Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez launched their $50 million wedding celebration Thursday in Venice, setting the tone for a high-profile, multi-day event filled with A-list guests, couture fashion, and tight security amid protest concerns.
VENICE —Over 200 guests are expected for the three-day affair hosted across various iconic Venetian landmarks. Although no legal marriage paperwork has been filed in Venice, officials confirmed the couple’s celebrations are ceremonial.
The festivities kicked off at the Aman hotel, where Sánchez was seen departing in a vintage one-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown. Later, she wore a metallic corset dress from Schiaparelli’s spring-summer 2025 couture collection, drawing attention as she boarded a water taxi.
Famous faces flooded Venice as festivities began. Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and actor Orlando Bloom were seen chatting along the Grand Canal. Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and their children also arrived by private boats.
By Thursday evening, the guest list was in full view outside the Gritti Palace Hotel. Kardashian wore a skintight snakeskin dress. Trump arrived in an Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress. Singer Usher wore a cream suit with a burgundy shirt, while DiCaprio concealed his face under a black cap.
The weekend’s events reportedly include a private ceremony at the Madonna dell’Orto cloister. Venice City Hall issued a traffic restriction around the site, confirming closures from late afternoon until midnight to accommodate the celebration. The 14th-century cathedral, known for its Tintoretto artwork, adds historic charm to the modern spectacle.
Despite the opulence, protests cast a shadow over the celebration. Activist group No Space for Bezos threatened to blockade Venice’s canals, prompting security changes. One event venue was moved to a former shipyard on the city’s outskirts as a precaution.
Organizers Lanza and Baucina, who previously managed George and Amal Clooney’s wedding in 2014, are leading the planning. According to local vendors and sources, the couple emphasized hiring regional suppliers to minimize disruption to residents. Roughly 80% of wedding provisions, including pastries from Venice’s oldest bakery Rosa Salva and gifts from Murano glassmaker Laguna B, are sourced locally.
A fleet of water taxis has been reserved exclusively for the event. A boat operator confirmed being booked from June 25 to June 30 for “a major wedding,” though he declined to name the client. Gondoliers have also been placed on standby for the couple and their guests.
The final venue for the ceremony remains unconfirmed, though the Cini Foundation on San Giorgio Maggiore Island is widely speculated to host part of the weekend. Sánchez’s wedding gown is under tight wraps. Dolce & Gabbana is considered a likely designer after Sánchez wore the label for Bezos’s birthday and sat front row at one of their recent fashion shows. Oscar de la Renta, another favorite of hers, is also rumored to be involved.
Earlier this year, Sánchez celebrated her bachelorette party in Paris with Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, and Eva Longoria. The group cruised the Seine in a private yacht, previewing the grandeur that now surrounds the Venice celebration.
With security tight and public interest high, the Bezos-Sánchez wedding is shaping up to be one of the year’s most extravagant celebrity unions, blending wealth, style, and spectacle on a global stage.
