Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding ceremony underway as Whitney Houston song blares
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
grand wedding ceremony in Venice is officially underway
with Whitney Houston's anthem Higher Love heard blaring from the venue.
The couple are exchanging vows
surrounded by a host of celebrity friends to celebrate their union
. Guests including Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Barbara Streisand and Ivanka Trump have been seen arriving at the venue to join them for their lavish nuptials.
The couple rented out the entire Aman Venice hotel for their stay,
hosting a welcome party for their guests at the Madonna dell'Orto church
which had to draw to a close earlier than planned due to a thunderstorm. They also entertained their celebrity friends with a pre-wedding foam party aboard his $500 million megayacht, Koru.
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Jeff Bezos' dad lands in Venice as Lauren Sanchez wedding hit with last minute chaos
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Lauren Sanchez spotted arriving at Venice hotel ahead of Jeff Bezos wedding
The relationship between Jeff, 61, and Lauren, 55, sparked controversy when it came to light that the Amazon founder had been secretly taking then-married Lauren on exotic getaways and arranging clandestine meetings, all while he was still married to his wife of 25 years, Mackenzie Scott. Meanwhile, Lauren was still married to her now ex-husband Patrick Whitesell.
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos at the Aman Hotel in Venice
The Enquirer brought Lauren and Jeff's affair into the public eye in January 2019, at a time when both were still legally married. The tabloid alleged that Lauren and Jeff had been involved in an eight-month-long affair, marked by secret meet-ups and explicit text exchanges, including risqué messages and provocative selfies sent by Lauren.
The publication claimed to have followed the pair across five states and over 40,000 miles, documenting their travels in private jets, limousines, and helicopters, their romantic hikes, stays in luxury hotels, intimate dinner dates, and "quality time in hidden love nests."
In response to these allegations, Jeff penned an open letter to the CEO of the publication, David Pecker, accusing them of blackmail.
He wrote, "Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail, I've decided to publish exactly what they sent me, despite the personal cost and embarrassment they threaten.
Jeff and Lauren caused controversy with their romance
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
"[After] intimate text messages from me were published in the National Enquirer, I engaged investigators to learn how those texts were obtained, and to determine the motives for the many unusual actions taken by the Enquirer.
"We were then approached with an offer. They said they had more of my text messages and photos that they would publish if we didn't stop our investigation."
He went on to say, "If in my position I can't stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can. Of course I don't want personal photos published, but I also won't participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption. I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out."
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Irish Daily Star
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Star
Lauren Sanchez debuts timeless wedding dress alongside new Instagram handle
Lauren Sánchez stunned in her wedding dress and also changed her last name. Lauren walked down the aisle wearing a white laced mermaid-style wedding dress with long sleeves and a turtle neck. The dress featured buttons going down from the neck to the floor. She tied the look with a long veil and kept her makeup simple, and she smiled walking down the aisle as a Mrs. Jeff kept it classic with a black tuxedo and bowtie with a huge smile on his face. Photos from the big day made it to Vogue's June 2025 digital cover stor y. According to the publication, Sánchez and Bezos wore Dolce & Gabbana. Read More Related Articles Donald Trump slammed as he makes homophobic attack on CNN's Anderson Cooper Read More Related Articles Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez forced to relocate Venice wedding after locals protest When it came to her wedding dress, Lauren wanted to step away from the modern, strapless silhouette look. Lauren graced the digital cover of Vogue (Image: Tierney Gearon for Vogue) She told the publication, "It went from 'I want a simple, sexy modern dress' to 'I want something that evokes a moment,' and where I am right now. I am a different person than I was five years ago." Lauren quickly posted a picture of her and her husband on Instagram. People have sent their congratulations to the happy couple, with some noticing the bride making a change to her Instagram name. One person wrote, "Beautiful wedding dress Lauren and I've never seen a more dapper tuxedo Jeff." Another person wrote, "Wasted no time in adding bezos to her IG name I know thats right." A third person commented, "Wow, I didn't expect that dress and she looks absolutely classy." A fourth commented, "The Last name Change is everything! Congratulations you two!! Cheers to a lifetime of LOVE!" Bezos and Sánchez's