Lavish Bezos wedding kicks off in Venice
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos, 61, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 55, kicked off a three-day wedding celebration with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, and Oprah Winfrey, reported AFP.
The sumptuous, secluded ceremony attended by celebrity friends on an island in Venice's lagoon, comes amid local criticism over its extravagance and ecological impact.
Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014.
But Bezos – one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers – is different. And the festivities have sparked protests from environmentalists and locals who accuse authorities of pandering to the super rich while the city drowns under tourists.
Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, US football player Tom Brady, American fashion designer Spencer Antle, singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump – the daughter of US President Donald Trump.
The celebrations are set to end on Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse.
Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans.
Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags which will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass.
Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on Wednesday, according to the owner.
Some locals say the A-list guests and their entourages bring good business but critics have accused billionaire Bezos of using the UNESCO site as his personal playground.
And environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets bringing the rich and famous to the canal city.
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38 minutes ago
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Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez marry in Venice
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez were married on June 27, 2025, in a private ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore, a small island across from St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. The wedding was part of a multi-day celebration spanning June 26 to 28. Around 200 to 250 high-profile guests were in attendance, including Oprah Winfrey, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Tom Brady, and Queen Rania of Jordan. The ceremony featured tight security, and part of the celebrations was relocated to the Venetian Arsenal due to safety concerns and to reduce disruption to the local area. Lauren Sánchez wore a custom Dolce & Gabbana lace gown with a dramatic veil, reportedly inspired by Sophia Loren. The dress took over 900 hours to create. Following the ceremony, she shared a photo with Bezos and changed her social media handle to reflect her new name. The couple's wedding weekend included themed parties, multiple outfit changes, and elaborate décor, with estimates placing the event's total cost between €40 million and €50 million. Protests were staged by local activist groups criticizing the perceived privatization of Venice, rising wealth inequality, and overtourism. Demonstrations included floating effigies and banners across key landmarks. Despite the criticism, local officials noted that the event brought substantial economic benefits to the city. Tourism-related revenue was estimated at nearly €1 billion, and the couple reportedly donated between €2 million and €3 million to support Venetian cultural preservation and lagoon conservation. The wedding drew global media attention for its scale, celebrity presence, and location, balancing both admiration for its grandeur and debate over its broader cultural and civic impact.
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Lavish Bezos wedding kicks off in Venice
Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos, 61, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 55, kicked off a three-day wedding celebration with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, and Oprah Winfrey, reported AFP. The sumptuous, secluded ceremony attended by celebrity friends on an island in Venice's lagoon, comes amid local criticism over its extravagance and ecological impact. Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speed boats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014. But Bezos – one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers – is different. And the festivities have sparked protests from environmentalists and locals who accuse authorities of pandering to the super rich while the city drowns under tourists. Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, US football player Tom Brady, American fashion designer Spencer Antle, singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump – the daughter of US President Donald Trump. The celebrations are set to end on Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse. Bezos and Sanchez are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto's regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags which will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass. Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on Wednesday, according to the owner. Some locals say the A-list guests and their entourages bring good business but critics have accused billionaire Bezos of using the UNESCO site as his personal playground. And environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets bringing the rich and famous to the canal city.
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Wintour steps down from 'US Vogue'
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"I'll be turning all my attention to global leadership and working with our team of brilliant editors around the world." Fashion flagship Wintour was made a British dame in 2017 and in February this year became a companion of honour - an elite recognition. At the ceremony in London in February, Wintour removed her trademark sunglasses to receive the award and said she had told King Charles III that she had no plans to stop working. Wintour, who was raised in the UK by a British father and an American mother, reigned over Vogue in the heyday of glossy magazines. US Vogue was a staid title when she took it over in 1988 and transformed it into a powerhouse that set trends — and often make or break designers, celebrities and brands. Wintour took the title to a global audience, with huge budgets to spend on models, design, photographs and journalism funded by lavish advertisements and high subscription rates. Vogue remains fashion's flagship magazine but, like many print publications, has struggled to adapt to the digital era. Wintour has for many years also run the Met Gala, an extravagant Manhattan charity event that attracts an A-list of dressed-up stars from the worlds of fashion, film, politics and sports. She is a fanatical tennis player and fan — frequently appearing at Grand Slam finals — and a major fundraiser for Democrat politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the top US honour, before leaving office in January. As Conde Nast's chief content officer, she will continue to oversee publications including Vogue, Wired, Vanity Fair, GQ, Conde Nast Traveler and Glamour. Wintour's frosty image Across her glittering yet rock-solid career in the fashion industry, Wintour's legacy has morphed into more than just an ice-queen magazine editor; to those who understand fashion, she has become an icon in her own right. "Across more than three decades' worth of issues of Vogue and its spinoffs, she has defined not only fashion but also beauty standards, telling millions of people what to buy, how to look, and who to care about," wrote fashion journalist Amy Odell in Anna: The Biography. But as per ABC News, even Odell, who interviewed hundreds of people about Wintour, was taken aback at the complexity of her subject. "People couldn't agree on many things about her, including whether she's an introvert or an extrovert, ruthless or just very demanding," Odell added on reflection. As per the publication, when Wintour took over as Vogue editor she replaced multiple staff members and exerted more control than any of her predecessors. A 2015 documentary The September Issue about the monthly magazine featured her ice queen image and steely ambition but also revealed a warmer human side. Nevertheless, her decisive leadership earned her the nickname "Nuclear Wintour", although the editor defended herself in a rare interview with 60 Minutes. "If I'm such a b**** then they must really be a glutton for punishment, because they're still here," she remarked. "If one comes across as sometimes being cold or brusque, it's simply because I'm striving for the best." Does the Devil wear Prada? Those who do not follow fashion news may still be aware of the effect Wintour has had on the industry thanks to the 2003 book The Devil Wears Prada and its subsequent 2006 film. Wintour's legendary fictional persona took the form of Meryl Streep's tyrannical magazine editor Miranda Priestly, whose ice-cold cutting observations ("Tales of your incompetence do not interest me") remain fixed in the minds of fashion-fiction-obsessed film fans. The role earned Streep an Oscar nomination. For many years, Wintour declined to comment on The Devil Wears Prada, which was written by one of her former assistants, Lauren Weisberger. Just how similar the fictional Priestly is to Wintour has been the subject of debate ever since Streep brought the role to life in the film. But when it was turned into a musical and opened in London in 2024, Wintour told the BBC that it was "for the audience and for the people I work with to decide if there are any similarities between me and Miranda Priestly." One way in which Wintour categorically differs from Priestly is her long-standing devotion to sunglasses – and she finally offered an enigmatic explanation for trademark shades in conversation with the outlet last year. "They help me see and they help me not see," she said. "They help me be seen and not be seen. They are a prop, I would say."
