Every two years, the art world descends on Venice in a flurry of who’s who, cocktail parties, and great outfits, says Michelle Darmody.

Nothing is being left to chance as a wedding beckons in Venice for the man soon to rescind his title as the world’s most eligible bachelor.

A string of A-list celebrities is expected to gather in Venice this weekend for one of the most exclusive jet-set events of the year: the wedding of US actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin.