In the coming days, the world’s third-richest man, Jeff Bezos, will wed Lauren Sánchez, his former TV journalist bride, in what has been described as the “wedding of the century”. Estimates on the cost have varied, but a multi-million-dollar price tag is assured, and it’s expected that everyone involved in the wedding planning will have signed a raft of NDAs — naturally.
Still, some details that have slipped through the woodwork. The wedding will take place in Venice, with celebrations spread over three days, reportedly from June 26 to 28, with 200 guests. If that sounds reminiscent of another celebrity wedding, it’s for good reason: Jeff Bezos has hired the same wedding planners as George and Amal Clooney, who tied the knot in the Italian lagoon city back in 2014.
Rumours are swirling about Sánchez’s 27 potential outfit changes, a secret performance by Lady Gaga and a fleet of water taxis being taken out of circulation for the various high-profile guests, which may or may not include President Donald Trump.
The Bezos nuptials have already been compared to 2024’s Ambani wedding, which captivated the globe due to its purchasing power, with acts such as Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Andrea Bocelli performing at the festivities of a hitherto unknown (at least to the Western world) couple.
Much like the Ambani wedding, which was described as an “affront” to the many Mumbai residents living in poverty, Bezos’s celebrations have attracted the ire of the local residents. Banners have been unfurled around Venice landmarks declaring “No to Bezos”, and protestors have threatened to throw themselves in the canals to halt wedding proceedings.
Here’s everything we know about the so-called “super wedding”.
It’s happening in Venice — and the locals are not happy about it
The Bezos wedding has caused quite the kerfuffle over in Venice, where a group of protestors have taken umbrage with the billionaire’s plans to wed in the city.
“Every time an event of this kind happens, the city comes to a standstill, certain areas become inaccessible and even more tourists arrive,” campaigner Marta Sottoriva told The Guardian. “This wedding really is the symbol of all that is wrong with Venice. Venice already charges a “tourist tax” for those who enter the city for short periods to help stem its overcrowding.
Anti-Bezos banners have been unfurled at Venice landmarks, including the Rialto Bridge and the bell tower of Fondazione Cini on the island of San Giorgio, which is one of the rumoured wedding locations.
But Bezos and Sánchez are going all out on the Venetian theme. According to Associated Press, Rosa Salva, the oldest pastry business in Venice, has been commissioned to create baked treats for goody bags, and Venetian design company Laguna B, known for their artisanal blown glass creations, has been contracted for services in relation to the wedding.
Reserving a fleet of gondolas has got Bezos into hot water
Locals are also concerned about the number of water taxis Bezos has rumoured to have reserved. Some outlets are reporting that he has hired a “fleet” to wait on standby, with one taxi driver telling the New York Times he was booked to be “on call” from June 25 to June 30. Another water taxi operator, Mario Gasparini, told La Repubblica newspaper: “The exact routes are being kept a secret. We will only discover who our passengers are and where we are taking them the day before the wedding service.”
That’s if they can get through. Tommaso Cacciari, an activist from No Space for Bezos, told The Telegraph: “To block their arrival peacefully, we will jump into the canals that surround the venue, and we will also block the alleyways that lead to it [...] Bezos is not just any VIP — he is a multi-billionaire who supports the world view of Trump.”
The official communications team for the Municipality of Venice has issued a statement calling the outrage “unfounded.” “Only two hundred guests will have been invited and therefore it will be easy for Venice to accommodate such an event, without any disruption whatsoever to the city, its residents and visitors,” the statement says.
“Our city has much experience in international events much larger than this. Venice is accustomed to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts, such as the G20 Economy, G7 Justice, state bilateral meetings, Art, Architecture, and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events, like large conferences, corporate meetings, fashion shows, parties, and VIP weddings,” it continued.
“The organisation have categorically not booked large amounts of gondolas or excessive numbers of water taxis and it is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone".
The guest list is stacked
While the guest list for the Bezos wedding hasn’t been made public, it’s fair to assume some of the guests based on who attended the couple’s pre-wedding celebrations.
Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Eva Longoria are all expected to attend following their participation in Lauren Sánchez’s bachelorette party in Paris last month. While Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, and Queen Rania of Jordan have topped rumoured guest lists following their attendance at the couple’s engagement party.
