Billionaire Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sanchez celebrated their wedding on Friday with a lavish ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore, a historic and secluded island in Venice’s San Marco district. The event was part of a grand three-day celebration in the city.
About 200 high-profile guests, including the Kardashian-Jenner family, Bill Gates, Karlie Kloss, Oprah Winfrey and Usher, were seen boarding water taxis to the island. However, the festivities remained hidden from the public eye, with guests reportedly following a strict social media ban during the celebrations.
The ceremony ended quietly, with one notable reveal — Vogue released a digital cover featuring Sanchez in her wedding gown. Designed by Dolce & Gabbana, the dress took over a year to make. It featured a high lace neckline, corseted bodice and 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. According to CNN, she later changed into two more outfits: a sweetheart-neck gown inspired by the 1946 film Gilda for the dinner, and a dazzling cocktail dress by Oscar de la Renta decorated with 175,000 crystals.
San Giorgio Maggiore, known for its stunning marble Renaissance architecture designed by Andrea Palladio, was likely chosen for both its beauty and its privacy.
Local protests against the wedding reportedly led to last-minute changes in some venues. Demonstrators, critical of what they see as the wealthy taking over the city, used banners, canal blockades and even Bezos mannequins in protest, CNN reported. Despite this, Venice’s Ministry of Tourism estimated that the wedding alone could generate nearly 68% of the city’s annual tourism revenue in just one weekend, the report further added.
It is still unclear whether Bezos and Sanchez are legally married. A city official told CNN that Venice had received no official request to register the marriage, suggesting the ceremony was symbolic. Not long after the Vogue photos went live, Sanchez changed her Instagram handle to Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
A Stylish Affair
Sanchez arrived for the ceremony in a white 1960s-style Dior skirt suit, paired with a printed silk scarf wrapped around her head in true Audrey Hepburn fashion, Jimmy Choo heels and a Hermès Kelly handbag. She smiled and blew kisses to photographers as she stepped into her water taxi.
Guests were spotted in designer outfits throughout the weekend, wearing labels like Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Versace and vintage Roberto Cavalli. Kylie Jenner opted for a powder blue corset gown, Kim Kardashian chose a sleek toffee-toned dress, and Oprah wore a pink mermaid-style gown.
While official details about the performers were kept under wraps, Italian media reported that Matteo Bocelli, son of famed tenor Andrea Bocelli, opened the night with a performance of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. Bocelli also sang at both Kim and Kourtney Kardashian’s weddings.
Lady Gaga is expected to close the celebrations on Saturday with a performance at Venice’s historic Arsenale — a former shipyard now used as a cultural venue for the Venice Biennale.
jeff bezos old wife, jeff bezoz wedding invite, jeff bezos serveti, jeff bezos esi, jeff bezos kimdir, lauren sanchez kimdir, jeff bezos former wife
#Jeff #Bezos #Lauren #Sanchez #celebrated #love #luxury #public #private #Venetian #wedding