Latest news with #Koru
Irish Daily Star
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 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 .
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Here's How Much The Bezos-Sánchez Wedding Extravaganza Really Cost
L ove is lavish-er the second time around. Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are celebrating their nuptials in a star-studded, and controversial, three-day celebration in Venice—and most of the focus has been on how much the affair cost. More than six months ago, rumors started circulating that the Bezos-Sánchez wedding (the second time each has said, 'I do.') would be held in Aspen and cost $600 million. 'Unless you are buying each of your guests a house, you can't spend this much money,' hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman joked on X in December. Bezos himself reposted the comment, stating 'this whole thing is completely false—none of this is happening.' Instead, the happy couple opted for what is reportedly an 'intimate' 200-person ceremony presumed to be much less expensive than the rumored Rocky Mountain hijinks. And that doesn't include a pre-wedding foam party the 61-year-old groom and 55-year-old bride reportedly threw for one of her son's last weekend aboard Bezos' superyacht, Koru . Based on conversations with a dozen sources, including Venetian wedding industry insiders and multiple local vendors involved in or with knowledge of the event, Forbes estimates that the Bezos-Sánchez wedding will cost at least $20 million - but could be closer to $25 million or even more, depending on what surprises the hosts have in store for their guests. (A representative for Bezos has not yet replied to a request for comment.) This week, a handful of media outlets cited Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region (which includes Venice), saying that the wedding would cost upwards of 40 million euros, or $46 million. But that number looks like a wild guess. A member of Zaia's press office says that Zaia was using 'online sources' and does not have any insider information from the Amazon cofounder or his representatives. Another number that's been cited is the wedding's economic impact on the Queen of the Adriatic. According to Italy's Ministry of Tourism, the wedding could generate an economic impact of more than $1 billion, equivalent to some two-thirds of the city's annual tourism number. How that is calculated is unclear, but there is no doubt officials are hoping for a boost after a nearly 7% decline in overnight stays so far in 2025. The $20-plus million Forbes estimates for the celebration, based on confirmed costs, is more than 600 times the cost of an average American wedding—which the wedding site The Knot puts at $33,000 or about $284 a guest—but won't exactly make a dent in Bezos' estimated $237 billion fortune. Bezos and Sánchez's multi-day affair kicked off with a welcome party held near the Madonna dell'Orto church on Thursday night; it was reportedly cut short due to a thunder storm. The actual ceremony was held at the 16th century San Giorgio Maggiore Basilica on one of Venice's islands on Friday night, though the couple don't appear to be getting legally married—they never applied for the necessary license from the city, suggesting they may have wed ahead of the very public celebration. Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, reportedly performed at the ceremony, followed by a reception on the island. On Saturday, another party is planned at Arsenale, a massive complex of former armories and shipyards first built in the 12th century. The party was supposed to be held at the Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, in the center of Venice, but was moved on Tuesday for security concerns—a last-minute inconvenience that likely added significantly to the weekend's costs. The couple's A-plus guest list—which ranged from billionaires Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey to Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady, as well as a vaporetto-load of the requisite Kardashians—have been spotted at five-star hotels across Venice in recent days, including at the Gritti Palace, the St. Regis and the Aman, where the bride and groom are staying. (The couple reportedly bought out the entire hotel for the three nights, which required relocating guests who had coincidentally booked the Aman to other luxury properties in the city at the Bezos' expense.) The average cost of a room at the luxury hotels in June, based on the rack rate on several hotel sites, is about $2,000 per night. That adds up to some $900,000 for three nights, assuming around 150 rooms were booked. It's not clear whether the couple are paying for guests' rooms, but two wedding planners say it's standard for ultra-luxe events like this. Billionaire Sam Altman, the CEO of Chat GPT maker OpenAI, is one of a handful of billionaire guests at the Bezos-Sanchez wedding. