Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco’s Wedding Planning ‘Wasn’t Smooth Sailing’

Selena Gomez is officially in wedding countdown mode as she prepares to marry longtime friend-turned-romance Benny Blanco in what’s shaping up to be one of Hollywood’s biggest events of the year. The 32-year-old “Only Murders in the Building” star and the 37-year-old music producer are planning a star-studded two-day celebration in Montecito, California, this September, with close friends, family, and A-list co-stars on the guest list. But while fans are eagerly waiting for Selena Gomez’s wedding to Benny Blanco, which comes less than a year after the $1 million engagement ring proposal that shocked her fanbase, insiders claim the planning process hasn’t been entirely smooth behind the scenes.

Last month, Gomez was spotted letting loose in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where she reportedly celebrated a bachelorette getaway with her closest friends. Meanwhile, her groom-to-be opted for a more low-key celebration, hitting up a Las Vegas spa with a group of pals for his bachelor party. Back from the festivities, Gomez has been laser-focused on wedding prep, though not necessarily with equal help from her fiancé.

According to an insider who spoke to Daily Mail, Blanco has been happy to take a backseat in the planning process, telling Gomez he views it as “her wedding first, and their wedding second.” While he’s “ecstatic” to make her his wife and “forever grateful” she’s saying yes, friends say his laid-back approach has caused some tension.

It might seem like “a nice gesture” that Selena can “do whatever she wants,” the insider explained, but it has led to some conflict, because she feels that he could “step up and make some decisions.” Complicating matters, both Gomez and Blanco have a tendency to procrastinate, though sources point out Blanco has earned a reputation among friends for being a “bit lazy.”

Though the dynamic has sparked disagreements, insiders stress their relationship is solid and that Blanco’s hands-off attitude may just become one of the “quirks” of their marriage. “The planning wasn’t smooth sailing at first,” a source admitted, but everything has “been paid for” and figured out now, so “it’s smooth sailing now.”

Sources tell the Daily Mail that the couple’s two-day event will be an intimate but star-studded affair. Gomez has reportedly invited close friends and family, including her “Only Murders in the Building” co-stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Cara Delevingne. The Montecito location, which has played host to several A-list weddings in recent years, is expected to provide a picture-perfect backdrop for Gomez and Blanco to say “I do.”

Blanco proposed to Gomez in December 2023 with a jaw-dropping diamond engagement ring reportedly worth $1 million. The moment capped off a whirlwind romance that began just months earlier but quickly blossomed into something serious.

“It’s so good because I get her out, and she calms me down when I need it. She’s the first person that I’ve been with where I’m like, ‘I don’t even give a f-ck what’s going on. I could sit in this bed with you for 72 hours and feel like I didn’t miss anything,” Blanco said of his now-fiancée earlier this year.

He also gushed that Gomez has a calming, almost addictive presence in his life, explaining that she always knows exactly what to say when he’s not at his best. He admitted he’s “pissed that it took this long” to find each other, calling their connection something he wishes had happened sooner.

Blanco hasn’t held back when it comes to gushing about his bride-to-be. Earlier this year, he admitted he’s learned to “worship the ground she walks on,” describing their romance as unlike anything he’s ever experienced.

According to the 37-year-old producer, the secret to their bond is the lack of ego between them. “She’s praying for me to win and I’m praying for her to win,” he explained, calling their relationship the most supportive and grounding one of his life.