Latest news with #celebration
Forbes
2 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
CTV News
2 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Sudbury celebrates Multicultural Day
Sudbury celebrates Multicultural Day Greater Sudbury marked its inaugural Canadian Multiculturalism Day on Friday to celebrate the city's growing cultural diversity.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sanchez channels her conservative side as she embraces old-fashioned wedding traditions
Something borrowed, something blue - some traditions embraced and some the bride chose not to! Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos are now officially married, with the 61-year-old Amazon founder and his new wife not sparing any expense on their rumored $20 million wedding in Venice, Italy. The duo, whose nuptials have been dubbed the 'wedding of a century,' welcomed nearly 200 VIPs for three days of lavish celebrations. It was previously revealed that Sánchez and Bezos had already married legally ahead of today's ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore island, but the duo chose to celebrate in an elaborate multi-day event abroad. The couple, who have been dating since 2019, said they weren't going to 'have a lot of traditions' as part of the nuptials. The blushing bride told Vogue that although she 'love traditions,' it is a 'little different' for a 55-year-old woman. However, despite Sánchez's - now Sánchez-Bezos - words, the newlyweds did choose some specific traditions they wanted to embrace on their big day. FEMAIL has taken a look at which the couple stuck to - and which they didn't. Not seeing the groom on the morning of the wedding Sánchez was pictured going solo as she left the five-star Aman hotel on Friday morning before making her way to San Giorgio Maggiore island ahead of exchanging vows with the billionaire tech mogul. She was then photographed walking alone along a bridge on the island, indicating she spent the night alone - and not with her now husband - ahead of saying their vows. Traditionally, couples do not see each other ahead of the ceremony to maintain an element of surprise and excitement before the bride walks down the aisle. Vogue confirmed that Sánchez and Bezos followed the tradition. Wearing white to walk down the aisle Sanchez has become synonymous with wearing eye-catching patterns and plunging ensembles to star-studded events and red carpets - but today she opted for something more traditional. The journalist stunned in a high-necked Dolce & Gabbana white lace gown. The entire dress was made from lace with a delicate floral pattern. The designer piece featured a tight bodice, long flowing skirt with an enormous train and buttons down the front, with the sheer sleeves showing off the delicate lace. The blushing bride's long brown tresses were pulled back behind a veil and she wore a striking natural makeup look. She revealed she also kept to the tradition of not letting her husband-to-be see her dress before the big day. 'I almost gave in,' she admitted, adding he 'begged' her for a glimpse. 'But I want it to be a surprise. As you get a little older, not many things surprise you. I can't wait to see his face.' Something borrowed... and an unusual something blue Sánchez embraced the old English saying, 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.' She opted to wear a pair of Dolce earrings as her something borrowed, and gave a nod to Blue Origin - Bezos' space travel company - for her something blue. She told Vogue she carried a secret souvenir up in the rocket during her famed trip to space in April, when she blasted into space on a Blue Origin flight, NS-31, which made headlines with its all-female flight crew. Sánchez explained she did so so she could bring the souvenir back for Bezos, 'because it was literally one of the most profound experiences I've ever had in my life.' 'Seeing Earth from space, I came down and I couldn't describe it. It was the greatest experience I've ever had. Jeff said, 'It's gonna change you more than you think,' and it completely has, visually, spiritually,' she gushed. Sánchez didn't reveal what the souvenir was but is thought to have had it near on her big day. Celebrating her upcoming nuptials on a weekend away Like most brides, Sánchez opted to celebrate her upcoming nuptials with a bachelorette party with her closest female friends - previously sharing snaps from a lavish weekend away in Paris, France. The Emmy-award winning journalist had a full weekend of celebrations planned and kicked off her pre-wedding festivities with the help of her A-list pals, including Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Katy Perry, Kris Jenner and more. The glowing star was pictured beaming while surrounded by her pals in the city of love. 