Jeff Bezos' Marries Lauren Sanchez This Week: What We Know About Venice Extravaganza

Forbes

7 hours ago

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sánchez will reportedly get hitched this week in what is expected to be an opulent and controversial ceremony hosted in Venice, Italy, though few details about the multi-day celebration are known and protests threaten to disrupt the billionaire's plans.
Bezos and Sánchez will reportedly tie the knot this month. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) FilmMagic
Many details reported about the wedding are speculative, though Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed the event will take place in the floating city, telling Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera the wedding 'will have economic repercussions worth millions of euros for our city.'
The wedding will be a 'multiday celebration' that will cost millions of dollars according to The Wall Street Journal, and some reports indicate celebrations could begin as soon as Tuesday.
Forbes has reached out to Bezos for comment.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts : We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to [phone] or sign up here . Where Will Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sánchez's Wedding Take Place?
It's unclear where exactly the wedding will take place, and CNN reported planners have secured multiple venues so plans can stay fluid in case protesters or inclement weather disrupt the celebration. The Journal reported Bezos and Sánchez may get married on a Venetian island. The geography of the small city is spread out across over 110 small islands, with the historical center taking up approximately two square miles. However, a spokesperson for Brugnaro told CNN in March the wedding will take place on Bezos' $500 million superyacht known as the Koru. The Koru is a 417-foot sailing yacht, the second-largest of its kind in the world, meaning it would need to be anchored away from Venice's Grand Canal due to its size. Conversely, 'No Space for Bezos,' a local group protesting the event, has said the wedding will take place in the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, according to the BBC. TMZ reported on Monday another possible wedding venue the couple has secured is the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, a cultural center on the San Giorgio Maggiore island.
Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city's infrastructure and services for years, have staged protests over concerns the wedding's scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds. Activists have organized a 'No Space for Bezos' campaign opposing the wedding, posting banners and stickers throughout the city. Federica Toninelli, a Venetian activist with 'No Space for Bezos,' told Reuters the wedding is also a 'symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders.' Protesters have threatened to block access to canals and city streets in an effort to block wedding attendees from reaching party venues in the city, according to Variety. Oliviero Cassarà, a lead organizer and activist, said in a statement 'No Space for Bezos' has zero issue with Americans or people getting married in Venice, instead criticizing Bezos for his links to Trump and blasting the president's controversial trade policies. 'Bezos supported Trump economically and politically and is consequently co-responsible for this drift against us Italian and European citizens,' Cassarà said. Brugnaro has spoken out against the protesters and tried to reassure them the city is capable of handling the event, citing its hosting of the Venice Film Festival and G7 Summit. Brugnaro said he was 'ashamed of those who behave like this,' Variety reported. Protest organizers have criticized Brugnaro, insisting demonstrations will be peaceful. On Monday, the Greenpeace environmental activist organization joined 'No Space for Bezos' in Venice's St. Mark's Square, unveiling a banner with Bezos' face that read: 'IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.' Police quickly took the banner away, the Associated Press reported. Protesters also plan to block access to the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, where they believe Bezos will hold one of his wedding parties, and other unspecified protests are planned, The Guardian reported. Protesters have also installed life-size mannequins of Bezos around the city, including one in which the body is covered with dollar bills, and another that holds a bloody sign that says, 'Just Married.' How Many People Are Attending The Wedding And Who Is On The Guest List?
Venice officials have said the guest list for Bezos and Sánchez's wedding is limited to 200 people. It is not known for certain who will be attending the wedding, but TMZ reported a handful of celebrities received invites including Eva Longoria, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Jewel Kilcher, noting Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, in addition to Karlie Kloss and husband Joshua Kushner also made the list. Mick Jagger, Jay-Z and Beyoncé and Gayle King may also attend, according to The New York Times. Many people on the purported list, such as Longoria and Perry, are friends with Bezos and/or Sánchez. Guests who attended Sánchez's bachelorette party in Paris in May included Jenner, Kardashian, Perry, Longoria, entrepreneur Elsa Marie Collins, philanthropist Natasha Poonawalla and Fox Sports host Charissa Thompson. TMZ reported Tony Gonzalez, a former NFL tight end and Sànchez's ex-boyfriend, with whom she has a son, will attend the wedding. When Is The Wedding?
The wedding will take place from June 24 to June 26, CNN reported, citing Brugnaro's spokesperson, though some reports have claimed a June 26 to June 29 celebration. How Many Wedding Events Are Bezos And Sánchez Hosting?
Bezos and Sànchez's multi-day celebration could span multiple parties, TMZ reported, citing anonymous sources who told the outlet the couple is planning three themed parties, including a pajama party. The couple was photographed on Bezos' Koru yacht on Sunday throwing a foam party, in which they and their friends were covered in foam bubbles while tossing around beach balls and swimming in the ocean. It's unclear whether the foam party was part of the wedding parties, or if it was a prelude to their wedding celebrations.
Multiple reports have said the wedding will predictably cost millions of dollars. The Journal reported a luxury wedding with 200 guests such as Bezos' costs about $4 million, citing Jamie Simon, director of events at luxury planning firm Banana Split, which organized the multiday wedding between Sofia Richie Grainge and Atlantic Records CEO Elliot Grainge in 2023. Who Is Organizing The Bezos-Sánchez Wedding?
The Journal reported Lanza & Baucina, a London-based group that planned George and Amal Clooney's 2014 wedding in Venice, has been hired by Bezos and Sánchez. A representative for the group told the Journal its principles and the instructions of Bezos call for the 'minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events.' Forbes Valuation
We estimate Bezos' net worth at $224 billion as of Tuesday, making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world behind Mark Zuckerberg ($241 billion), Larry Ellison ($251 billion) and Elon Musk ($424 billion), Key Background
Bezos and Sánchez met almost ten years ago and began making public appearances together around 2019, when the two began dating. They became engaged in 2023 aboard the Koru superyacht, with Bezos offering Sánchez a 30-carat cushion cut pink diamond set in platinum, according to Vanity Fair. The couple's upcoming wedding in Venice is not unprecedented, as the floating city also hosted the wedding of George and Amal Clooney in 2014, when the two tied the knot at the Venice Town Hall. The wedding had a generally positive perception, with locals lauding Clooney for his consideration and respect for Venice. Cassará even compared Bezos to Clooney in his statement, saying Bezos 'is not George Clooney with his romantic aura.'
Venice Residents Protest Entry Fee For Tourists Amid Concerns City Will Turn Into A 'Theme Park' (Forbes)