VENICE, Italy. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez kicked off a three-day, $ 50 million wedding celebration in Venice on Thursday, drawing a host of global celebrities and sparking protests from activists concerned about the city’s future.
The couple arrived by helicopter on Wednesday and checked into the exclusive Aman Venice hotel, where rooms facing the Grand Canal cost upwards of €4,000 ($4,686) per night. On Friday, they are set to exchange vows in a symbolic ceremony on San Giorgio Island, across from the iconic St. Mark’s Square. The ceremony will reportedly have no legal status in Italy, with speculation suggesting the couple may have already wed in the U.S.
Among the 200 to 250 high-profile guests expected to attend are Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Queen Rania of Jordan, Kris Jenner, and Kim and Khloe Kardashian. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who arrived earlier in the week, were seen sightseeing and shopping.
On Thursday evening, guests gathered at the Madonna dell’Orto church, home to works by Renaissance artist Tintoretto. To ensure privacy, the Venice city council banned pedestrian and boat traffic in the Cannaregio district from 4:30 p.m. until midnight.
Despite the glamour, the event has sparked controversy. An activist climbed a pole in St. Mark’s Square on Thursday, unfurling a banner reading “The 1% ruins the world.” The protest was part of the “No Space for Bezos” movement, which accuses the city of being commercialized for the benefit of the ultra-rich.
Still, many locals and officials welcomed the event. “If you look at what concretely the Bezos wedding brings for the good of Venice, there are only advantages and no disadvantages,” said Mattia Brandi, a local tour guide. “If anything is different, it is because of the protesters.”
The festivities will culminate on Saturday with a grand reception at the Arsenale, a historic former shipyard now used for cultural events.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, got engaged in 2023, four years after Bezos ended his 25-year marriage to philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. He currently serves as executive chairman of Amazon and ranks No. 4 on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people.
Venice, known for hosting high-profile weddings, has previously welcomed stars such as George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in 2014, and Indian billionaires Vinita Agarwal and Muqit Teja in 2011.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
