How the Bezos-Sanchez Wedding Is Impacting Venice
The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is one of Venice's most beautiful attractions.
Hovering in the lagoon directly across from St. Mark's Square, it's home to a church filled with Renaissance art, a bell tower with unparalleled views of the lagoon city, and an ancient monastery where visitors can take guided tours through the Renaissance cloisters, lose themselves in a labyrinth, or marvel at experimental modern architecture.
But if you were planning on visiting the island this week, there's bad news: It's been reserved for billionaires. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, a former entertainment reporter, are due to wed in the open-air amphitheater on the island later today.
This is an odd time to visit Venice. And yet it's the most talked about city on the planet this weekend, thanks to the Bezos-Sánchez nuptials, which are taking the form of a three-day extravaganza held in various locations throughout the city. A raft of celebrities have taken over some of the area's most famous hotels—Kim Kardashian, Orlando Bloom, and Leonardo Di Caprio appear to be staying at the Gritti Palace, a five-star grande dame on the Grand Canal, while guests who less attached to the limelight are camped out at the Belmond Cipriani hotel on Giudecca island, overlooking St. Mark's.
I live by the Arsenale, the city's centuries-old dockyards where the wedding reception will be held on Saturday. Here, they used to churn out a galleon sailing ships in three days. Tomorrow, I should be getting a free Lady Gaga and Elton John concert.
But the Bezos-Sánchez wedding has brought far less entertaining disruptions to daily life for many Venetians, who are stuck navigating blocked-off streets in residential areas. Yesterday, I was stopped on my regular walk by security guards as I was near one of the wedding sites. Today, my supermarket run was observed by guards with dogs.
On Thursday, a block of the residential Cannaregio district was closed off while the wedding guests had a drinks reception in the cloister of the Madonna dell'Orto church. A video quickly went viral of one local being ordered to take a 20-minute diversion in the blazing heat to get home. Needless to say, that church—known for its dazzling paintings by Renaissance painter Tintoretto, who lived nearby—was also closed to visitors.
Some tourists have also felt the squeeze. Those who'd booked the trip of a lifetime at the luxury Aman on the Grand Canal were reportedly moved to another five-star hotel when Bezos and Sánchez block-booked the entire building.
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Yahoo
37 minutes ago
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As Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos walk down the aisle in Venice, they have a big secret
Want to congratulate Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez on their nuptials? You're a little late. In the midst of all the fanfare going on in Venice, Italy, we hear that the high wattage couple is already married and have been for a hot minute. Page Six reports that the Amazon founder, 61, and former 'Extra' correspondent, 55, were legally wed in the United States. They did not apply for a license in the so-called Floating City, Italian sources told the outlet. Another source told The Daily Mail they've been married for 'at least a month.' As per the Miami Dade County clerk, they didn't do the deed in Bezos' hometown, but may have swapped vows somewhere else in Florida under the radar. Sources told Page Six that a mega prenuptial agreement was also signed. Experts say that it was likely extremely complex and one of the reasons why it took so long for these two to walk down the aisle. Remember when there were rumblings that Bezos and Sanchez were to become man and wife in Aspen last December at Kevin Costner's ranch? The Hollywood Reporter says that actually wasn't a rumor and was going to happen, but the tech titan's lawyers forbid him to move forward unless his fortune was safeguarded properly. READ MORE: Billionaire Bunker has an unpleasant problem You'd think Bezos, who as of Friday is the world's fourth richest person, would have learned his lesson in his first go around. The Palmetto Senior High alum did not have a prenup with this ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. The 55-year-old mother of four received 25 percent of their shared stake in Amazon, about $35 billion. After their 2019 divorce, she ended up giving away almost half of that to various causes, including a number of South Florida organizations. Now that the icky matter of finances are taken care of, Bezos and Sanchez can really can get down to the business of partying. Despite protests held throughout the historic city forcing them to move the venue, plus a freak thunderstorm Thursday night, everything seems to be rolling along. A ton of celeb guests, including Indian Creek Village neighbors Ivanka Trump and Tom Brady, were on hand to to celebrate the ceremony Friday night — possibly blissfully ignorant of the fact that the bride and groom were already hitched. At least no one had to pony up for presents, even though most could afford it. As per the unusually simple wedding invitation that was leaked online, the newlyweds requested 'no gifts.' That's because they made contributions in the attendees' honor to three Venetian organizations, $1 million apiece. 'This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories,' the invite said. 'Our hope is that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come.'
