Latest news with #Veneto
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez officially tie the knot in high-profile Venice wedding
Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, a journalist, author and helicopter pilot, are officially married. Sánchez shared an update on Instagram with a photo of the the couple in their wedding attire from their star-studded wedding in Venice, Italy. Ahead of the wedding, the couple and some of these celebrity guests were photographed on Friday, leaving luxury hotels in Venice for their black-tie wedding ceremony. Bezos and Sánchez, who reportedly dated for about five years before they got engaged in 2023, were joined by family and friends for the multi-day affair. Here's what to know about the high-profile nuptials. Leading up to the wedding, information about the exact dates of Bezos and Sánchez's wedding were not been made public but the couple hosted a pre-wedding party Thursday. Sánchez shared a photo on Instagram updating followers that she and Bezos are officially married. The photo showed Sánchez and Bezos smiling as they walked up the aisle surrounded by their guests. Sánchez appears in the photo wearing a stunning white lace mermaid gown. Ahead of their big day, the couple was photographed on Thursday sharing a kiss while on their way to an evening reception, held at the gardens of the Madonna dell'Orto Church. The couple said "I do" in the capital of the Veneto region, although specific venues are not public knowledge. According to People, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is expected to be the scene of the main event -- a black-tie ceremony. Workers were seen assembling tents and police patrolled the area, with extra police boats surrounding San Giorgio Maggiore. Among the big names on the approximately 200-person guest list for the Bezos-Sánchez wedding are potential celebrity guests including Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Ellie Goulding and Ivanka Trump, who were all photographed leaving Venice hotels on Friday. Tom Brady, Usher and Orlando Bloom were also photographed stepping out in suits for the evening. Sánchez and Bezos, who Forbes estimates is worth $215 billion, are reportedly relying on about 80% of local Venetian vendors and organizations for their big day, according to the AP, including pastry-maker Rosa Salva, which has been in business for over 140 years, and glassware firm Laguna B, known for its Murano glasswork. ABC News exclusively obtained a portion of Bezos and Sánchez's wedding invitation, which was sent to guests in May. In it, the invitation asks guests to forgo gifts for the billionaire couple and instead lists three Venetian charities that Bezos and Sánchez will donate to on the behalf of guests. The wedding has drawn protests, dubbed "No Space for Bezos," among some local residents and organizations like Greenpeace, who are speaking out against over-tourism, disruption to everyday life and more. One Greenpeace banner, unfurled at Venice's St. Mark's Square, read, "If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax." Venice locals protest Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' wedding in Italy "We think that one big billionaire can't rent a city for his pleasure," a protester named Simona Abbate told Reuters. Despite protests, the mayor of Venice has welcomed the high-profile wedding, saying the city is "very proud" to host Bezos, Sánchez and their guests. The couple's wedding planners, Lanza and Baucina, the same global events company behind George Clooney and Amal Clooney's 2014 Venice nuptials, added in a statement to ABC News, "From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events." Simone Venturini, the deputy mayor of Venice, told ABC News that the city didn't have to compete to host the celebrity-studded wedding celebration. "No, we play in another league, so people compete to get married in Venice," Venturini said. A man named John, who works in tourism in Venice, also told ABC News that business has picked up amid the wedding festivities. "The work in the city is at a high level in this moment and everybody is excited or anxious for the event," he said. Both Bezos and Sánchez have been in past relationships and were married to other people previously. Bezos made headlines in January 2019 after revealing that he and his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott were divorcing after 25 years of marriage. The former couple share four children. Sánchez was previously married to talent agent and businessman Patrick Whitesell for 14 years. Both Sánchez and Whitesell filed for divorce in April 2019, as reported by the AP. They share two children. Sánchez is also mom to model Nikko Gonzalez, her eldest son from a previous relationship with former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billionaire Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice ceremony
The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancee Lauren Sanchez, who have travelled into space, and expectations were about as high ahead of their wedding in Venice on Friday. View this post on Instagram 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. View this post on Instagram 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.
