Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former TV anchor Lauren Sánchez tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Venice, Italy, reportedly spending tens of millions of dollars for their extravagant 3-day celebration.
The grand affair, which concluded on Saturday, June 28, drew an A-list guest list, including tech mogul Bill Gates, media icon Oprah Winfrey, and other high-profile figures, turning the historic Italian city into the backdrop of one of the most talked-about weddings of the year.
The festivities — spread over three lavish days — came with all the trimmings of extreme wealth: luxury yacht arrivals, grand canal parades, and Sánchez reportedly donning multiple designer outfits by Dolce & Gabbana, Schiaparelli, and Bottega Veneta, with her wedding dress alone drawing headlines for its mermaid-style silhouette.
While the exact expenditure remains undisclosed, estimates suggest Bezos, the world’s third-richest person, spared no expense for the occasion.
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Reuters earlier reported that Venice regional governor Luca Zaia initially pegged the cost between 20 and 30 million euros ($23 million to $34 million). However, the figure reportedly surged to between 40 and 48 million euros ($46.5 million to $55.6 million) after heightened security concerns prompted a last-minute change of venue, according to USA Today.
But as the couple reveled in their Dolce Vita-inspired celebration, hundreds of Venetians marched through the city's narrow streets Saturday chanting, “Kisses Yes, Bezos No” and “No Bezos, No War.”
Banners decried the spectacle as an affront to Venice's residents, who grapple daily with overtourism, sky-high housing prices, and worsening climate-driven floods.
“We are here to disrupt the parties of these rich people, who grow richer by exploiting others, while our city faces decay,” said protester Martina Vergnano.
Organizers claimed their protests forced the relocation of Saturday’s final party to the historic Arsenale, a medieval shipyard, away from its initially planned venue.
The city’s mayor and officials defended the wedding, calling it part of Venice's centuries-old tradition of welcoming emperors, popes, and now billionaires.
In a gesture seen by many as damage control, Bezos donated €1 million ($1.17 million) each to three organizations working to protect Venice’s environment, according to local research association Corila.
