Outlook Business Desk
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former news anchor Lauren Sánchez held a grand multi-day wedding in Venice, called the ‘Wedding of the Century’. It included huge spending, fancy locations and famous guests from around the world.
The wedding’s total cost is estimated between €40–48 million (around ₹430 crore), according to Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto region, which includes the city of Venice.
Bezos and Sánchez will conclude their celebration on Saturday, June 29, at the Arsenale - a historic naval site in Venice. While details remain under wraps, the centuries-old shipyard has been sealed off for the private event.
Around 90 private jets are expected to land at airports in Venice, Treviso and Verona for the wedding. The city is also buzzing with 30 water taxis. Early guests include Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who arrived from Tuscany on Tuesday.
Top hotels like Hotel Cipriani and Aman Venice have been reserved for the estimated 200–250 guests. The city’s most exclusive spots are hosting A-list names for the multi-day wedding celebration.
A Reuters reporter spotted Bezos and Sánchez entering the exclusive Aman Venice Hotel. Sources say the wedding will kick off on Thursday, with an open-air event at Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in Cannaregio, ahead of the main ceremony on Saturday.
Venice City Hall sealed off areas as activists protested the lavish celebrations. They argue the wedding turns Venice into a private playground for the wealthy, displacing locals. “Only money rules now… we are the losers,” said resident Nadia Rigo.
In response to growing criticism, Jeff Bezos donated €3 million to three Venice-based institutions: CORILA (Consortium for the Coordination of Research Activities concerning the Venice Lagoon System), UNESCO’s local office, and the Venice International University — supporting cultural preservation and environmental research in the city.
The second wedding party is scheduled for Friday, June 28, on San Giorgio Maggiore, an island across from St. Mark’s Square and its 99-metre (325-foot) bell tower. Most of the 250 guests are expected to arrive in time for the grand celebration.