Tying The Knot

Kim Kardashian's wedding is so secret ... even Kim has no idea what's going on ... which is exactly how Kanye wants it.

Sources close to Kim tell TMZ ... Kanye has cut his bride-to-be out of the wedding planning entirely ... with the goal of unleashing the surprise of the century. He's planning almost everything.

BUT WE KNOW SOME STUFF:

-- Kim and Kanye will exchange "I do's" at Versailles
-- Part of the post-wedding celebration will take place at a 16th century fort in Florence
-- The guests have NOT been told specifics about Florence, including where they're staying Saturday night.
-- The guests don't even know how they're getting from Paris to Florence ... assuming private jet.
-- There is a big second event in Florence, which Kanye is keeping top secret.

Finally, Kanye is trying to keep Kim off her phone and away from the Internet ... good luck with that.

Khloe Kardashian high-styled it outside Paris Friday ... hours before her sister Kim ties the knot with Kanye West.

Khloe -- who by the way looks great -- was at Château de Wideville posing in the gardens.

She was there with Kim, Kris, Kendall AND ... Valentino.

Britney Spears just surprised the newlywed bride who became a viral video star -- thanks to Brit's music -- with an awesome wedding gift ... backstage passes to meet Britney in Vegas.

Sources connected to Stephanie Huntington and her husband tell us Britney's people reached out to Stephanie after seeing the popular video from their wedding reception ... where Steph's Man of Honor leads a full-blown dance performance of "Work, Bitch."

We're told Britney's manager invited Stephanie and two friends to a surprise meet-and-greet last weekend ... where Brit took the optimistic step to invite herself to Stephanie's 10-year anniversary party.

Kanye West almost let a French photographer ruin his wedding week ... because he nearly blew up when the guy made a crack about lingerie to the bride-to-be, Kim Kardashian.

Kim and Kanye were swarmed by fans and paparazzi while window shopping in Paris Monday ... and as they walked past a lingerie shop one photog blurted out, "Underwears, very beautiful!"

That's when Kanye flashed THAT look. But watch the vid ... this time he holds back from a full eruption.

But the best moment was when Kanye actually cracked a smile and agreed to autograph a pair of Air Yeezy sneakers for a fan -- only to burst the guy's bubble by telling him his kicks are fake!

Ray J is sending Kim Kardashian and Kanye West a huge check for their wedding -- even though his invitation was lost in the mail (as in it never existed) -- but the gift is his share of profits from the sex tape with Kim!

We're guessing Yeezy would prefer a blender. Or leather jogging pants.

We busted Rob Kardashian's chops for packing on the pounds -- but the guy IS trying to streamline before Kim's big day ... so we're now told.

Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson is flying to Paris to train Rob and Khloe Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, he tells TMZ. Gunnar says Rob was training 5 times a week, but then slowed to twice a week 2 weeks ago because of other commitments.

It may be the most awesome wedding gift of all time ... Ray J is giving Kim Kardashian and Kanye West a $47K check ... representing 4 months of his 2014 profits from the epic porn tape with Kim.

It's breathtaking on 2 levels -- that Ray J has such humongous cajones, and that the tape is still raking in a fortune after 7 years.

Here's the breakdown of the wedding gift. Mind you, this is just Ray J's cut:

-- January $6,135.60
-- February $20,097.31
-- March $9,674.76
-- April $10,931.52
-- TOTAL: $46,840.13

Now get this ... sources from Vivid Entertainment tell us the tape has grossed $50 MILLION!

Remember, we're told Kim gets AT LEAST as much as Ray J, though we don't know exactly how much.

We've reached out to Kim to see if she'll accept Ray's gift, but so far no word back. We're told ... if she doesn't want it he'll donate the money to her favorite charity.

Ray J -- yes, that's his wallet AND he's happy to see you.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's wedding has everyone at the Palace of Versaille in hush-hush mode ... but after some digging, we got to the bottom of what's going down at Louis XIV's crib.

The Palace of Versailles has 5 spaces available for events ... but our sources say Kim's tying the knot in a place only a few others have occupied -- which we believe is the palace's Orangerie.

