Billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez officially tied the knot in a luxurious, star-studded wedding ceremony in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27, 2025. The extravagant affair spanned multiple days, featured celebrity guests, and showcased the couple’s unmatched opulence — with estimated spending reaching up to $56 million.
A Venice Wedding Fit for Billionaires
Venice, renowned for its romantic canals and historic architecture, set the stage for the high-profile nuptials. On Friday evening, Sánchez posted a radiant Instagram photo alongside Bezos, both dressed in elegant wedding attire. Sánchez stunned in a custom Dolce & Gabbana mermaid-style gown adorned with Italian lace and a traditional veil. She captioned the post: “Not just a gown, a piece of poetry.”
The event followed a two-day celebration across the city’s storied lagoon, drawing parallels to the 2014 Venice wedding of George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin.
A Guest List of A-List Celebrities and Global Icons
The lavish event drew a who’s who of global elites. Notable guests spotted arriving by water taxi included:
- Oprah Winfrey
- Kim and Khloe Kardashian
- Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
- Tom Brady
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Queen Rania of Jordan
- Orlando Bloom
- Bill Gates
The couple granted Vogue Magazine exclusive access, revealing that Sánchez’s custom gown took over 900 hours to complete and was inspired by Sophia Loren’s dress in the 1958 film Houseboat.
Logistical Challenges of Hosting a Wedding in Venice
Planning a multimillion-dollar wedding in Venice is no easy feat. With water taxis replacing traditional vehicles and every delivery needing to navigate canals, costs skyrocketed. According to Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, organizing a luxury event in Venice can triple the cost of hosting a similar party in Rome or Florence.
“Venice is a tight-knit city with unique regulations and infrastructure,” Ezon noted, adding that the complexity adds both exclusivity and expense to any celebration.
A Multi-Million Dollar Celebration
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia estimated the Bezos-Sánchez wedding cost between €40 million and €48 million (up to $56 million USD). While the full expense breakdown remains under wraps, industry experts suggest much of it likely went to:
- Exclusive venue rentals
- Custom-designed fashion
- Elite performers or DJs
- Temporary glass structures
- Logistics, security, and local coordination
Their wedding planners, Lanza & Baucina, denied rumors about private takeovers of major Venetian landmarks, but celebrations did take place on San Giorgio Island, offering sweeping views of St. Mark’s Square.
Protests and Backlash Amid the Extravagance
Despite the fairytale setting, not everyone celebrated the event. A coalition of local groups, under the banner “No Space for Bezos”, criticized the wedding as a tone-deaf display of extreme wealth in a city grappling with housing shortages and the impact of climate change.
Protesters included environmental groups, student organizations, and housing activists. Greenpeace unveiled a banner condemning Bezos’ tax contributions, and activists floated a Bezos-inspired mannequin down the Grand Canal on top of an Amazon delivery box.
Local leaders, however, defended the celebration. Italy’s Tourism Minister Daniela Santanchè called it a win for local businesses and Italy’s global image, saying, “This translates into a massive free publicity campaign.”
Bezos’ Billionaire Legacy and Future Plans
Jeff Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, now dedicates his time to Blue Origin, the Washington Post, and philanthropic efforts through the Bezos Earth Fund. In a 2022 CNN interview, he confirmed his intention to donate most of his $234 billion fortune during his lifetime.
Ahead of the wedding, CORILA, a Venetian environmental research group, acknowledged a “significant donation” from the Bezos Earth Fund to support preservation of the Venetian lagoon — a move reportedly planned well before public backlash.
Conclusion: A Wedding That Made Headlines Around the World
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venice wedding was more than just a private celebration — it was a global media spectacle. With luxury, fashion, celebrity, and controversy colliding in one of the world’s most iconic cities, the event will be remembered not only for its glamour but for the wider conversations it sparked about wealth, tourism, and environmental responsibility.
While opinions remain divided, one thing is clear: the Bezos-Sánchez wedding left an indelible mark on Venice — both socially and economically.