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Bezos, Sanchez say 'I do' in a divided Venice
By Lisa Duso with Ella Ide in Rome, AFP Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos leaves the Aman Hotel on his wedding day. Photo: AFP / STEFANO RELLANDINI Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have tied the knot at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters. "This city seems impossible! It can't exist and yet, here it is!" an enchanted Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist Thursday (local time) who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat. But protesters had a different view, wondering how long Venice can endure: While the billionaires party, activists say the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out. "No Kings, No Bezos" read a sign in green neon projected on the St Mark's Campanile tower. Bezos and Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Orlando Bloom. Kim Kardashian (left) and Khloe Kardashian snap a selfie as they arrive at San Giorgio Maggiore on the wedding day of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez. Photo: AFP / MARCO BERTORELLO The tech magnate, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge. Other A-list guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis. The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, according to Italian media reports. The wedding is thought to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice's iconic St Mark's Square. The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said. Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake has been made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said. Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities. Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan's Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, the singer Usher, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner. The guests reportedly lunched in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista. The celebrations are set to end 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 (NZ$5.8 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 that 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, according to the owner. "They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass," Massimiliano Schiavon told the Corriere della Sera, adding that the family had a go at blowing glass. 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. Some say this wedding too brings good business. Italy's tourism ministry said it expected the wedding to bring the city nearly one billion euros (NZ$1.9 billion), with about 895 million (NZ$965 million) of that estimated to come from the "media visibility" generated. But critics say Bezos, one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers, is different. "Tax Billionaires", read protest signs along canals. "In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos's wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary", they read in English and Italian. Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets - at least 95 - bringing the rich and famous to the city. But Samuel Silvestri, a 55-year-old salesman, welcomed the extravaganza. "Over-tourism is caused by those people who come with a backpack and their own food, and contribute very little," he said, "not those who transform Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo. This marriage helps the image of the city." Italy's health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe. - AFP
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's extravaganza dubbed ‘wedding of the century' kicks off in Venice
The Italian city of Venice was making waves Friday with the most anticipated wedding of 2025 – that of billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez. The sky itself is no limit for this couple who have traveled into space, and expectations are about as high. One of the world's most enchanting cities as backdrop? Check. Star-studded guestlist and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavor? You bet. Beyond that, the team of the world's fourth-richest man has kept details under wraps. Still, whispers point to events spread across the lagoon city, adding complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. On Thursday, dozens of private jets touched down at Venice's airport as yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Aboard were athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders, converging to revel in extravagance that is as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. 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. Celebrities descend on Venice for Bezos and Sanchez's wedding extravaganza Not so for these nuptials, which have become a lightning rod for protests. Still, any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch has yet to materialize. Instead, the glitterati were set to party, and the paparazzi jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. Whatever happens, it will be a wedding for the ages. Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of luxury travel advisory and event planner Embark Beyond. 'It's a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people,' said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice. 'There's very tight control, especially on movement there with boats.' It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said. How much will Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding cost? The celebrity affair in Venice, by the numbers Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between €40-48 million (up to US$56 million). It's an eye-popping, jaw-dropping figure that's over 1,000 times the US$36,000 average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola's annual report. Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. When the youngest son of Asia's richest man married last July, performances by pop stars Rihanna and Justin Bieber pushed up the pricetag. 'How do you spend $40 million on a three- or four-day event?' Ezon said. 'You could bring headliners, A-list performers, great DJs from anywhere in the world. You could spend $2 million on an incredible glass tent that's only there for 10 hours, but it takes a month to build,' or expand the celebration to local landmarks. There's no sign Sánchez and Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, intend to take over any of Venice's tourist-thronged hotspots. Still, intense hand-wringing about the prospect prompted their wedding coordinator, Lanza & Baucina, to issue a rare statement calling those rumors false. Bezos's Venice wedding party moved to isolated area on security concerns On Thursday, a string of water taxis cut through the lagoon to bring Bezos, Sánchez and guests to the Madonna dell'Orto cloister as some onlookers cheered. Paparazzi followed in their own boats, trying to capture guests on camera – Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom – as police on jet skis patrolled. Local media have reported the couple will hold a ceremony Friday on San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St. Mark's Square. Associated Press journalists circling the island Thursday saw workers assembling tents and private security personnel stationed at every pier, including a newly built one. Media have also reported a reception Saturday in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Bienalle. There are some who say these two should not be wed in this city. They characterize 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. About a dozen Venetian organizations – 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. Opinion: As Jeff Bezos prepares for a grand Venice wedding, locals are pushing back harder than ever Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St. Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down a Venice 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 brings. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, 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, restauranteurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's CEO, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today he has a net worth of $231 billion, 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 Sánchez, a former TV news anchor. Sánchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos' divorce was finalized. He stepped down as CEO 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 Sánchez 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' 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.
Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why is Britain considering another migrant deal that relies on France?
SIR – I hope the nuptials of Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and one of the world's richest men, go off well (report, June 27). The protests that have received coverage around the world – of Venetians objecting to their city being turned into a 'playground' and a 'circus' – sit uneasily with its history. I would remind demonstrators of the images we have of La Serenissima when it was at its most decadent, in the 18th century. These show a city state splurging in excess, with its opulence and gilded extravagance captured by the artists Francesco Guardi and Giovanni Antonio Canal – better known as 'Canaletto'. Venice has always been a place of splendour. May Venetians be grateful for the filling of their coffers by Mr Bezos and his guests, and for the enduring beauty of their wonderful city. Julian Barran Bath, Somerset SIR – In choosing Venice for his wedding, Jeff Bezos has shown remarkably good taste. America is a great country, but it doesn't have anything to match the likes of Venice or Rome. I hope the guests find time to educate themselves by visiting world-famous sites such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Doge's Palace and the Jewish ghetto.
