Jeff Bezos weds Lauren Sánchez in lavish Venice ceremony
The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez, who have travelled into space, and expectations were about as high ahead of their wedding in Venice on Saturday.
One of the world's most enchanting cities as backdrop? Check.
Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course.
Local flavour? You bet.
And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night (local time), and Sánchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man.
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It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land.
Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth.
The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall.
Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Saturday. Instead, the glitterati were partying, and the paparazzi jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala.
And the bride wore a classic mermaid-line gown, featuring Dolce & Gabbana's signature Italian lace. A traditional tulle-and-lace veil completed her look.
"Not just a gown, a piece of poetry," she wrote on Instagram, where her name now appears as Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
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Logistics and costs
Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel advisory and destination event service.
"It's a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people," said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice. "There's very tight control, especially on movement there with boats."
It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said.
Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (NZ$77 million and NZ$92 million)
It's an eye-popping, jaw-dropping figure that's over 1000 times the US$36,000 (NZ$69,000) average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola's annual report.
Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. When the youngest son of Asia's richest man married last July, performances by pop stars Rihanna and Justin Bieber pushed up the price tag.
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Jeff Bezos leaves a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations with Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, Friday, June 27, 2025 (Source: Associated Press)
"How do you spend $40 million on a three- or four-day event?" Ezon said. "You could bring headliners, A-list performers, great DJs from anywhere in the world. You could spend $2 million on an incredible glass tent that's only there for 10 hours, but it takes a month to build," or expand the celebration to local landmarks.
There's no sign Sánchez and Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, intend to take over any of Venice's tourist-thronged hotspots. Still, intense hand-wringing about the prospect prompted their wedding coordinator, Lanza & Baucina, to issue a rare statement calling those rumours false.
Earlier, Sánchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony. Bezos followed two hours later.
Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera.
Vogue magazine, to which the couple granted exclusive access, reported that the Dolce & Gabbana-designed gown took 900 hours to complete. Inspired by Sophia Loren's wedding dress in the 1958 film Houseboat, it featured a high-necked, hand-appliqued lace and 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons.
A police officer rides in front of the boat, center, carrying Lauren Sanchez as it travels past St. Mark's Square ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Luigi Costantini/AP)
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'No Space'
There are some who say these two shouldn't have been wed in this city.
They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change.
"Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there," Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said.
About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner "No Space for Bezos", a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight.
Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash.
Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought.
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"There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony," Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, told the AP.
"All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world."
Jeff Bezos waves as he arrives at San Giorgio island ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations with Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Source: Associated Press)
Philanthropy
As Amazon's CEO, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today he has a net worth of US $234 billion (NZ$386 billion), according to Forbes.
In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sánchez, a former TV news anchor. Sánchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos' divorce was finalised.
He stepped down as CEO in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin, The Washington Post, which he owns, and his philanthropic initiatives.
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Sitting beside Sánchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime.
Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos' Earth Fund was supporting its work with an "important donation." CORILA, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
Local media have reported a reception Saturday in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Biennale.
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1News
14 hours ago
- 1News
Jeff Bezos weds Lauren Sánchez in lavish Venice ceremony
The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez, who have travelled into space, and expectations were about as high ahead of their wedding in Venice on Saturday. One of the world's most enchanting cities as backdrop? Check. Star-studded guest list and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavour? You bet. And then, time to tie the knot. The couple held their wedding ceremony Friday night (local time), and Sánchez posted to Instagram a photo of herself beaming in a white gown as she stood alongside a tuxedo-clad Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man. ADVERTISEMENT It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which became a lightning rod for small, colourful protests. But any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch hadn't materialised as of Saturday. Instead, the glitterati were partying, and the paparazzi jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. And the bride wore a classic mermaid-line gown, featuring Dolce & Gabbana's signature Italian lace. A traditional tulle-and-lace veil completed her look. "Not just a gown, a piece of poetry," she wrote on Instagram, where her name now appears as Lauren Sánchez Bezos. ADVERTISEMENT Logistics and costs Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel advisory and destination event service. "It's a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people," said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice. "There's very tight control, especially on movement there with boats." It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said. Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (NZ$77 million and NZ$92 million) It's an eye-popping, jaw-dropping figure that's over 1000 times the US$36,000 (NZ$69,000) average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola's annual report. Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. When the youngest son of Asia's richest man married last July, performances by pop stars Rihanna and Justin Bieber pushed up the price tag. ADVERTISEMENT Jeff Bezos leaves a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations with Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, Friday, June 27, 2025 (Source: Associated Press) "How do you spend $40 million on a three- or four-day event?" Ezon said. "You could bring headliners, A-list performers, great DJs from anywhere in the world. You could spend $2 million on an incredible glass tent that's only there for 10 hours, but it takes a month to build," or expand the celebration to local landmarks. There's no sign Sánchez and Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, intend to take over any of Venice's tourist-thronged hotspots. Still, intense hand-wringing about the prospect prompted their wedding coordinator, Lanza & Baucina, to issue a rare statement calling those rumours false. Earlier, Sánchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St Mark's Square, where the couple held their ceremony. Bezos followed two hours later. Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera. Vogue magazine, to which the couple granted exclusive access, reported that the Dolce & Gabbana-designed gown took 900 hours to complete. Inspired by Sophia Loren's wedding dress in the 1958 film Houseboat, it featured a high-necked, hand-appliqued lace and 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. A police officer rides in front of the boat, center, carrying Lauren Sanchez as it travels past St. Mark's Square ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Luigi Costantini/AP) ADVERTISEMENT 'No Space' There are some who say these two shouldn't have been wed in this city. They characterise the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. "Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there," Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said. About a dozen Venetian organisations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner "No Space for Bezos", a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding has brought. ADVERTISEMENT "There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony," Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, told the AP. "All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world." Jeff Bezos waves as he arrives at San Giorgio island ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations with Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Source: Associated Press) Philanthropy As Amazon's CEO, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today he has a net worth of US $234 billion (NZ$386 billion), according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sánchez, a former TV news anchor. Sánchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos' divorce was finalised. He stepped down as CEO in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin, The Washington Post, which he owns, and his philanthropic initiatives. ADVERTISEMENT Sitting beside Sánchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos' Earth Fund was supporting its work with an "important donation." CORILA, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests. Local media have reported a reception Saturday in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Biennale.
