolina Silverball. Purchased trees will then be adorned with personalized copper tags so all may be "reminded of how the gift of friendship grows."