Inside Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's 3-day Venetian wedding with star-studded guest list, $500m yacht, & unique gifts
BILLIONAIRE Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez are preparing to tie the knot in a lavish three-day wedding in Venice next week.
The couple have remained tight-lipped about the upcoming nuptials but as the date nears, more details about the star-studded extravaganza have emerged.
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The 61-year-old Amazon founder proposed to Sanchez, a former TV journalist, with a multi-million dollar ring on his yacht in May 2023.
Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, confirmed in March that the popular Italian city would host the couple and their guests for the highly-anticipated ceremony.
He said the city was "extremely proud" the couple had chosen it for their wedding and called it "an honor that Bezos is coming to Venice".
The happy couple appear to be keeping the celebration intimate with reports of around 200 guests being invited.
But that relatively small list is thought to include some big names including celebrities, politicians, and business moguls.
This is certainly the case if Sanchez's star-studded Parisian bachelorette party is anything to go by.
The final hoorah before the "wedding of the century" was attended by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Katy Perry, and Eva Longoria.
Multiple reports suggest stars including Leonardo Di Caprio, Orlando Bloom, Mick Jagger, and Beyoncé, are expected to attend as well as Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
The upcoming bash is said to be as extravagant as a royal wedding with Sanchez's brother Paul telling TMZ it would "be like a Princess Di thing".
"It's gonna be an amazing event. It's gonna be star-studded and fun," he said.
The couples' children from their previous marriages are also expected to be in attendance.
Bezos has four children with his ex-wife Mackenzie Scott and Sanchez has two children with her ex-husband Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell and a son with ex-football player Tony Gonzalez.
Exact details for the celebrations have been kept under wraps but are believed to kick off on June 24 and end on June 26, a spokesperson for Brugnaro told CNN.
As preparations are underway, city officials told NBC News. that 30 water taxis out of 280 have been reserved and up to four hotels have been booked.
LIFE OF LUXURY
These are thought to be several luxury venues along the Grand Canal including the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the Grand Aman Hotel, the St Regis Venis, and the Gritti Palace.
A room at The Aman, built in 1550, will set you back at least $2,700 per night, with prices going up to $10,000.
This is where the couple are said to be staying, per TMZ, as sources claim the entire hotel has been booked out from June 25 to June 29.
City officials added that "the celebrations, attended by 250 guests, will blend into the daily rhythm of a city".
"Once again, Venice proves to be a world stage," Brugnaro said.
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The actual ceremony is reported to be taking place on Bezos' $500 million yacht which will be in the Venetian lagoon, according to People.
Meanwhile, the whole island of San Giorgio Maggiore which lies opposite St Mark's Square has reportedly been booked out.
A source told the Daily Mail that the whole island will be "off limits to visitors" from June 24 to June 29.
The power couple have also booked the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a grand event building in the city's historic center, per the outlet.
The couple are said to be using mainly local vendors to cater for the huge event.
Around 80 percent of the wedding is to be locally sourced including from Rosa Salva, the city's oldest pastry maker and Laguna B, a studio famed for its hand-blown Murano glass.
Rosa Salva, which has been in business since 1876, has been asked to provide an array of surprises for goody bags , Antonio Rosa Salva revealed.
It is not known how Laguna B will contribute to the celebrations, with the business remaining tight-lipped.
One source told The Mail that a celebrity wedding planner not connected to the event has been told guests are being given "opulent" gifts just to attend.
The three-day celebrations could cost as much as $21 million, The Mail reported.
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'JUST BEGINNING'
The 55-year-old bride is thought to have taken on the majority of the organizing for the big day, as Sanchez previously told Today that she has been obsessively adding to her Pinterest board "like every other bride".
"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," she told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb back in November.
"I never thought at 54 — I'm going to be 55 — that I'd be an author, that I'd be getting married. I mean, life is just beginning."
Her billionaire husband-to-be told Vogue in 2023 that he would not have any involvement in the planning saying, "Oh, God no. Do I look that dumb?" when asked if he would be helping out.
As some locals launch protests against the wedding taking place in their city, officials have reassured them that they will not be adversely affected.
Fears are increasing among some Venetians that they are being priced out of their own city by tourism.
"The city is fully accustomed to hosting high-profile events of this nature and scale, including other celebrity weddings, international summits such as the G7 and G20, as well as traditional events like the Festa del Redentore and the Venice Biennale," city hall officials told NBC.
"The celebrations, attended by 250 guests, will blend into the daily rhythm of a city that, with dignity and respect, welcomes thousands of visitors from around the world while safeguarding the quality of life for its residents, workers, and students.
"Protest initiatives are in no way representative of the majority of citizens, who are proud that Venice has been chosen as the wedding location".
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