Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez tie the knot in opulent Venice wedding

Los Angeles Times

11 hours ago

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are officially husband and wife.
The Amazon founder, who's been linked to Sánchez since 2019, hosted an extravagant, reportedly $50-million celebration in Venice, Italy, stretching three days. From the lavish location to the celebrity guest list, the event has attracted a media frenzy, but also experienced its fair share of hiccups — including a last-minute venue change to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Here's what we know about the wedding so far.
Sánchez opted for a custom Dolce & Gabbana wedding gown inspired by Sophia Loren's gown in the 1958 film 'Houseboat.' This marks the first time Sánchez has worn such a high-necked formal dress, she told Vogue.
'It is a departure from what people expect,' she said, 'from what I expect — but it's very much me.'
The bride shared two images of her dress Friday on Instagram, where she also updated her handle to @laurensanchezbezos.
Other ensembles planned for the big day were a corseted gown inspired by the Rita Hayworth film 'Gilda' and an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress with 175,000 crystals, according to Vogue.
Sánchez's 'something borrowed' was a pair of Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria Miracolo earrings, according to Vogue. And her 'something blue,' she revealed, was a souvenir she brought on her controversial 11-minute Blue Origin spaceflight.
'It was literally one of the most profound experiences I've ever had in my life,' she told Vogue. 'Jeff said, 'It's gonna change you more than you think,' and it completely has, visually, spiritually.'
As expected, several A-listers made the 200-person guest list.
Notably, Orlando Bloom arrived solo after reportedly ending his engagement with Katy Perry. Sánchez seemed to acknowledge Perry's absence, commenting, 'We miss you Katy,' Friday on the pop star's Instagram. Perry famously joined Sánchez on the Blue Origin space flight and has received a disproportionate amount of the criticism.
Though President Trump was not present (despite reports that he received an invitation), his daughter Ivanka Trump and Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, were in attendance, along with in-laws Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner.
Other celebrities in attendance were Kim and Khloé Kardashian; Kris, Kylie and Kendall Jenner; Bill Gates and Paula Hurd; Sydney Sweeney; Tom Brady; Leonardo DiCaprio; Usher; Eva Longoria and José Bastón; Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller; Oprah Winfrey; and Gayle King, who was also aboard the Blue Origin spaceflight.
The lavish celebration was not without its critics. The No Space for Bezos movement — a combination of anti-cruise ship campaigners, university groups and housing advocates — staged protests throughout Venice leading up to the event, even planning to obstruct canal access to prevent wedding guests from reaching the venue, according to the Associated Press. The newlyweds reportedly had to make an eleventh hour venue change, opting for the more secluded and secure Arsenale for the Saturday reception, according to local media.