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New York Post
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Here's what Lauren Sánchez whispered to husband Jeff Bezos the morning after their lavish wedding
Lauren Sánchez couldn't help but gush over her new hubby Jeff Bezos the night after their lavish $50 million nuptials in Venice Italy, according to a lip reader. On Saturday, the newlyweds stepped out for their third and final night of celebrations, joining their star-studded guest list for a fun pajama party to wrap up the wedding extravaganza. As they navigated their way to the water taxi en route to the bash, lip reader Nicola Hickling decoded the duo's intimate remarks to one another just hours after saying their 'I do's.' 6 Lauren Sánchez couldn't help but gush over her new hubby Jeff Bezos the night after their lavish Venetian wedding, according to a lip reader. DANIEL DAL ZENNARO/EPA/Shutterstock Bezos, 61, was seen lovingly offering his hand to help Sánchez step down into the water taxi, prompting her to thank her new husband for the thoughtful gesture. The pair then turned to wave to the crowds that gathered to wish them well, before heading inside the water taxi. While aboard, Sánchez turned to Bezos and uttered the words, 'Love you,' Hickling told the Daily Mail. The pair then sealed the sweet moment with a kiss. Sánchez was then seen turning her head toward photographers, mouthing the word, 'Impressed,' according to Hickling. 6 On Saturday, the newlyweds stepped out for their third and final night of celebrations. DANIEL DAL ZENNARO/EPA/Shutterstock 6 Bezos, 61, was seen lovingly offering his hand to help Sánchez step down into the water taxi. DANIEL DAL ZENNARO/EPA/Shutterstock The heartfelt moment came just hours after Bezos was forced to jump in and protect his wife from rowdy Italian reporters. The pair were hounded by local journalists while leaving the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal in Venice, with one reporter asking, 'What do you think about the protests, Jeff?' Instead of answering the question, Bezos — who is worth over $230 billion — simply said, 'Love you guys,' before blowing a kiss. 6 While aboard, Sánchez turned to Bezos and uttered the words, 'Love you' before sealing the sweet moment with a kiss. DANIEL DAL ZENNARO/EPA/Shutterstock 6 The pair reportedly spent an estimated $50 million on their luxe Venetian wedding. AP With an estimated price tag just shy of $50 million, the nuptials — dubbed 'wedding of the century' — has drawn a spattering of protests by groups, local residents and even A-list celebrities. The protests, which have since been dubbed the 'No Space for Bezos' movement — a play on words referring to his bride's controversial space flight — has seen fuming locals display anti-Bezos banners and wreak havoc during the couple's celebrations. 6 The duo were joined by roughly 200 guests, many of whom were Hollywood A-listers. REUTERS Still, it appears as though the couple didn't let the protests get in the way of their celebrations — largely thanks to the extreme lengths their party planners went to ensure privacy. A large element of surprise was involved in the three days of festivities, as guests were not given information about the locations for events, and were only told what time to show up for water taxis provided by the couple.
Gulf Today
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Newlyweds Bezos and Sanchez gear up for final party at Venice gala
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, flush from their Venice wedding ceremony on Friday, are gearing up for the final day of partying in the lagoon city with scores of celebrity guests from media, fashion and show business. The three-day gala, estimated to cost some $50 million, will culminate on Saturday evening with the closing party in a former medieval shipyard where Lady Gaga and Elton John are expected to perform. Lauren Sanchez leaves Aman Venice hotel, on the second day of the her wedding festivities. Reuters Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged rings on Friday evening on the small island of San Giorgio, across the water from Saint Mark's Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The bride at the ceremony wore a high-necked silhouette dress and a tulle and lace veil by Dolce and Gabbana, which she told magazine Vogue was based on Sophia Loren's dress to marry Cary Grant in the 1958 film Houseboat. US reality TV personality Kim Kardashian leaves the Gritti Palace Hotel on the wedding day of Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez in Venice. AFP Sanchez was also wearing a pair of diamond earrings by Dolce & Gabbana, which, according to Vogue, were lent to her in keeping with the tradition that it brings good luck for a bride to wear something borrowed. Bezos, who is No. 