Ellen Degeneres, 50, and her longterm girlfriend, Portia De Rossi, 35, are said to be tying the knot this weekend in a small ceremony and reception with just a handful of their friends and immediate family. In Touch reported last month that they scaled back their wedding plans from a big production with a guest list that topped 200 people to just a small affair. It looks like In Touch was correct and that the two will marry in an intimate setting.

US Weekly has the exclusive story, and they remind us that Ellen was joking about how stressful the plans are and how many people were invited. That may be part of the reason they made it smaller:

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, 35, will wed this weekend in California, Usmagazine.com has learned exclusively.

The pair are planning a small, intimate ceremony with only a few close friends and family.

Following the California Supreme Court’s monumental ruling that same sex couple’s have the “right to marry,” DeGeneres announced she planned to wed her longtime girlfriend on a taping of her show in May.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do and we want it to be legal and we are very, very excited,” DeGeneres, 50, gushed.

DeGeneres reflected on their upcoming nuptials at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Hollywood in June.

“I think someday people will look back on this like women not having the right to vote and segregation and anything else that seems ridiculous that we don’t all have the same rights,” DeGeneres said.

Of the preparations, DeGeneres joked, “Planning a wedding is very stressful. It’s crazy. My gardener is now invited.”

[From US Weekly]
The National Enquirer reported last month that Portia would be outfitted in a gorgeous beaded Monique Lhuillier gown worth more than $15,000. And so much for wedding traditions – Ellen is said to have already seen Portia modeling the cream-colored gown.

Congratulations to Ellen and Portia! We’ll have to see how they handle the wedding publicity. I would bet they opt to release a posed portrait and don’t go for a full magazine spread, although I’d certainly love to see their wedding album.

Ellen and Portia are shown at the Daytime Emmy Awards on 6/20/08. Credit: PRPhotos