- Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez will wed in Venice this week.
- The event is expected to have a star-studded guest list drawing from the worlds of politics, Hollywood, and business.
- The couple went public with their relationship in 2019 and became engaged in 2023.
Private planes and yachts are headed to Venice, Italy, this week as the rich and famous gather for what is sure to be among the most extravagant weddings of the season: that of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.
While Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, who went public with their relationship in January 2019, have yet to share any details about the event, the wedding has sparked both intrigue and anger.
The couple invited about 200 guests, the city of Venice said in a statement, and London-based Lanza and Baucina, a discreet event production firm, is planning the festivities.
As could be expected with the third-richest person in the world, the event will likely be costly.
Roberta Camille Lione, a luxury wedding planner and founder of Italian Knot, told Business Insider that a budget of more than 10 million euros, or about $11.5 million, is plausible for a high-end, multiday celebration in Venice.
"European glamour is having a bit of a renaissance" right now, luxury wedding planner and event producer Sarah Haywood told BI.
"Whoever you are, on your wedding day, you want a day that's more special than your ordinary everyday," Haywood said. "But if your ordinary everyday is Jeff Bezos', that's a challenge."
Here's what we know about the highly anticipated event so far.
The wedding is expected to draw a star-studded guest list — and protests
On Tuesday, A-listers started to arrive in Venice ahead of the event. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were photographed taking a water taxi to the St. Regis hotel, while Diane von Furstenberg was spotted landing at the Marco Polo hotel.
If their two engagement parties — one on Koru and the other at billionaire Barry Diller and von Furstenberg's Beverly Hills home — are any indication, the wedding will be a gathering of the world's most powerful people. Guests at the two previous events included Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Sánchez's bachelorette party in Paris was just as star-studded, with Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Katy Perry in attendance.
The guests are expected to stay at some of the city's most luxurious hotels. The Gritti Palace, Hotel Cipriani, and Aman, where rooms can cost upward of $10,000 a night, are largely booked for the week.
The public also got a peek at the couple's wedding invitation on Tuesday, as Good Morning America released a partial copy of an invite that was sent in May. The invitation featured illustrations of a bridge, gondolas, butterflies, and birds, and it included one request from the bride and groom: "Please, no gifts."
"Instead, we're making contributions in your honor and with gratitude to you for making the journey to celebrate with us in Venice," the invitation said, adding that Bezos and Sánchez would be donating to the UNESCO Venice Office, CORILA, and the Venice International University. The city confirmed Bezos had made a donation to CORILA, which protects Venice's lagoon system, in a statement to BI on Wednesday.
"This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories," Bezos and Sánchez said in the invitation. "Our hope is that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come."
While Venice has insisted it is equipped to handle the ceremony, citing its "experience in international events much larger than this," the event has sparked protests from Venice locals concerned about overtourism. Protest organizers, who put up signs that say "No space for Bezos," have also said they plan to disrupt the wedding, which led to a change in venue for Saturday's celebration.
A spokesperson for Bezos and Sánchez declined to confirm details of the event, but pointed to a statement from planner Lanza and Baucina.
"Rumours of 'taking over' the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality," the statement said. "No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests."
"As Municipality of Venice, from the beginning, we are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city. For this reason, we will work together for best result. Whoever loves Venice will always be welcome," Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, said in a statement.
The story of Bezos and Sánchez
Bezos and Sánchez have been together since at least January 2019, when the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper outed their relationship, saying it had obtained explicit text messages sent between the pair.
Related stories
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Shortly after, Bezos and his now ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, announced their separation. By the end of that year, both parties had finalized their divorces — Bezos to MacKenzie Scott and Sánchez to Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of Endeavor — and the couple was making public appearances at events like the Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley and Wimbledon.
Since then, they have frequently appeared together, whether aboard Koru or on red carpets at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party and Met Gala.
The couple confirmed their engagement in May 2023.