Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Are Married! Couple Ties the Knot in Star-Studded Venice Wedding
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez married in a ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27, PEOPLE confirms
The couple hosted a multi-day celebration in the Floating City, welcoming numerous celebrity guests including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Usher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady
PEOPLE confirmed that Bezos and Sánchez were engaged in May 2023, four years after news broke that they were in a relationship
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are married, PEOPLE confirms.
The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 55, tied the knot in a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27.
The couple celebrated their Italian nuptials over several days, welcoming a number of their celebrity friends for the lavish festivities in the Floating City, including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and Tom Brady.
Other notable guests included Queen Rania of Jordan, Bill Gates and his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, François-Henri Pinault, and fashion designers Diane von Fürstenberg, Domenico Dolce and Tommy Hilfiger.
A source tells PEOPLE the couple's wedding ceremony kicked off with a performance of 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Elvis Presley, sung by Matteo Bocelli to cheers from the guests.
Ahead of the ceremony, Bezos and Sánchez were photographed leaving the Aman Hotel separately, presumably headed for their wedding venue. The bride wore a retro-inspired, all-white suit and silk head scarf, while the groom sported a sleek black tuxedo and aviator-style shades.
Ahead of their wedding celebrations, the bride and groom were photographed arriving in Venice via helicopter on Wednesday, June 25, smiling as they walked hand-in-hand. They later hosted a welcome party for their guests on Thursday night, June 26, at a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell'Orto church.
A source told PEOPLE that the party-goers dined on pizza cooked onsite by a famous Neapolitan chef, along with fried zucchini flowers, arancini, octopus and cod. Dessert included pastries and lemon cakes.
The couple had planned to hold their wedding ceremony on Saturday, June 28, at Scuola Grande della Misericordia, but made a last-minute location change due to security concerns amid ongoing local protests over the wedding.
To show their appreciation to Venice for hosting them and their guests, Bezos and Sánchez made a point of spotlighting the city's rich artisanal history during their wedding festivities. They sourced about 80% of their provisions from Venetian vendors, among them pastry shop Rosa Salva and glass design studio Laguna B, a source told The Associated Press.
In addition, the couple asked their guests to make financial donations to the city of Venice instead of giving them wedding gifts. On their wedding invitation, they listed three Venetian charities they planned to donate the contributions to: the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA and Venice International University.
They also shared on the invitation why Venice holds such a special place in their hearts. "This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories," they wrote. "Our hope is that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come."
"We are definitely happy to have this funding for the protection of our very delicate city," Sebastiano Costalonga, local city councillor for commerce and productive activities of the municipality of Venice, told PEOPLE ahead of the wedding.
News of Bezos and Sánchez's relationship first broke in January 2019, around the same time that the Blue Origin founder announced his divorce from MacKenzie Scott after 25 years of marriage. At the time, Sánchez was divorcing her husband of 13 years, Patrick Whitesell.
While it's unclear when and how Bezos and Sánchez first met, sources previously told PEOPLE that the pair struck up a working relationship while teaming up on several projects and "gradually" developed romantic feelings for each other.
Sánchez later opened up about her relationship with Bezos in January 2023, telling WSJ Magazine that the pair were "together all the time."
"We love to be together and we love to work together," she told the outlet, before revealing that Bezos has a side that the public doesn't get to see.
"He's really funny," she shared. "He makes me laugh all the time. He can be goofy."
In May 2023, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that the two had gotten engaged. The news came as the couple was vacationing together in the South of France. Sánchez was photographed wearing a dazzling ring on that finger while spending time on Bezo's superyacht Koru and stepping out in town.
At the time, a source told PEOPLE the newly engaged pair were "on cloud nine" and "so happy and madly in love." As for Sánchez's "huge" ring, the insider said the former Good Day LA co-host "keeps playing with it and looking at it. You can tell she loves it."
When Bezos celebrated his milestone 60th birthday last year, Sánchez shared a sweet tribute to her then-fiancé on Instagram.
"Today is another day where your laughter fills our home, and that smile of yours lights up every room. Wishing you an abundance of simple joys and quiet moments of happiness," she wrote. "May this year be filled with everything you love, from peaceful mornings to joyous celebrations."
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She added: "I hope each day brings you countless reasons to smile, just like you give me a reason to smile every single day. Love you, and happy birthday, my love."
With their Venetian wedding, Bezos and Sánchez have now officially merged their families. The billionaire mogul shares four children with his ex-wife, and Sánchez shares son Nikko, 24, with ex Tony Gonzalez, and son Evan, 19, and daughter Ella, 17, with Whitesell.
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