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list, donned a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt. Queen Rania of Jordan leaves a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. AP The ceremony had no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage. Khloé Kardashian leaves a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice. AP Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Jordan's Queen Rania, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian, as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana were among the 200-250 guests. PROTEST SCHEDULED While the celebrities rub shoulders in the isolated halls in the east of the city, not far away activists will be protesting at what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. A protest march is planned at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Saturday from the railway station to the Rialto Bridge. US businessman Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump leave the St Regis Hotel on the wedding day of Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez in Venice. AFP For days, members of the "No Space for Bezos" movement have been trying to spoil the party, hanging anti-Bezos banners on the iconic Rialto Bridge and laying out a huge canvas in central Saint Mark's Square telling the tech-tycoon to pay more taxes. While some residents and activists see Bezos's extravaganza as a symbol of inequality and arrogance, Venice's businesses and the city authorities have welcomed the event, claiming a major boost for the local economy. Stellantis Chairman John Elkann and his wife Lavinia Borromeo leave the St Regis Hotel on the wedding day of Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez. AFP "Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business," the city's mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Reuters in an interview. "Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality, he is more Venetian than the protesters," said centre-right mayor, adding that he hoped Bezos, who donated 3 million euros ($3.51 million) to local institutions, would return to the city to do business. Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardashian leave a hotel ahead of the anticipated wedding celebrations of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. AP Brugnaro said Bezos had attached no conditions to holding his wedding celebrations in Venice, and City Hall had only learned about his donations after they had already been made. Bezos, Amazon's executive chair, got engaged to Sanchez in 2023, four years after the collapse of his 25-year marriage to MacKenzie Scott. Reuters
The Age
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez marry in lavish Venice ceremony
Amid tight security, there have been glimpses of the celebrities moving around town, the women in summer dresses and high heels stepping somewhat gingerly off boats ferrying them around the city's canals. Celebrations began on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central district of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th-century painter Tintoretto. 'This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories,' the bride and groom said on their wedding invitation, in which they asked for 'no gifts' and pledged charity donations for three Venetian institutions. Their donations are worth €3 million ($5.3 million). Protest movement Businesses have welcomed the glitz and glamour, but the event is opposed by a local protest movement whose members resent what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. Bezos is No. 4 on Forbes' global billionaires list. Giulia Cacopardo, a 28-year-old representative of the 'No Space for Bezos' movement, complained that the needs of ordinary people were being neglected in a city that is a tourist magnet and fast depopulating largely due to the soaring cost of living. Venice's city centre has less than 50,000 residents, compared to almost 100,000 in the late 1970s. 'When you empty a city of its inhabitants, you can turn it into a stage for big events,' Cacopardo told Reuters. '[But] the money that Bezos spends on this wedding does not end up in the pockets of Venetians. The owners of luxury hotels are not Venetians.' Cacopardo was one of 30-40 activists who staged a protest in St Mark's Square on Thursday, chanting 'We are the 99 per cent' as a masked couple posed as bride and groom and one man climbed a pole to unfurl a banner reading 'The 1% ruins the world'. Police intervened, forcibly removing the protesters. The anti-Bezos front was planning a march on Saturday, and their activities have already led authorities to step up security and move the location of the closing party to a more secluded part of Venice, the Arsenale former shipyard. Charlotte Perkins, an Australian tourist, said she could understand the locals' resentment at their city being treated as a celebrity playground. 'I'd probably feel the same if I lived here,' she said. But politicians, hoteliers and some other Venice residents are happy about the wedding, saying such events do more to support the local economy than the multitudes of day-trippers who normally overrun the city. 'We are happy and honoured to welcome Jeff Bezos and his consort Lauren Sanchez,' said Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who sent white roses to the bride and a maxi-bottle of Amarone luxury red wine to the groom.