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images The couple's wedding planners also commissioned about 30 private water taxis to escort guests around the city, according to a source in Venice. Each taxi costs between $210 and $290 per hour, according to the Venice consortium of water taxis, the largest in the city. All told, assuming 12-hour days, the cost would be at least $270,000 spent on water transport alone. The wedding was catered by three-Michelin-star chef Fabrizio Mellino of Quattro Passi, a restaurant in Nerano—near Naples–which Bezos has been known to frequent, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra. The restaurant charges around $1,800 per person, including staff and food transport, to cater weddings of this level, according to former clients. That's at least $360,000 in food-and-beverage costs for the one night—but it is likely a three-day contract, adding up closer to $1.1 million. Quattro Passi is reportedly closed for four days. The floral arrangements were provided by Munaretto Flowers, according to a source within Venice's luxury wedding planning industry, who estimates the cost to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Munaretto did not reply to a request for comment. In addition, the couple is giving each guest an arrangement of local goods and pastries, including hand-blown Murano glass from Laguna B–a Venice luxury staple, and fresh-baked treats from Rosa Salva, one of the oldest bakeries in the city. A simple Murano wine goblet starts at around $220, making the estimated cost per box hundreds of dollars. Antonio Rosa Salva, owner of the Rosa Salva bakery, was commissioned to produce 'about 200' small assortments of the bakery's products, which is known for its typical Venetian cookies, including buranelli and zaleti . Rosa Salva tells Forbes the level of secrecy surrounding the nuptials has been such that he himself didn't know the order was intended for Bezos until two weeks ago, and that it was placed through a third-party agency. "We make our product with love,' he says. 'The real satisfaction comes from receiving recognition in that regard—from a financial standpoint as well, but it's much more important to be recognized for the quality.' The island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, where the ceremony between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez was held on Friday, June 27. STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images Given the number of high-profile and ultra-wealthy guests, security has been paramount all week. 'The security posture there must be massive,' says Kenneth Bombace, CEO of Global Threat Solutions, who has provided private security for multiple events that Bezos attended in the past. Bombace says that for an event of this caliber, he would have hired 40 to 50 agents, including members of the local police force, and would have begun preparations months in advance. Bombace estimates the total security cost for the event, including travel and preparations, at 'a few million dollars.' A source with knowledge of the events confirmed that at least 30 members of the Italian police have surveyed the island of San Giorgio Maggiore with a canine unit and other security forces have swept the hotels. To spread good will in Venice—which has not exactly returned the kindness to the couple, including dumping a dummy of the groom clinging to an Amazon delivery box in the canal—Bezos has donated nearly $3.6 million to three organizations in the city: $1.2 million (or 1 million Euro) to Corila, an agency that coordinates research for the care of the Venetian lagoon; $1.2 million to UNESCO's Venice office, which promotes culture and the natural sciences; and an estimated $1.2 million to Venice International University. 'They did a blood test and an X-ray on us,' joked Pierpaolo Campostrini, general director of Corila, who says he was pleasantly surprised to receive the donation. Bezos had been struck by the beauty of Venice's lagoon during a previous visit and asked about its management, he tells Forbes . 'We didn't fill out an application or do anything of the kind.' Campostrini says he was first contacted by representatives for Bezos in April, before protests denouncing the lavishness of the event picked up, adding, 'It wasn't greenwashing.' A spokesperson for UNESCO Venice confirmed the group plans to use the funds to 'support UNESCO's activities in managing and preserving the cultural heritage of Venice and its lagoon.' A representative of Venice International University did not respond to a request for comment. Despite the media frenzy and lavish details, the weekend extravaganza is hardly the most expensive recent wedding among the billionaire set. In 2004, Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, then the country's second richest person, sprang for an opulent six-day wedding celebration in Paris for his daughter Vanisha. Mittal spared no expense on the nuptials, flying 1,000 guests by private jets to France, where festivities included fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, a performance by Kylie Minogue and an engagement ceremony at the Palace of Versailles. The estimated tab for the week was around $60 million. That amount was modest compared to the 2024 marriage celebration of Anant Ambani, the son of India's richest person, Mukesh Ambani. Believed to be the most expensive of all-time—costing between $400 million and $500 million—it included multiple events stretching over several months, including a Mediterranean cruise and performances by Rihanna and Justin Bieber. One event alone had more than 10,000 guests. Not all billionaires or their heirs want such spectacles when