Latest news with #AmanVeniceHotel
Mint
12 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez launch Venice wedding festivities amid security shifts and rising protests
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez arrived in Venice on Wednesday, marking the start of their highly anticipated three-day wedding celebration. The couple touched down via helicopter before transferring to a water taxi, waving to onlookers as they approached the exclusive Aman Venice Hotel on the Grand Canal. Sánchez, radiant in a sleeveless black dress and stilettos, flashed a smile to the cameras, while Bezos opted for a casual black polo and white trousers. The festivities, estimated to cost €40-48 million ($46-56 million), will include a Thursday welcome party at Madonna dell'Orto's cloisters, a Friday black-tie ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore island featuring a performance by Matteo Bocelli, and a Saturday reception at the Arsenale—a medieval shipyard complex. Over 200 A-list guests, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Oprah Winfrey, and Leonardo DiCaprio, are descending via 90+ private jets, heightening security concerns and logistical tensions in the historic city. The wedding's opulence has ignited fierce protests across Venice, with activists decrying the event as a symbol of wealth inequality and overtourism. Under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a coalition of housing advocates, environmentalists, and anti-cruise ship groups staged dramatic demonstrations: unfurling a giant banner in St. Mark's Square depicting Bezos laughing beside the text, 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,' and floating a life-size Bezos mannequin clutching dollar bills down the Grand Canal. Threats to blockade canals with inflatable crocodiles forced the couple to relocate their Saturday reception from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a 16th-century landmark in the crowded Cannaregio district, to the Arsenale, a fortified island accessible only by boat. Activists hailed the venue change as a victory, though they plan a 'No Bezos, No War' march on Saturday. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro dismissed the protesters as 'a few dozen seeking attention,' while Governor Luca Zaia revealed Bezos donated €1 million to Venice's lagoon research as a peace offering. Local tensions underscore a deeper clash between Venice's identity as a living city and its reliance on tourism revenue. Longtime residents like Nadia Rigo lamented, 'We who were born here have to ask [the wealthy] for permission to board a ferry,' citing housing shortages and overcrowding exacerbated by events catering to elites. Yet businesses defend the wedding: Antonio Rosa Salva, whose bakery prepared 200 gift boxes for guests, noted weddings comprise 30% of his annual sales, while hotel associations highlighted a recent tourism slump. Wedding planners Lanza & Baucina emphasized efforts to minimize disruption, hiring local workers and booking only 30 of Venice's 250 water taxis. Despite these measures, the Aman Hotel faced criticism for 'booting' long-booked guests to accommodate Bezos's entourage, though it covered relocation costs. As temperatures near 90°F, the city braces for a weekend where glittering celebrations and grassroots dissent will test Venice's future as a 'global stage'.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NFL legend Tony Gonzalez's ex-girlfriend Lauren Sanchez set to marry Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in Venice
(Image via X: Lauren Sanchez with Tony Gonzalez) Tony Gonzalez, the 49-year-old Atlanta Falcons tight end, dated 55-year-old entertainment reporter-turned-helicopter pilot Lauren Sanchez in the early 2000s. They share a son, Nikko Gonzalez, who's now a 24-year-old model and college graduate. Sanchez is set to marry one of the world's richest people ($223.5 billion net worth), Jeff Bezos . They got engaged in May 2023. Tony Gonzalez and his wife, October, will make an appearance at the Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez plush $20 million(estimated) Italian wedding in Venice. Lauren Sanchez is very close to Tony Gonzalez and his wife, October. Last month, when Sanchez threw a bachelorette party in Paris, October was a major part of it! Fans get confused between Tony Gonzalez's current wife, October, and his former girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez First things first, on June 24, MLFootball shared two pictures - one of Tony Gonzalez with his current wife, October, son Nikko, and owner of Atlanta Falcons Arthur Blank, and a second of Jeff Bezos with his soon-to-be wife, Lauren Sanchez. Now, that comment section is full of suggestions confusing the two women! They're all thinking it is Lauren Sanchez - before and after! Check out these comments. Damn is that the same chick? That's the same lady? 😳 She went from looking normal to looking like a blow up doll. Guess dating athletes is healthier than dating billionaires. She looks a bit…different So much better looking with Gonz! What she transform into😭😭 That woman is scary looking She looks like a mannequin Tony definitely had her better days She used to be attractive You'd think one of the world's richest men would know a competent plastic surgeon. Guess not... Finally, some comments cleared the air of confusion for everyone: That's two different women😭. In the picture with Tony is his now wife October. That's not even the same woman. My goodness. @grok is this really the same women in the these two photos. Because the comments are in a frenzy 😭 Fake news Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding details: Venetian vendors, guest list, Aman Venice Hotel, and more TMZ reported that Jeff Bezos would be spending $50,000 per person for their plush Venetian wedding. The soon-to-be-married couple would stay at Aman Venice Hotel on the Grand Canal with their guests. TMZ's sources reported that the rooms at the hotel cost $2000 to $10000 a night and are fully booked from Wednesday to Sunday. Exactly, the time the warmhearted couple plans to wed - June 24 to June 26! According to Page Six, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, 61, and Tony Gonzalez's girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, 55, are going to source 80% of their wedding goods from Venetian vendors, including the city's oldest pastry maker, Rosa Salva and Murano glass blower Laguna B. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เทรด Bitcoin และ Ethereum - ไม่ต้องใช้กระเป๋าเงิน! IC Markets เริ่มต้นตอนนี้ Undo Apart from Sanchez's ex-boyfriend, Tony Gonzalez, the guest list is nothing short of 200 A-listers from all over the globe, like Leonardo Di Caprio, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Bill Gates, Barbra Streisand, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Barry Diller, Diane von Furstenberg, Anna Wintour, Salma Hayek, Miranda Kerr, and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. And Lauren Sanchez's ex-husband? Page Six reported that Patrick Whitesell, a talent agent and businessman, would not be attending her wedding. Also Read: Drake Maye dances to Taylor Swift's Love Story at his own wedding with his longtime sweetheart Ann Michael Hudson | NFL News - Times of India For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