relationship became public after the Amazon CEO announced his divorce from MacKenzie Scott and Lauren's separation from Patrick in early 2019. The two first met in 2016 at an Apple release party for the movie Manchester by the Sea, in which Sánchez's husband introduced them. The Amazon CEO proposed to the former journalist on his $500 million yacht named Koru. She spilled to the publication that the wedding celebration would include two welcome dinners, the ceremony and a post-wedding pajama-themed party. The former journalist revealed that phones were not allowed and "incredible music" was planned. Usher ad Kygo were set to perform. The two were surrounded by loved ones, who also happened to be a star-studded group of celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, Orlando Bloom, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Kris, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Sydney Sweeney, Gayle King, and others. For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Jeff Bezos' $46m wedding with $6m spent on private jet security, $1.8m on wait staff, and $1.6m on roses alone
JEFF Bezos has dropped an incredible $46 million on his luxury Italian wedding, a source involved in the planning for the past seven months has exclusively told The U.S. Sun. For a man worth an eye-watering $220 billion, such an extravagant cost is a mere drop in the Venetian Lagoon where the ' Advertisement 10 Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez leave the Aman hotel in Venice on Thursday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 10 Final preparations and heightened security measures were seen in Venice ahead of the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Credit: Splash 10 The super yacht Arience owned by american investor Bill Miller is anchored in the lagoon ahead of the expected wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Credit: Reuters But the breakdown of cost to stage the 61 year-old's marriage to They exchanged vows in an amphitheater on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, before enjoying a luxury banquet on the Venetian Island of San Giovanni Evangelista. With the Amazon boss welcoming in a host of A-listers including Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga , Leonardo DiCaprio , Oprah Winfrey , Eva Longoria and Orlando Bloom, absolutely no expense has been spared. The glitzy celebration, which started on Thursday and will rage until Monday, will be fueled by a whopping $2 million spent on the finest wines and champagne. Advertisement Read more on the Bezos wedding The insider said the event took 'months of planning' with the couple wanting 'everything done exactly their way.' 'This is the biggest wedding ever organized,' he told The U.S. Sun. 'Not just because of the money spent, but also due to the extraordinary level of luxury and detail involved.' To help everyone attend in style, uber-rich Bezos splurged a cool $9 million to reserve spots in the marina for anyone arriving by yacht , with another $6 million laid out to cover parking and security for private jets. It promises to be one hell of a party, with 200 of the couple's well-heeled friends waited on hand and foot. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun 'Jeff insisted on covering the cost,' continued the insider, 'he wants everyone to feel fully taken care of, from arrival to departure.' A staff of 150 waiters and waitresses was hired for four days, with the cost of service totaling approximately $1.8 million. The Kardashians are leading the world's A-listers flocking to Venice for Jeff Bezos and his bride Lauren Sanchez's ultra-rich wedding of the century The culinary operation included 20 chefs, each paid $5,000 per day, adding up to $500,000. They were supported by 40 sous chefs and assistants, paid $2,000 per day each, for an additional $400,000 over five days. Advertisement The U.S. Sun has been told the hiring process for staff was extremely competitive. More than 1,500 candidates applied with only the best 150 waiters and waitresses chosen. They were then trained to follow strict service protocols, including limiting interaction with guests while working. The compensation offered was significantly higher than the standard even for large-scale Italian weddings . Bezos and Sanchez painstakingly chose some of the best chefs from Northern Italy and, per the source, approved every detail after a series of interviews and tastings. Advertisement Legendary entertainer Elton John will reportedly be performing alongside a group of Italian musicians—including harpists, cellists, pianists, and guitarists—who were brought in to create a curated 'Venice experience.' The U.S. Sun understands the performers have been instructed to follow a pre-approved playlist created by Sanchez and members of the couple's inner circle. The musical talent was flown in from France , Greece , Lebanon, and South America. The dancers were also carefully chosen—over 2,000 people applied for the roles, and the final group includes professionals from top dance companies in New York , Paris , and Milan Advertisement Improvisation is not permitted. Each musician is being paid $10,000 for the six-day engagement, with total music costs exceeding $1.5 million. 