Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and media personality Lauren Sanchez began their extravagant three-day wedding celebrations in Venice on Thursday, attracting global attention and drawing a mix of admiration and protest in the historic Italian city.
Labelled by some as the “wedding of the century,” the event is estimated to cost around $50 million and is taking place under intense security. Several key areas in Venice have been restricted, with 200 to 250 VIPs from politics, finance, and the entertainment world expected to attend.
Read more: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Land in Venice for Lavish Multi-Day Wedding Celebration
Notable attendees already seen in Venice include Microsoft’s Bill Gates, actor Orlando Bloom, and Queen Rania of Jordan. Prominent American figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, along with Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, were also spotted enjoying the city ahead of the main events.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, touched down by helicopter on Wednesday and are staying at the luxurious Aman Venice hotel on the Grand Canal, where nightly rates start at over €4,000.
The celebrations officially began Thursday evening at the Madonna dell’Orto church, a 14th-century structure famous for its Tintoretto artwork, located in the Cannaregio district. City officials blocked both pedestrian and boat access from 4:30 p.m. to midnight to protect the guests’ privacy and safety.
The couple is expected to hold a symbolic wedding ceremony on Friday at San Giorgio Maggiore Island, across from St. Mark’s Square. However, authorities clarified that the event will not be legally recognized in Italy, suggesting that the couple may have already legally married in the U.S.
Saturday’s grand finale will feature a lavish reception at the historic Arsenale, a centuries-old shipyard now used for cultural events.
Public Response and Protests
Although the event has sparked media frenzy and local excitement, it has also stirred criticism. On Thursday, a protester from the “No Space for Bezos” campaign climbed a pole in St. Mark’s Square and displayed a banner reading “The 1% ruins the world,” condemning the city’s growing appeal to billionaires at the expense of residents.
Critics argue that such high-profile events contribute to the commercialization of Venice, making it less accessible to locals. Concerns about over-tourism, inflated costs of living, and restricted public spaces have long been points of contention.
Nevertheless, some officials and local business owners defended the wedding. Mattia Brandi, a local tour operator, remarked, “If you consider the benefits the Bezos wedding brings to Venice, it’s all positive. The protesters are the ones causing disruption.”
Supporters of the event believe that upscale tourism of this kind brings more sustainable economic benefits than the mass influx of low-spending day visitors, which has been a persistent challenge for Venice’s delicate infrastructure and economy.