'Forever starts with friendship, surrounded by the women who've lifted me up, illuminated my path in dark times, and shaped my heart along the way,' she wrote in the caption. Wearing white before she ties the knot Sánchez has embraced being a bride to the fullest, wearing white to some of her pre-wedding events as per tradition - but not all. On the morning of the wedding, the blushing bride wore an elegant two piece, which consisted of an ivory tailored pea coat with black buttons, paired with a matching skirt. She completed her chic ensemble with printed headscarf, elegantly wrapped around her chocolate caramel tresses and a pair of classic black Celine sunglasses, along with a black croc-print handbag. For their rehearsal dinner, the former journalist wore a striking corset dress from Schiaparelli's 2025 couture collection. The golden $100,000 pre-wedding gown was 'a performance piece' that teased the opulent $20 million nuptials with tech billionaire Jeff Bezos yet to come, fashion experts shared. Walked down aisle by her father Sánchez has a complicated relationship with some members of her family, with her mother Eleanor and brother Michael reportedly not invited to her big day. The writer has two older brothers, Paul and Michael, but has a strained relationship with the latter. Michael was accused of the one who leaked the news of her relationship with Bezos. Despite telling Page Six, 'I would never sell out my sister. Everything I did was to protect Jeff and Lauren', The Wall Street Journal reported in 2019 that the Enquirer paid Michael $200,000. The Times reported that Michael claims to not have seen his sister since 2019 and not spoken to her since 2020, the legal battle over the leaking of the affair story created an 'irreparable fissure.' The outlet also said Sánchez's father Ray, brother Paul and half-sister Elena - who also joined her on her bachelorette trip to Paris - attended the celebrations. The couple will be blending their family officially with Bezos' four children - whom he shares with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott - officially becoming the step-siblings of Sánchez's three children. Taking her husband's name Sánchez has made it clear in the past she has every intention of taking her husband's surname as per tradition - and she has already update her social media account accordingly. Sánchez was also snapped earlier today wearing two dazzling rings and a bracelet with LB initials on her wrist - likely to mark her new moniker of Lauren Bezos. In 2023, the loved-up bride-to-be told Vogue how excited she is to be Mrs Bezos. 'Uh, yes, 100 percent. I am looking forward to being Mrs. Bezos,' she gushed at the time.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jeff in Venice: seven takeaways from the Bezos-Sánchez wedding
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez held their wedding ceremony in Venice's Grand canal on Friday, the centrepiece of a three-day gala that drew dozens of stars but also protests by local activists. Here are seven takeaways. The couple kicked off celebrations with a foam party on their $500m (£364m) super yacht moored near the Croatian island of Unije. Coinciding with Sánchez's son Evan Whitesell's 19th birthday, paparazzi photos showed the couple wearing swimwear and sunhats covered in frothy suds as they partied alongside Whitesell and his friends. Foam parties can cause conjunctivitis, so the decision to hold one just days before their nuptials was somewhat surprising but maybe billionaire foam hits different. What do you get for the fourth richest person in the world? Apparently nothing. A portion of the official invitation obtained by ABC News stipulated an early request from the couple; 'please, no gifts'. Instead it stated that Bezos and Sánchez would be making donations 'with gratitude' on their guests' behalf to causes including the Venice International University and an organisation dedicated to restoring the city's lagoons. On social media, the biggest question users had was: who had designed the invite? Featuring doodle-like illustrations of butterflies, shooting stars, feathers and the Rialto Bridge, some argued the invitations had been generated by AI or, perhaps, bulk bought via Amazon. Alongside donations on their behalf, each guest will receive a goodie bag. We are still waiting for one of the Kardashian clan to do an official unboxing on YouTube but so far it has been revealed that they feature sweet treats from the historic Venetian pastry shop Rosa Salva and vibrant coloured glassware from the Murano specialist Laguna~B. First came the anti-capitalist public protests. Then it turned out one of Bezos and Sánchez's three chosen venues was covered by unsightly scaffolding. The next disaster to hit? A freak thunderstorm on Thursday night during a welcoming party at the Madonna dell'Orto cloisters. Heavy lightning and rain reportedly left many guests