Sánchez’s “space sister”, Katy Perry, is also set to attend alongside Orlando Bloom, following Blue Origin’s 11-minute-long all-female voyage to outer space in April.
There have also been rumours circulating that Donald Trump may make an appearance, given that he and Bezos are chummy: Bezos and his fellow tech bros recently attended Trump’s second inauguration, and he reportedly met Trump privately for dinner at Mar-a-lago beforehand. Plus, with Musk and Trump now well and truly broken up, maybe the President has room in his heart for a new tech billionaire.
Bezos’s guests will be put up in the finest hotels Venice has to offer, including the Aman, a five-star hotel on the banks of the Grand Canal with private gardens and Rococo works of art, plus Gritti Palace, the Danieli, the Marriott and the St Regis. The St Regis is reportedly playing host to Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are on the rumoured guest list.
Lauren Sánchez has a rumoured 27 outfit changes
The future Mrs Bezos is expected to change outfits a whopping 27 times across the three-day nuptials, according to The Telegraph.
Sánchez spoke about the sartorial side to her wedding planning on the Today programme, telling the hosts: “[I’m] very excited about it, thinking about the dress. I have to say, I do have a Pinterest. I’m just like every other bride [...] I never thought at 54 — I’m going to be 55… that, you know, I’d be an author and that I’d be getting married. I mean, life is just beginning.”
The former TV journalist and licensed helicopter pilot is known to be a big fan of Dolce & Gabanna, having worn D&G designs to numerous high profile events, including Trump’s pre-inauguration dinner and Cannes Film Festival. Many suspect they may be outfitting her for the wedding ceremony, especially considering she and Bezos were spotted leaving a Dolce & Gabanna fitting in Milan this March.
Sánchez also has a history of wearing Oscar de la Renta, which she wore for her bachelorette party, as well as Versace, which might feel like an odd choice of fashion house for a wedding day, but knowing Sánchez glamazon nature, it is in no way out of the question.
As for hair and makeup? Manuela Pivato, the founder of an online publication called MyFairVenice, gave an estimation to Italian women’s magazine D Donna: “For George Clooney’s wedding, 50 hairdressers came from Rome. We can estimate a cost of around 500,000 euros.”
Koru, the yacht, is expected to play a big role
If you’re not already familiar with Koru, Jeff Bezos’s mammoth $500m superyacht, you’re about to be. The future Mr and Mrs Bezos are expected to arrive in Venice via Koru, the world’s largest sailing yacht, alongside a secondary vessel, the Abeona.
The Abeona is a support ship, notable for having its own helicopter pad. This adds a potential helicopter element to the wedding celebrations, which checks out, considering Sánchez is a licensed helicopter pilots and much of their love affair has revolved around flight (whether that be terrestrial or extraterrestrial).
Koru holds an emotional significance to the celebrations because it is where Bezos proposed to Sánchez in May 2023. “When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit,” Sánchez told Vogue.
Many have remarked that the figurehead of the vessel appears to be based on her, but she denies it. “I’m very flattered, but it’s not,” she told Vogue.
The catering will be grand… and the cocktails ‘out of this world’
As part of the Wall Street Journal’s piece on “super weddings” like Bezos’s, the outlet referenced “catering by Carbone”. In case you aren’t familiar, Carbone is the ultra-exclusive restaurant beloved by celebrities that’s also responsible for popularising “penne alla vodka”. Its celebrity guests include Rihanna, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Adele, the Obamas and many, many more.
It wouldn’t be a ridiculous idea for Carbone to be catering Bezos’s wedding: he is a known patron of the restaurant and even made headlines by “shocking” diners once when he and Sánchez ate in the main dining room of the restaurant… yes, around other people!
Bezos’s cocktail menu is expected to be entirely bespoke, and judging by previous events, probably space oriented. At a post-space-flight event in 2021, Bezos was heard ordering a “Fly Me To The Moon” — his take on the traditional Aviator, made with rum, lemon juice and creme de violette.
And if the couple are looking for a bottle of something special, it’s known that they ordered a bottle of Dugat-Py Grand Cru, a red Burgundy by Domaine Bernard, at La Petite Maison in Cannes when they were celebrating their engagement. Here’s to the flashy couple!
