Inside Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's love story as pair tie the knot
Ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding ceremony in Venice today, let's take a look at their love story so far, from the initial meeting to their lavish engagement
The biggest stars have descended upon Venice for a three-day wedding extravaganza as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tie the knot. Famous faces such as Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner have been spotted in the Italian city ahead of the nuptials.
According to People, the pair hosted a welcome party for their 200 guests in a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell'Orto church on Thursday evening. According to the publication, the bride-to-be wore a gold satin dress, which is a look from Schiaparelli's Spring-Summer 2025 Haute Couture Spring Collection.
This will be both Jeff and Lauren's second marriage after splitting from previous spouses, MacKenzie Scott and Patrick Whitesell respectively. Jeff met MacKenzie back in 1992 before tying the knot the following year. They share four children, three sons and a daughter adopted from China.
Meanwhile, Lauren was married to Patrick from 2005 to 2019. Ahead of Jeff and Lauren getting married today (June 27), let's take a look at their love story from how they first met to their lavish engagement…
First meeting
The loved-up pair first met in 2016 when Lauren was introduced to Jeff by her now former husband Patrick at an Apple release party for the film, Manchester by the Sea. In 2018, the businessman hired Lauren's company, Black Ops Aviation to film a promotional video for his rocket company, Blue Origin.
On January 6 2019, Jeff announced his divorce from ex-wife MacKenzie and just three days later, rumours began swirling of his new relationship after the pair were pictured together several times. Lauren filed from divorce from Patrick in April of that year also.
A source told People at the time: 'Lauren and Jeff have been spending a lot of time together over the last year and especially the past few months. At first, it was socially at parties… here and there. But their time together has definitely seemed to evolve.'
Going public
Jeff and Lauren reportedly decided to move in together in late January 2019. In one of their first major outings together, the couple were seen packing on the PDA at the Men's Finals Day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
During their first year together, the two didn't waste any time and travelled the world together, often being seen out in St. Tropez, New York and St. Barts. In December 2019, Jeff reportedly threw his ladylove two star-studded parties to celebrate her milestone 50th birthday.
The first event was said to be an intimate dinner for family while the second was a huge birthday bash. The guest list included Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Scooter Braun and Diane Von Furstenberg.
Lavish engagement
Jeff proposed to Lauren in May 2023 on his $500 million yacht named Koru. After a few days of speculation, a source close to the couple confirmed the news to People.
They said: 'He proposed last week. They're on cloud nine — so happy and madly in love. Her engagement ring is beyond stunning. And huge! She keeps playing with it and looking at it.'
Two months after the engagement, the two threw a massive engagement party on the Amazon founder's yacht on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
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A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) One of the world's most enchanting cities as a 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, and Sanchez 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. 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. A post shared by Lauren Sánchez Bezos (@laurensanchezbezos) 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 Friday. Instead, the glitterati were partying and the paparazzi were jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. On Friday afternoon, Sanchez 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 on Friday night. 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. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married 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. Stella Faye, a researcher at a university in Venice, said: '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.' 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. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanche, 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 and hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's chief executive, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today, he has a net worth of 234 billion dollars, 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 Sanchez, a former TV news anchor. Sanchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos's divorce was finalised. He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon 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. Sitting beside Sanchez 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's 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.
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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 on Friday night. 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. There are some who say these two shouldn't have been married 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. 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He stepped down as chief executive of Amazon 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. Sitting beside Sanchez 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's 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.
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