soaked, forcing the event to end early. Perhaps Bezos and Sánchez should have followed fashion week's lead and hired a rain shaman. The biggest hint that Sánchez will at some point wear a dress by Dolce & Gabbana stems from a photo of Domenico Dolce enjoying aperitivo hour at the Gritti Palace, a five-star hotel on Venice's Grand canal. Sánchez is a long-time fan of the Italian label but, saying that, she isn't particularly loyal to any brand, and it's thought that Anna Wintour – who is likely attending – is supportive of the idea. As she recently told Vogue after decades of dressing in tailoring during her TV presenting days, she is now focusing on 'having fun' with fashion. Plus, she has the budget to buy whatever she wants rather than rely on designers to approve her wearing a loan. Sánchez appeared to whizz off to the ceremony in an Audrey Hepburn cosplay in a headscarf and dark glasses. Getting lost in Venice is part of the charm. Not so if you have a staged paparazzi shot to get to. As anyone who's been in a city tour group will know, ensuring all parties are dressed in the same garb is the easiest way to stay with the party. Literal dressing, where you pay homage to the place, is one thing. The fetishisation of postwar Italian cultural icons such as Monica Vitti or Sophia Loren in some archive Cavalli (Kendall and Kylie) or vintage Versace snakeskin (Kim) is another. Still, it's probably the simplest way to stay with the crowd while reminding people you're in Italy. In case anyone had forgotten. With the ceremony not taking place until Friday evening, many guests found themselves with time to kill. With a personal art collection valued at $127mn, it came as no surprise that Bill Gates and a friend popped into the Gallerie dell'Accademia that houses the Pietà by Titian.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lauren Sanchez makes huge social media statement moments after wedding to Jeff Bezos
has already wiped her Instagram profile despite only wedding her new husband Jeff Bezos just moments ago. The businesswoman and journalist, 55, exchanged vows with the tech tycoon, 61, at a lavish celebration in Venice, Italy, which was attended by some of the world's most famous stars. And Lauren has wasted no time in beginning her huge rebrand, having already deleted all of her Instagram posts and changing her profile to include her new surname, Bezos. At the time of writing, she has uploaded just one solitary photo to her page - a first look snap of herself in her wedding dress with her new husband, Jeff. She captioned the upload: '06/27/2025.' Minutes before the total wipe, Lauren had kept just three posts remaining on her feed - the most recent of which was a snap of the philanthropist at her celebrity-filled rehearsal dinner taken just yesterday on June 26. Wearing a striking corset dress from Schiaparelli's 2025 couture collection, valued at in a $100,000, she clutched her tiny waist while candidly looking forward. Lauren captioned the post with a simple love heart emoji. At the time of writing, she has uploaded just one solitary photo to her page - a first look snap of her in her wedding dress She had also kept a series of snaps from her bachelorette in Paris, which were uploaded on May 15. For the luxurious celebration in the French capital, she was joined by famous pals including Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Lauren's third and earliest post was a quote from the author George Eliot. It read: 'It's never too late to be what you might have been.' Eagle-eyed fans are already under the impression that Lauren will rebrand again and fully drop her surname, Sanchez, in favor of Bezos, after she was spotted wearing a bracelet with the initials 'LB.' For her big day, which took place just hours ago, she took a speedboat to San Giorgio Maggiore, which overlooks a Venice lagoon, to walk down the aisle in front of 200 VIP guests. Lauren wore a classic white suit and headscarf to land on the island where she changed into her handmade, one-of-a-kind Dolce & Gabbana gown. Amid local protests, the globe's richest and most powerful people descended on La Serenissima, the Most Serene Republic of Venice, to pay homage to the Amazon billionaire and his blushing bride. It is believed that the guests are now enjoying an extravagant wedding breakfast that reportedly will include the local Venetian delicacy of cuttlefish stew washed down with fine wines. Singer-songwriter Usher, who also arrived yesterday, may is also rumored to be performing. Previous reports that Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga will sing have been denied by representatives for both. But the aspirational couple's wedding celebrations, pencilled in to last three days with the wedding ceremony ongoing and 'grand ball' on Saturday night, have already been branded 'more Vegas than Versailles.'
