Celebrities converge on Venice for Bezos-Sanchez wedding gala
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez began three days of lavish wedding celebrations in Venice on Thursday (Jun 26), with tight security shielding their VIP guests from protesters.
Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom and the Queen of Jordan were among the latest arrivals, joining Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian.
US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who arrived earlier this week, have used the extra time for sightseeing and shopping.
Some 200 to 250 guests from show business, politics and finance are expected to attend the event, widely dubbed the "wedding of the century" and estimated to cost around US$50 million.
The event has stirred debate about its impact on one of the world's most iconic cities. Protesters see it as an example of Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-wealthy outsiders, while others have welcomed the spectacle and the spending.
An activist climbed one of the poles in St Mark's Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner that read 'The 1% ruins the world' in protest against the presence of billionaire Bezos.
Guests gathered on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the Cannaregio district that hosts masterpieces by 16th-century painter Tintoretto.
The city council banned pedestrians and water traffic from the area from 4.30pm to midnight, to ensure security and privacy for the attendees.
LUXURY VENUE AND SECRET CEREMONY
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, landed in Venice by helicopter on Wednesday and took up residence in the luxury Aman hotel, where rooms overlooking the Grand Canal start at €4,000 (US$4,686) per night.
They are expected to exchange vows on Friday on the island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark's Square, in a ceremony that reportedly will not have legal status under Italian law.
Some reports suggest the couple may already have legally wed in the United States.
Celebrations are set to conclude on Saturday with a wedding party at the Arsenale, a former shipyard now used as an arts venue in the Castello district.
The 'No Space for Bezos' movement has pledged more protests against what they call the commodification of Venice. However, many locals have voiced support for such high-end events.
ECONOMIC DEBATE
Politicians, hoteliers and other residents argue that exclusive events like the Bezos wedding bring greater benefits to the local economy than the mass tourism of low-spending daytrippers.
'If you look at what concretely the Bezos wedding brings for the good of Venice, there are only advantages and no disadvantages,' said Mattia Brandi, a local tour leader.
'If anything is different, it is because of the protesters ... They don't realise that it is them who are disrupting the quiet life of the city,' he added.
Venice has previously hosted a number of high-profile weddings, including that of US actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, and Indian billionaires Vinita Agarwal and Muqit Teja in 2011.
Bezos, executive chair of Amazon and ranked No. 4 on Forbes' billionaires list, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the end of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
9 hours ago
- CNA
At Hermes, woven leather and quiet confidence set the tone for Paris menswear
While much of Paris Fashion Week chased spectacle, Hermes chose a different path. On Saturday (Jun 28), artistic director Veronique Nichanian unveiled a Summer 2026 men's collection that spoke in a language of quiet strength, deep craft and calm luxury. Models walked beneath soaring mirrors in sharply cut jackets, high-waisted woven leather trousers, and sleeveless tops — pieces that fused house tradition with a modern, easy sensuality. Nichanian's colours were cool and exact: Coffee, slate, taupe and beige, each one a lesson in subtlety. There was no shouting here, only precision. What made the collection powerful was its restraint. Where others go wide, Hermes goes narrow — offering tailored silhouettes and a sense of order when the rest of fashion is busy making noise. Fine leather, featherlight silks, and bandanas with a whisper of fringe reminded the crowd that true luxury is about touch, not flash. Nichanian's playful touches — zigzag motifs, the wink of an unbuttoned shirt, a glint of silver hardware — kept things human, not stiff. It was a masterclass in how to make classic codes feel new, even radical, simply by refusing to chase trends.
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
Final bash set to end lavish Bezos wedding party in Venice
Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian travel on a boat, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and Tom Brady leave Gritti Palace, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Oprah Winfrey leaves Gritti Palace, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble leave Gritti Palace Hotel, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and Media Personality Lauren Sanchez Bezos react on the day of their wedding in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. @laurensanchezbezos via Instagram/via REUTERS VENICE - Newlyweds Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice's Grand Canal on Saturday for a final night of partying, crowning a three-day star-studded wedding extravaganza. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday evening on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from Saint Mark's Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan's Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were among the A-listers present. Saturday's evening bash -- wrapping up celebrations for 200-250 guests estimated to have cost some $50 million -- was due to take place in the Arsenale, a former medieval shipyard in an eastern district of the lagoon city. Around 1,000 people marched against the event on Saturday, groups of activists and residents who object to the wedding and to seeing Venice being gift-wrapped for the uber-wealthy. Some guests were seen leaving the Gritti Palace hotel in central Venice wearing their pyjamas, sometimes beneath colourful dressing gowns, before boarding small boats to reach the party. Bezos and Sanchez had a more sober style. He was dressing a black skirt and suit, while she had a soft-colour off-the-shoulder dress. They kissed on the boat while greeting those around them. At the ceremony the bride wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce & Gabbana, which she told magazine Vogue was based on Sophia Loren's dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film, Houseboat. Sanchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, was lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed. Bezos, who is No. 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt. BUSINESSES, POLITICIANS WELCOME EVENT Friday's ceremony had no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have previously wed legally in the United States to avoid the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. While some residents and activists raged against Bezos as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venetian businesses and political leaders welcomed the luxury nuptials, hailing them as major boost for the local economy. "Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters. "Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is more Venetian than the protesters," said centre-right mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($3.51 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business. Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Newlyweds Bezos and Sanchez gear up for final party at Venice gala
Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian travel on a boat, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and Tom Brady leave Gritti Palace, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Oprah Winfrey leaves Gritti Palace, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble leave Gritti Palace Hotel, on the second day of the wedding festivities of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and Media Personality Lauren Sanchez Bezos react on the day of their wedding in Venice, Italy, June 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media. @laurensanchezbezos via Instagram/via REUTERS Newlyweds Bezos and Sanchez gear up for final party at Venice gala VENICE - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, flush from their Venice wedding ceremony on Friday, are gearing up for the final day of partying in the lagoon city with scores of celebrity guests from media, fashion and show business. The three-day gala, estimated to cost some $50 million, will culminate on Saturday evening with the closing party in a former medieval shipyard where Lady Gaga and Elton John are expected to perform. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday evening on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from Saint Mark's Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The bride at the ceremony wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce and Gabbana, which she told magazine Vogue was based on Sophia Loren's dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film Houseboat. Sanchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, were lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed. Bezos, who is No. 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt. The ceremony had no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan's Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana were among the 200-250 guests. PROTEST SCHEDULED While the celebrities rub shoulders in the isolated halls in the east of the city, not far away activists will be protesting at what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. A protest march is planned at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Saturday from the railway station to the Rialto Bridge. For days, members of the "No Space for Bezos" movement have been trying to spoil the party, hanging anti-Bezos banners on the iconic Rialto Bridge and laying out a huge canvas in central Saint Mark's Square telling the tech-tycoon to pay more taxes. While some residents and activists see Bezos's extravaganza as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venice's businesses and the city authorities have welcomed the event, claiming a major boost for the local economy. "Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business," the city's mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters in an interview. "Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality, he is more Venetian than the protesters," said centre-right mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($3.51 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business. Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
