Lauren Sanchez blows kisses on way to Bezos wedding
Lauren Sánchez blew a kiss at onlookers as she left the Aman Venice hotel to head to the tiny lagoon island where she will exchange vows and rings with Jeff Bezos.
The 55-year-old American journalist and helicopter pilot took a water taxi along the Grand Canal before stepping onto a wooden pier on San Giorgio Island at the mouth of the channel.
Mr Bezos, 61, was soon after seen heading to the island in a black tuxedo and sunglasses.
'She looked very Jackie O,' said one photographer, referring to the headscarf and large sunglasses Ms Sánchez was wearing.
The island, home to a cluster of historic churches and cloisters, has sweeping views of Venice's lagoon. There will be a performance by Matteo Bocelli, the son of the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, followed by a fireworks display.
The ceremony will have no legal status under Italian law and it is thought the couple, who are both divorcees, may have already legally married in the US.
The lavish three-day extravaganza, estimated to have cost tens of millions of euros, would bring an economic boost of €957 million euros (£817 million) to Venice, said Daniela Santanchè, Italy's tourism minister.
The figure is based on a study carried out by the statistics office of the Italian tourism ministry. It would represent 68 per cent of the annual revenue that Venice normally takes from tourism, she added.
The claim was made as it was reported that Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John will perform for the couple at a party on Saturday night.
It will be held in the Arsenal, the centuries-old shipyard where Venetians built timber merchant vessels and warships that helped them forge a trading empire in the Adriatic Sea and beyond. It is a vast complex of warehouses, shipyards and workshops surrounded by crenellated walls, which are guarded by imposing towers and carved stone lions.
Lady Gaga and Sir Elton are known to be friends, have performed together in the past and collaborated on the song Sine From Above.
A guest list that includes the Kardashian sisters, Queen Rania of Jordan, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates has ensured that the wedding has made headlines and been broadcasted around the world. Khloé Kardashian and Kris Jenner, her mother, were photographed shopping in Venice's luxury boutiques on Friday.
'Events like this reinforce Italy's global image, generate jobs, promote the country and attract new influxes of discerning tourists,' said Ms Santanchè.
'The media exposure also reinforces Italy's part in the wedding tourism sector. I want to thank Jeff Bezos and everyone who chooses Italy as the place to celebrate the most important moments of their lives.'
Critics say Venice is already straining under the pressure of millions of tourists, and the last thing the area needs is for its profile to be raised further.
Activists have staged a number of protests against the wedding.
Demonstrators used lasers on Thursday night to project the words 'No Space for Bezos' and 'Fck Bzs' on the bell tower in St Mark's Square.
Opinion is sharply divided in the city. Some Venetians have welcomed the economic benefits the wedding will bring, while others have said it reinforces the impression that Venice is turning into a cultural Disneyland where tourism reigns supreme and inhabitants are driven out by exorbitant rents.
Eliza Daidone, 79-year-old resident who lives in a house overlooking a canal in the Cannaregio district, said: 'It will bring in money to a small minority like hotels and restaurants. It will bring work for the water taxis and the gondoliers.
'But for a lot of other people, it feels like a slap in the face. Young people work 12 hours a day and are lucky if they earn 1,500 euros a month. And here's Bezos coming to Venice for three days and spending millions.'
Across the piazza, Angela, a bar owner, said: 'We've got bigger things to worry about than Bezos' wedding. The number-one problem here is the housing crisis, the fact that locals can't afford somewhere to live. Everything has become an Airbnb. That's the real issue. All this stuff about Bezos is just words – and envy.'
But Marco, who owns a tourist shop at one end of the Rialto Bridge, said the Amazon founder and his wealthy guests should be warmly welcomed.
'At least they will bring some revenue to the city. Not like the day-trippers we get. They arrive for a few hours, use all the services, clog up the alleyways, spend a few euros and then leave.
'They create chaos and inconvenience every day. I think the protesters are hypocritical – I bet they all have Amazon accounts.'
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