Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has kicked off his three-day wedding celebration with fiancée Lauren Sánchez in a dazzling and controversial affair that has drawn both A-list celebrities and protests from locals in Venice.
Dubbed by some Venetians as “Jeff in Venice”, the festivities began Thursday evening in the historic Madonna dell’Orto cloister, where guests braved a thunderstorm to attend the exclusive opening party. The venue was heavily guarded, with police cordons and patrols on jet skis keeping protesters at bay along the canals of the Cannaregio district.
Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, were seen arriving by water taxi, waving and smiling as they made their way down the Grand Canal. “We love Venice, look at this!” Bezos said, gesturing at the city’s grandeur. “It can’t exist and yet here it is!”
A-List Guest List and Lavish Venues
The guest list reads like a roll call of the global elite. Bill Gates, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Tom Brady were all spotted arriving in Venice. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner also made an appearance, visiting the city’s historic Jewish ghetto earlier in the day.
Designer Domenico Dolce was seen arriving at the Aman Hotel, sparking speculation that Dolce & Gabbana are behind Sánchez’s bridal wardrobe. The couple is expected to host their main celebration Friday on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, known for its serene setting and avant-garde chapels designed by top architects including Norman Foster.
Saturday’s grand finale will reportedly take place at Venice’s Arsenale, a former shipyard turned event venue, where 80,000 roses are set to decorate the space. Elton John and Lady Gaga are rumored to be among the performers for the weekend’s concert.
Protests and Local Sentiment
While the wedding has captured headlines for its opulence, it has also drawn criticism. Activist group Extinction Rebellion staged a demonstration in St Mark’s Square, where a protester unveiled a banner reading, “The One Per Cent Ruins The World,” a direct jab at Bezos’s estimated $224 billion fortune. The protester was later detained by police.
Some locals, however, saw benefits. “Why shouldn’t they get married?” said Roberto Orio, a 63-year-old gondolier. “For us, it’s meant more police, less rubbish, and fewer pickpockets.” Livio Cappello, a 68-year-old retired postman, quipped, “My only gripe is I wasn’t invited.”
Tourists near the Aman Hotel were treated to a light-hearted moment when a Bezos lookalike posed for selfies, while two women handed out ice cream and cold water “from Jeff and Lauren” to photographers in water taxis.
Venice in the Spotlight
The high-profile nuptials have once again placed Venice in the global spotlight, highlighting the city’s complex relationship with elite tourism. For Bezos and Sánchez, it’s a fairy-tale wedding; for Venice, it’s another chapter in its evolving role as a playground for the world’s wealthiest — celebrated by some, lamented by others.
