Venice: Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, and his fiancée, media personality Lauren Sánchez, tied the knot Friday night in an opulent wedding ceremony set against the dreamlike backdrop of Venice, Italy.
The celebration, as extravagant as it was exclusive, drew a constellation of celebrities, sparked local protests, and underscored the deep divide between global wealth and regional concerns.
For Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, both of whom have traveled to space, Venice offered an earthly setting as magical as the cosmos.
The wedding was part of a multi-day spectacle in Venice, a city renowned for its romantic canals and logistical challenges. Private jets lined the city’s airport while yachts filled the waterways, transporting guests to exclusive events.
Held on the San Giorgio island across from St. Mark’s Square, the ceremony capped off a highly choreographed affair. Sánchez’s gown was inspired by Sophia Loren’s dress in the 1958 film Houseboat and took over 900 hours to complete.
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The lavish details included 180 silk chiffon-covered buttons and hand-appliquéd lace, a sartorial homage to Italian fashion artistry. Jack Ezon, CEO of luxury travel firm Embark Beyond, said staging an event in Venice can cost triple what it would in Rome or Florence due to the city’s unique water-bound infrastructure.
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia estimated the wedding’s cost at between €40 million and €48 million (approximately $56 million). While the festivities drew cheers from global followers, they also stirred resentment among Venetians. About a dozen civic groups, including anti-cruise ship advocates and housing activists, rallied under the slogan “No Space for Bezos” , a jab at his space firm, Blue Origin, and the couple’s recent spaceflight.
Greenpeace staged protests, accusing Bezos of tax avoidance. Protesters floated a bald mannequin dressed as Bezos along the Grand Canal atop an Amazon box stuffed with fake money.
Others lamented the increasing commercialization of Venice and the strain tourism places on local resources and housing. Still, Italian authorities defended the wedding as a major win for the nation’s tourism economy.
Their wedding coincided with a newly announced grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to Venetian research group CORILA, which works to preserve the city’s fragile lagoon ecosystem.
A Saturday reception was reportedly held at the Arsenale, the historic naval shipyard and a central venue for the Venice Biennale.