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Lauren Sánchez made this subtle change after marrying Jeff Bezos
Lauren Sánchez is making changes already after tying the knot with Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos. The couple officially wed at their lavish, star-studded ceremony in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27. The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana silhouette dress for the occasion. The philanthropist made the marriage official in the modern way: on social media. Sánchez shifted her display name to "Lauren Sánchez Bezos" and Instagram handle to @laurensanchezbezos hours after she was spotted making her way to the wedding ceremony. Eagle-eyed wedding onlookers noticed that the former guest cohost of ABC talk show "The View" also made another subtle change: Only three photos remain on her Instagram feed as of June 27. Sanchez, 55, and Bezos, 61, had fans watching and waiting for them to tie the knot in an extraordinarily luxurious Venice wedding, after multiple days of A-list nuptial events. Cameras captured the couple departing for the ceremony: Two hours after his fiancée boarded the boat, Bezos was snapped waving to the crowd during the spectacle. Sánchez, who was pictured boarding a sleek motorboat from the luxe Aman hotel to head to her wedding ceremony, donned her designer dress away from the paparazzi cameras, choosing a wedding gown with a high-neck, adorned with 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. She paired it with a tulle-and-lace veil, inspired by a similar veil that iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren wore in the 1958 film "Houseboat," according to a Vogue magazine exclusive. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez set to tie the knot in wedding ceremony: Live updates A-list guests from the couple's orbit were spotted by photographers on the way to the ceremony including sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian, their youngest sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner and family matriarch Kris Jenner; R&B superstar Usher; Oprah Winfrey; model Brooks Nader; Leonardo DiCaprio and his model girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti; and Bezos' fellow billionaire Bill Gates. The couple's controversial luxury Venetian wedding will have no legal status under Italian law, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. Bezos' multimillion-dollar affair has drawn ire online and in person, as protests erupt in the region calling for the Blue Origin owner to pay more in taxes amid global frustrations about class and wealth divides. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Brendan Morrow, Anna Kaufman, Anika Reed, USA TODAY; Reuters
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Lauren Sanchez wedding gown revealed
After much anticipation, Lauren Sanchez's wedding gown has been revealed, with Dolce & Gabbana confirmed as the fashion house behind the elegant, high-necked design featuring 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. Many details surrounding the Bezos-Sanchez wedding extravaganza have been closely guarded and, in keeping with tradition, this secrecy of course extended to the bridal dress. But the sartorial embargo could not keep a lid on early rumors that Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were the designers behind the look, which was finished with a traditional tulle-and-lace veil, inspired by the one Sophia Loren wore in the 1958 film 'Houseboat,' according to Vogue. A year and a half in the making, Sanchez told Vogue in an exclusive interview that the original concept for the dress came about over dinner with Dolce in New York. 'It went from 'I want a simple, sexy modern dress' to 'I want something that evokes a moment,'' she recalled. Sanchez's personal affinity to the luxury Italian brand is no secret, and she's now a regular attendee of its fashion shows. Sanchez attended the house's Alta Sartoria couture show in Sardinia last summer where she watched on — in white, no less — as her son Nikko Gonzalez walked the runway. Gonzalez had made his debut for Dolce & Gabbana during the brand's fall-winter 2024 menswear show in Milan in January of that year, with both Sanchez and Bezos in the front row. Dolce was also photographed in Venice on Thursday, further fueling speculation that the designers were involved in the wedding. Sanchez's bold style has evolved significantly over the years. In the lead-up to her Met Gala debut in 2024, when she stepped out in a strapless Oscar de la Renta custom design, she told Vogue: 'I think my personal style is ever-evolving. I was a reporter for a long time, so it was suits. Then did a morning show and you dressed a little differently. I've always had to dress for the role I was in. Now I'm having fun.' Related gallery In pictures: Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos' Venetian wedding She appeared to channel this attitude at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in January, when she raised eyebrows in an Alexander McQueen suit; the suffragist-white design was styled to reveal a hint of her lace bustier. Meanwhile, a survey of her more formal looks in recent years reveals a trend toward form-fitting, strapless and mermaid-cut gowns, exemplified by the shimmering nereid-inspired Roberto Cavalli gown she wore to the amfAR gala in Cannes last month. In the digital cover story for Vogue, Sanchez said the more full-coverage bridal look is 'a departure from what people expect.' Her husband-to-be, she said, begged to see the dress before their nuptials. The interview also detailed her outfit changes for the evening: a sweetheart-neck, corseted silhouette (inspired by the Rita Hayworth-led 1946 film 'Gilda') for the wedding dinner, and an intricate cocktail dress featuring 175,000 crystals by Oscar de la Renta — who had also been rumored as a strong contender for the design of her wedding gown. Sanchez has turned to celebrity stylists like Molly Dickson and to help craft her look for major public events, as many prominent figures do. Dickson, who counts Sydney Sweeney and Bella Hadid among her clients, styled Sanchez in a remarkably bridal, all-white Oscar de la Renta custom gown for the Vanity Fair Oscar party in March. While the design by Dolce & Gabbana was the main event, Sanchez tantalized onlookers with numerous other high-fashion ensembles including a single-strapped vintage Alexander McQueen dress and an embroidered corset dress from Schiaparelli's most recent couture show over the course of celebrations. This story has been updated with additional details.