they walk down the aisle. Alex Soros, son of hedge fund billionaire George Soros, recently tied the knot with Huma Abedin, a longtime advisor to Hillary Clinton, at a private ceremony 'at home' in their Water Mill, New York mansion. Still even a low-key billionaire wedding brings out a roster of A-list guests, this one including everyone from Clinton and Kamala Harris to Jennifer Lawrence and Mariska Hargitay. Plus there was a performance by Boyz 2 Men, a band well past their heyday and with a price tag that could have been as little as a few hundred thousand. Bezos and Sánchez are reportedly going for much bigger pop stars for their Saturday bash-–Lady Gaga and Elton John, according to several media outlets. And if those two don't show, Usher and Elie Goulding have already joined the Venetian party. The joy rushing through the canals has been palpable. From Bezos and Sánchez waving at crowds to the new bride already posting a glamorous photo of her in a Sophia Loren-inspired Dolce & Gabbana gown and changing her name to Lauren Sánchez Bezos on Instagram, there is no doubt they want to shout the news from the gondolas. Here's hoping it lasts longer than the marriage of Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott and her second husband, who divorced after less than two years — and that in this case, the second time is really the charm. More from Forbes
Irish Daily Star
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
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. Read More Related Articles Jeff Bezos' dad lands in Venice as Lauren Sanchez wedding hit with last minute chaos Read More Related Articles 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." For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Jeff Bezos marries blushing bride Lauren Sanchez in £48milion Venice wedding
The world's second richest man Jeff Bezos has tied the knot with his longterm love, Lauren Sanchez. The couple are now officially husband and wife after they said their 'I do's' in a lavish £48million ceremony surrounded by their famous friends and family. The couple exchanged vows in a ceremony lasting about 25 minutes, with family and friends gathered at the event. They were heard cheering, clapping and whistling for the pair after they said 'I do'. While the couple have celebrated their wedding today in Venice, it was reported that the pair had actually tied the knot weeks ago. According to a well-placed insider involved in the event planning, they said: 'They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law.' Though this week's festivities have been widely billed as their wedding, the source revealed it's purely ceremonial. 'When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married,' the insider said. Because the legal marriage has already occurred, there was no need for a license in Italy. 'There is no application for a wedding licence from the couple because it was not required. Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding. "Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning," they told Mail Online. The same source added that Bezos himself confirmed the legal union and noted the pair had arranged a prenuptial agreement to safeguard his $244 billion fortune. Bezos and Sánchez reportedly married privately in the U.S., well before the high-profile Venetian celebration began. The couple arrived in Venice this week ahead of their lavish wedding celebrations, which will take place over the next few days. A helicopter picked Bezos and his bride-to-be up from his superyacht Koru's support ship, the Albeona. They were docked just off the coast of Croatia, with the yacht taking 61-year-old Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, 55, to the city of Venice. It landed in the Venice Lido, which is where the annual Venice Film Festival takes place. To kicked proceedings off on Thursday night, a casual welcome dinner will be held at the 14th Century Madonna dell'Orto church. Local sources claimed security is ultra-tight, turning the stunning city into a "fortress-like operation". The ceremony was expected to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, an historic 16th-century building in the city centre. But the No Space for Bezos campaign group claim the couple scrambled to change their plans, after activists threatened to block the canals with inflatable crocodiles to stop their guests from attending. Instead, it's been moved to Arsenale, a shipyard complex which will be near-impossible for protestors to get to. Lauren Sanchez and her new husband arrived, with Lauren wearing oversized black sunglasses and a simple black halterneck dress. Meanwhile, their high-profile guests started to descend on the city earlier this week. Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka arrived with her husband Jared Kushner. She wore a green dress and canvas sunhat as she arrived by boat after a day of sightseeing. The couple's three children, Arabella Rose, Joseph Frederick and Theodore James, joined them. Other guests to arrive early include Jeff's adoptive father Miguel Bezos, as well as Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Just 11 people live on the island and its only dwelling is a modest five-bedroom home, previously the guesthouse to a convent which was part of a long-destroyed monastery complex. .
