The city of Venice is buzzing with excitement as billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez begin their three-day wedding celebration, estimated to cost over $50 million.
Top celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, and Bill Gates have already arrived in the Italian city, turning the event into one of the biggest celebrity gatherings of the year.
The couple landed on Wednesday and are staying at the Aman Venice hotel, where rooms go for at least $4,000 a night.
Thursday night’s welcome party was held at the Madonna dell’Orto, a 14th-century church famous for its artwork by painter Tintoretto. The area was blocked off to the public as guests made their way into the private celebration. A bigger ceremony is expected to take place on Friday at the historic Cini Foundation on the island of San Giorgio, opposite St. Mark’s Square.
While Venice officials confirmed they have not received a legal marriage request from the couple, many believe Bezos and Sanchez have already married in the US, making this celebration more symbolic than official.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, got engaged last year. Her bachelorette party took place in Paris, with close friends like Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry joining the celebration.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrived earlier in the week, enjoying sightseeing and shopping before the wedding began. Fashion icons like Kendall Jenner and Kris Jenner were seen boarding Venice’s famous water taxis in high-end outfits, drawing attention from fans and paparazzi.
Despite the glamour, not everyone is pleased. Some environmental activists protested in Venice’s main square, accusing the super-rich of turning the historic city into a playground. One protester from the “No Space for Bezos” group climbed a pole to hang a banner that read, “The 1% ruins the world.”
Still, local business owners and officials welcomed the event, pointing out that the wedding will bring an estimated $30 million into the local economy. Tour leader Mattia Brandi said, “If you look at what concretely the Bezos wedding brings for the good of Venice, there are only advantages and no disadvantages.”
The wedding celebration is expected to end on Saturday with a grand reception at the Arsenale, a historic shipyard turned art venue.