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez wed in star-studded Venice ceremony
Second time's the charm. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez tied the knot on the Italian island of Venice on Friday in front of a star-studded guest list of athletes, celebrities, influencers and business execs. The billionaire Amazon founder, 61, and his new bride, 55, kicked off their lavish three-day wedding extravaganza Thursday as dozens of private jets touched down at Venice's airport and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Advertisement The starry guest list for what has been dubbed the 'wedding of the century' was filled with a slew of rich and famous names including Kim and Khloe Kardashian; Kris, Kylie and Kendall Jenner; Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are officially married. Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images The gilded gala, though, became a lightning rod for protests in the leadup to the nuptials. Advertisement Widespread protests broke out at the tourist hotspot as locals and activists voiced their displeasure that the wealthy couple chose the city for their extravagant day. Large banners that screamed 'the 1% ruins the world' and one featuring 'Bezos' in blue letters with a red X through it were flung over Venice's iconic Saint Mark's Basilica. An organization called the No Space for Bezos campaign — a play on the billionaire's Blue Origin space exploration company — also unfurled banners and distributed stickers throughout the city in the days prior. Earlier, Greenpeace members had displayed a gigantic white banner featuring Bezos' laughing face in St. Mark's Square, emblazoned with: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.' Advertisement Still, it did nothing to dampen the party — or its hefty price tag. Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia told reporters earlier this week that the Bezos/Sánchez bash was set to cost a jaw-dropping $50 million. Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. Five of the city's most luxurious hotels were booked out in advance, including Cipriani on the island of Giudecca and the St Regis near St Mark's Square. Advertisement Bezos and Sanchez posted up at the Aman, where rooms with a view of the Grand Canal go for at least 4,000 euros per night. Despite the fanfare and tabloid buzz ahead of the festivities, though, the couple were widely believed to have already officially tied the knot before heading to Italy. Multiple sources told Page Six they wed in the US after signing a multi-million dollar prenup. A protest against Bezos in Venice on June 23, 2025. © Greenpeace / Michele Lapini / SWNS The union is the second marriage for both Bezos and Sanchez. Bezos, who has a net worth of around $225 billion, went public with his new relationship in 2019 after his divorce from his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, was finalized. That same year, Sánchez divorced her first husband, Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell. The couple got engaged in May 2023 when Bezos popped the question with a massive 30-carat diamond that set him back an estimated $3-5 million. Since then, they've frequently been photographed jet-setting on glitzy vacations or luxuriating on Bezos' $500 million, 417-foot superyacht, Koru. Sánchez, a former journalist with television credits including stints anchoring the Fox 11 News at Ten and as a special correspondent on 'Extra,' has frequently made headlines for her revealing apparel –even famously catching the eye of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at President Trump's second inauguration.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I was in Venice for George Clooney's wedding. Jeff Bezos' feels completely different — and not in a good way.
Christine Matthey is a Swiss-Italian art gallery owner. Business Insider interviewed her in Venice, where she lives, ahead of Jeff Bezos' wedding to Lauren Sánchez. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. I was living in Venice when George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin. The mood in the city was nothing like it is now, for the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. To start with, George Clooney is not Jeff Bezos. Bezos is a friend and donor to Donald Trump. Ivanka Trump is even here for the wedding. For that reason, among others, I'm not happy with Jeff Bezos being this close to my house, or in Venice at all, for that matter. It's not only because of politics, but also because of Amazon, what he represents, and the potential damage his wedding is bringing to this city. I grew up in Venice until I moved to Switzerland for school. I now live here for six months of every year, and I care about the city's preservation. One major concern is the "moto ondoso," or "wave motion." It refers to the damage caused by the yachts, water taxis, and other boats in the canals, which erode the foundations of Venice's historic buildings. It's causing real damage to the city. Bezos has hired fleets of water taxis. It adds to the problems of a city already in danger. He says he has donated 3 million euros to three local institutions, but what does 3 million euros mean to him? (Editor's note: The wedding will use around 30 of Venice's 280 water taxis, according to Venice city officials.) Sure, the wedding brings money to the local economy. But I don't think the long-term damage is worth the short-term gain. Around San Marco, many people depend on tourism. They sell expensive goods to wealthy visitors. I imagine they're happy to see celebrities, and less concerned with the politics. But for young Venetians, it's a different story. Wages are low. Housing is nearly impossible to afford. It's hard to be OK with a billionaire wedding in the middle of all of these difficulties. That's part of what is fueling the protests. On Monday, I passed by San Marco Square just as Greenpeace unfurled a huge banner with Bezos's face. It read: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax." I've also been following the "No Space for Bezos" movement on Instagram. As of Thursday, I haven't noticed major disruption. But I'm nervous. I have an art gallery near the Arsenale, and I just hope I can get to it this weekend without being blocked by police because of the wedding. The wedding has divided Venice. For me, I sit in the camp of thinking the protesters are brave, especially so in a country where the police can be tough. They're putting themselves on the line, unafraid of being hurt or brutalized, to make their point. And honestly, I admire them for it.