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20 hours ago
- NZ Herald
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1News
a day ago
- 1News
What to know about Jeff Bezos' star-studded wedding in Venice
Details of the wedding between Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are sketchy, but it's certainly causing a storm, not least in Venice, where they're set to tie the knot this weekend. Here's a guide by the numbers: His net worth: US$231 Billion, that is. That's the net worth of Jeff Bezos, according to real-time data from Forbes, making him the fourth-richest person in the world behind tech bros Elon Musk, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg. Not bad, considering that he founded Amazon out of his garage in Seattle in 1994, with not much more than a desk, a fax machine and a long orange extension cord that was needed to supply the room with additional power. ADVERTISEMENT Kim Kardashian, center, and sister Khloé Kardashian, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) From its origins as an online bookstore, Amazon's tentacles are now felt all around the world. If you want anything, it'll likely be for sale there. Amazon also now produces movies, runs the Whole Foods grocery chain and has become the leader in voice-activated speakers. Bezos stepped down as chief executive of Amazon in early 2021, citing the desire to devote more time to philanthropy and other projects, including The Washington Post, the newspaper he bought in 2013 and his rocket company, Blue Origin. But Bezos still has broad influence over Amazon as executive chair and the company's biggest shareholder, though his stake has diminished over the years to under 10%. Times down the aisle: 2 This is the second time that Bezos — and Sanchez — will be walking down the aisle. Usher arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT Bezos, 61, was married to MacKenzie Bezos for 25 years until their divorce in April 2019. TV anchor Sanchez, 55, also divorced her first husband of 14 years, talent agent Patrick Whitesell, in 2019. The divorce came at a high price for Jeff Bezos. Only the divorce of Bill Gates and Melinda Gates has been more expensive. As part of the settlement, MacKenzie, who has taken her middle name Scott as her new surname, received 25% of Bezos' stake in Amazon. According to Forbes, she is worth a cool US$30 billion (NZ$49 billion), easily placing her in the world's top 100. US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, center, waves as she and her husband Jared Kushner, right, arrive in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) The hotel room price: €2456 According to travel website Kayak, that's the euro price (NZ$4735) for the next available room at the Aman Venice, the hotel where the couple are believed to be staying during their three-day wedding extravaganza. A gondola sails past the Aman Hotel in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT The hotel is a grand spectacle in a city of spectacles. Like Venice itself, the hotel blends mystery and grandeur, opulence and solitude. The rooms are decorated with works by a number of Italy's greatest artists, including 16th-century architect Sansovino and 18th-century painter Tiepolo. Given his wealth, Bezos would be expected to reside in one of the suites. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, inside boat, pass by the San Giorgio Maggiore Church on their way to their pre wedding reception, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) The 97sq metre Grand Canal Suite would surely meet the moment. According to the hotel, it "beguiles with views of the Grand Canal and an abundance of light". Or how about the Alcova Tiepolo Suite? It is slightly bigger at 103sq metres, which allows guests the opportunity to stay among 18th-century frescoes by Tiepolo. Venice's population: 48,000 Or thereabouts. That's the approximate population of Venice's historic centre, which is composed of over 100 islands connected by footbridges and traversed by its famed canals. ADVERTISEMENT And it's clear not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of Bezos, his wife-to-be and their 200 or so guests, which are expected to include Mick Jagger, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio, to name just a few. Oprah Winfrey, centre right, arrives in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) And it doesn't seem as though the protesters will stay silent. About a dozen Venetian organisations, including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups, have united to protest the multi-day event under the banner "No Space for Bezos," a play on words that refers to Sanchez's recent space flight. Protesters display a sign "No Kings No Bezos" in St. Mark's Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) To many Venetians, overtourism has made the city increasingly unliveable, expensive and crowded. The resident population has dwindled over the decades, leading to the corresponding reduction in services. Residents complain nothing is being done to encourage other types of economic activity, creating a culture of monotourism. This photo released by Greenpeace shows a large banner against Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' planned wedding, in St. Mark Square, in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) Number of private jets: 90 ADVERTISEMENT That's the number of wedding-related private jets that are expected to land at Treviso and Venice airports. Veneto Governor Luca Zaia reckons the Bezos wedding is all worth it and has a price tag of around US$50 million, generating revenue for the city and a celebrity quotient that would "bring visibility and promotion" to Venice worth more than five American Super Bowls. A gondolier tours tourists along the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. (Source: Associated Press) Celebrities already spotted in Venice ahead of the nuptials are Kim Kardashian sister Khloé, Domenico Dolce, Usher, Oprah Winfrey, and Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner.