Gizmodo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Jeff Bezos's Wedding Invitation Is a Billionaire Fantasy Wrapped in Eco-Fluff
It's being billed as the wedding of the decade, a spectacle of wealth and power set against the romantic backdrop of Venice. The union of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 61, and former journalist Lauren Sánchez, 55, this weekend is more than just a party. It's a coronation for a new kind of royalty. This marriage confirms the reality that tech luminaries now dominate all spheres of social life, flaunting their immense wealth with the glamour once reserved for Hollywood and monarchs. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index tells the story: eight of the world's top 10 richest people are tech moguls. This wedding is intended to be the ultimate symbol of that power, an uninhibited tech industry proudly displaying its dominance in a shower of glitter. The festivities, taking place between June 26 and 28, have drawn around 200 hand-picked VIPs. The guest list is a fusion of new power and old glamour, including Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, and Mick Jagger, according to reports. Also spotted arriving were the U.S. President's daughter Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner, and Queen Rania of Jordan. The logistics of the event are as staggering as the guest list. According to Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera, 95 private jets have requested permission to land at Venice's airport. At least seven mega-yachts will be in attendance, including Bezos's own superyacht, the Koru, which is already anchored off the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. To ferry these guests, nearly all of the city's water taxis have been requisitioned. Jeff Bezos Wedding Plans Disrupted After Protesters Threaten to Fill Venice Canals With Inflatable Crocodiles This overwhelming display has sparked a backlash from locals, who worry the billionaire flotilla will make their city, already struggling with over-tourism, even more uninhabitable. Posters declaring 'No space for Bezos' have appeared around the city. Amid the protests and security concerns, the main party was reportedly moved from a 16th-century building to the Venice Arsenale, a medieval complex that is more easily controlled. For an event of such breathtaking excess, the invitation sent to guests strikes a carefully curated tone of humble philanthropy. 'We are excited for you to join us!' begins the invitation, which was posted on social media. 'We have one early request: please, no gifts.' Here is a copy of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' wedding invitation. Thoughts? — Theresa Longo Fans (@BarkJack_) June 24, 2025Instead of presents, Bezos and Sánchez informed their guests that they are making contributions in their names to UNESCO's Venice office 'to safeguard this city's irreplaceable cultural heritage' and to other local associations for environmental research and sustainability. The text reads like a billionaire-era version of noblesse oblige, a subtle way to embed philanthropy into luxury and rebrand Venice itself as their chosen cause. The card's design reinforces this soft-focus message. Adorned with delicate illustrations of pastel-colored butterflies, falling stars, and gondolas on the city's canals, it feels more like a page from a children's storybook than an invitation to a power-couple wedding. The point seems clear: soften the excess, aestheticize the wealth, and wrap the entire affair in a cloak of transcendence and charity. It's a PR ballet, a luxury wedding attempting to greenwash itself by inviting guests to feel like they're part of the solution, not the problem. In a world where billionaires increasingly shape public narratives, not just through wealth but through weddings, rockets, and even policies, this is a carefully curated spectacle that merges old-world glamour with modern-day branding. The wedding signals a generational shift in power. Tech billionaires are no longer confined to code and boardrooms. With this wedding, Bezos is planting a flag squarely in the world of glamor, influence, and narrative control. And while Venice will recover from the weekend's disruption, the message of the wedding is likely to echo long after the gondolas leave: this is the new elite, and they want to be seen.