The Orangerie has been the backdrop for a few huge nuptials ... including one of the most expensive ever. Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal rented the space for his daughter's ridiculously lavish wedding at a cost of $141,000.

It's around 350 years old, with two huge staircases -- famously named the "One Hundred Steps. The world-famous garden is filled during the summer with more than 1,200 exotic trees. Louis XIV said the garden was as important to him as the castle itself.

Coincidentally, the Orangerie opens for events on May 20th ... just days before the couple will tie the knot.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have zeroed in on one of the most opulent places in the world to tie the knot -- the Palace of Versailles outside Paris.

There are reports that the couple will tie the knot in Florence, Italy ... in fact the Mayor's office even went on record confirming that.

But sources familiar with the wedding plans say it will absolutely take place at Versailles, following nearly a week of parties all around France.

A total of 3 French kings lived there and the palace and gardens are world famous to this day.

Versailles is where Louis XIV famously lived in the 1600s. It's also where Marie Antoinette lived with her hubby Louis the XVI and was trashed for her lavish lifestyle. She famously said "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" -- translated, "Let them eat cake," referring to the common folk who bitched at her.

We gotta say ... it would be slightly awesome if Kim said it during the reception.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is so outraged by the medieval mind of the Sultan of Brunei ... he's cancelled his big wedding bash at the Hotel Bel-Air.

Babyface and fiancée Nicole Pantenburg are getting hitched Saturday, and planned to have their ceremony and reception at the swanky hotel owned by the Sultan's company. He also owns the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Sultan is on Hollywood's s*** list after announcing he'll continue enforcing an Islamic law that imposes death by stoning for homosexuality and adultery.

We're told the wedding will go on, but they've made a quick switch to a different venue in Bev Hills.

Babyface isn't the first celeb to yank an event ... Kim Kardashian's bridal shower last weekend was moved from the Beverly Hills Hotel to another location.

While some women might call it a career after landing George Clooney, Amal Alamuddin was spotted on Wednesday heading back to her law firm in London after spending the last few weeks celebrating their engagement.

The lawyers in the firm will clearly be eager for some gossip ... they blew the lid off the engagement by sending out a press release. So now they have her in living color.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian can't get married just yet ... and the reason is all about Jay Z.

Sources connected with the soon-to-be husband and wife tell TMZ ... they won't get married until the prenup is signed, and the snag has been a slow down because Kanye just dumped his old management and signed on with Jay Z's Roc Nation. We're told the people at Roc needed to get up to speed and thus the delay.

Our sources say Kanye and Kim are not fighting over the prenup, and we're told it will be signed within a week -- but not much before, because Kanye is out of the country. We're told the nuptials will take place May 24 in Paris.

There are reports Jay Z will be the best man, but we're told that's not true. He's invited and he may be the best businessman, but not the best man.

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin celebrated their engagement in Malibu this weekend with a few close friends ... like Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, and a little guy known as Bono.

Kim Kardashian put on a white dress this afternoon in Beverly Hills, but it wasn't to marry Kanye West ... it was just for her bridal shower.

As TMZ first reported, the only thing holding up the Kimye wedding now is the prenup. According to our sources, the pair should sign on the dotted line this week, opening the door for the wedding ... which we're told would take place around Memorial Day.

Plan your schedules accordingly. Not that any of us are invited ...

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are doing something that seems to go against their DNA ... getting married PRIVATELY and without fanfare, and we're told it's going to happen this week.

Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... they already have a marriage license and plan to tie the knot before the week is out.

We're told it's strictly on the QT ... so much so they got a "confidential" marriage license so no one officially knows.

Sources tell us ... with a confidential license, K&K won't have to appear publicly at a courthouse to get married ... instead, an official from the court will actually go to them and perform the ceremony privately in their home.

And then, in about a month -- after they're already legally married in California -- we've learned Kim and Kanye will hold a lavish, blow-out wedding ceremony in Paris.

They got engaged on Kim's birthday ... October 21.

George Clooney tried like hell to keep his engagement to Amal Alamuddinhush hush -- and damn near pulled it off ... Amal's law firm got involved and blabbed to the world.

Here’s a tip future Mrs. Clooney -- Mr. Clooney likes his privacy. So… shhh!!!