10 Kylie Jenner leaves a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez on Friday Credit: AP 10 Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian leave the Gritti Palace Hotel on the wedding day of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez on Friday Credit: AFP 10 US businessman Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump are also among the guests Credit: AFP Advertisement 10 Usher and Tom Brady also flew in for the celebration Credit: AP Entertainment also includes a series of themed dance performances. Fifty professional dancers—25 men and 25 women—were hired for six days of shows, receiving $12,000 each. The performances, choreographed with Sanchez's input, focus on themes of love, family , and success. Several of the mini-shows will feature the couple's children, and one performance will highlight Sanchez's Latin heritage, during which she will participate in two salsa routines alongside the dancers. Advertisement The dancers' costumes were custom-made by Italian designers at a cost of approximately $1 million. The visual presentation of the event was equally elaborate. Decor and setup costs totaled an estimated $4.5 million and included designer furniture, silk coverings for chairs and tables, custom cutlery, and artwork featuring portraits of Bezos and Sanchez. Floral arrangements, consisting of roses in six different colors, added another $1.6 million to the budget. A significant portion of the celebration's expenses went toward wine and spirits, with selections curated to mark the couple's birth years and personal milestones. Advertisement This included 50 bottles of 1964 Petrus Pomerol—the year Bezos was born—at a cost of $151,250, and 20 bottles of 1969 Giacomo Conterno Barolo, from the year of Sanchez's birth, for $29,980. They also ordered 20 magnums of 1961 Dom Pérignon, priced at $25,000 each, totaling $500,000. To accompany those, 20 six-liter bottles of 2003 Dom Pérignon Rosé were brought in at a cost of $399,160. The couple purchased 500 bottles of 1996 Dom Pérignon Brut, one of the most highly regarded vintages of the champagne, for a total of $799,000. Spirits included 15 bottles of Louis XIII Cognac, costing $70,260, and 50 bottles of rare rum priced at $2,750 each, totaling $137,500. 'I've never seen such a high-caliber selection served at a wedding—not even among other billionaires who've hosted events in Venice or elsewhere in Europe ,' admitted the source who has been working on the wedding since December 2024. Advertisement 'This is not only the wedding of the year—it's arguably the biggest wedding of the century. "They've set the bar extremely high. "I wouldn't be surprised if other billionaires now try to outdo it with even more extravagant weddings in the future ." 10 A general view of San Giorgio Maggiore island on the second day of the wedding festivities of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Jeff Bezos seen smiling ahead of his wedding day in Venice Credit: Splash 10 Guests and staff were seen arriving at the airport in Venice, Italy, ahead of the highly anticipated wedding Credit: Splash
Irish Daily Star
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Star
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding's most famous guests as they arrive by gondola
Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos are reportedly saying their "I dos" today. The Amazon CEO was spotted looking wedding-ready in a classic black tux as he beamed in a photograph. The couple is getting married in Venice and are having a three-day celebration. They've arrived in Venice officially on Wednesday, June 25, following their foam party off the coast of Croatia. Jeff and Lauren have been engaged since May 2023 and were confirmed to be dating in 2019. There have been photos of their star-studded guests taking boats to the wedding as they are dressed lavishly. Celebrities have been previously photographed arriving and attending the couple's welcome wedding party, such as the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Usher, Orlando Bloom (without Katy Perry), Scooter Braun and Tom Brady, just to name a few. Lauren Sanchez blows a kiss and waves at fans after Jeff Bezos' 'appalling' comment Ivanka Trump flaunts figure in form-fitting pink gown at Jeff Bezos' wedding The couple's arrival as well as their imminent arrival at the time has caused protests in the Italian City. Many protestors are against the couple's wedding as they brought up the issues of overtourism and climate change. They are also against the billionaire businessman and his wealth especially in regards to the low wages of Amazon workers and paying taxes. There have been "No Space for Bezos" stickers and posters that have been plastered at the city. Environmental organization Greenpeace had a large banner St. Mark's Square on Monday, June 23that reads: "IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX." Ivanka wears a pink bejeweled number with Jared in a classic tax (Image: AFP via Getty Images) 1 of 14 Kris and Corey matched in this black ensemble as Kris added a pop of white with her billowy sleeves (Image: AFP via Getty Images) 2 of 14 Kim wears a body-hugging dark brown gown with silver details (Image: GC Images) 3 of 14 Khloé donned a pink sequined dress with a feathery boa (Image: AFP via Getty Images) 4 of 14 Oprah wears a pink gown that fit like a glove (Image: AFP via Getty Images) 5 of 14
