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The beautiful city of Venice will witness, from June 24 to 26, one of the most extravagant social events of the year: the wedding between magnate Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, and former television host and philanthropist Lauren Sánchez.
What promises to be much more than a wedding ceremony is shaping up to be a luxurious, exclusive spectacle of power that -according to official sources from Venice- will bring together nearly 200 personalities from the entertainment, political, and international finance sectors.
A love with a story (and astronomical figures)
Bezos and Sánchez began their relationship in 2019, shortly after the high-profile divorce of the magnate from MacKenzie Scott, with whom he shared 25 years of marriage.
Since then, the couple has dominated headlines and high-profile events.
In May 2023, during the Cannes Film Festival, Bezos proposed to Lauren aboard his luxury yacht Koru, valued at 500 million dollars.
The engagement ring, a diamond weighing between 25 and 30 carats, was valued at around 2.5 million dollars, according to People and Page Six.
"When I opened the box, I think I fainted a little," Lauren confessed while reminiscing about the moment.
Since then, the wedding planning has been shrouded in secrecy, rumors, and, of course, media speculation.
Venice, the chosen one for the grand event
Although in December 2024 it was rumored that the wedding could take place in Aspen, Colorado, with an estimated budget of 600 million dollars, Bezos publicly denied it.
"All of this is completely false, none of this is going to happen," he wrote on X.
"The old adage 'don't believe everything you read' is truer than ever," he then added.
Finally, the confirmation of the link has now come from the government of Venice itself.
In an official statement from Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, quoted by Associated Press and replicated by several American and European outlets, it was stated: “Venice is accustomed to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts.”
The document also denied the "numerous speculations and false news" that were circulating about the wedding.
According to CNN, the celebration will not take place in the historic center of the city, but aboard the Koru, which will be anchored in the Venetian lagoon. However, the authorities have arranged special moorings for luxury vessels and all the necessary logistics to welcome the attendees, who will be hosted in five of the most luxurious hotels in the city: Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, Aman Venice, Belmond Hotel Cipriani, and The St. Regis Venice.
A dream wedding
The organization of the event has not spared any details.
The portal Daily Mail revealed that suites costing up to $32,000 per night have been reserved for guests, while TMZ and Page Six reported that the logistics include the exclusive availability of the city’s entire fleet of water taxis.
Although the Koru yacht - the largest sailing yacht in the world - cannot accommodate all the attendees (its maximum capacity is around 20 people), it is speculated that it could be used as a symbolic stage, a starting point for private excursions, or even for the exchange of vows in an intimate setting.
For her part, Lauren Sánchez has already chosen her wedding dress.
According to Daily Mail, this would be a design by Óscar de la Renta, "more subtle than usual" thanks to the influence of Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, who will also guide the dress code for the ceremony.
The guest list: a "VIP summit"
The anticipation for the guest list has been comparable to that of an Oscar gala. According to TMZ, People, and Page Six, figures such as will attend:
Leonardo DiCaprio; Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King; Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry; Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner; Eva Longoria; Barbra Streisand; Jewel; Karlie Kloss and her husband Joshua Kushner; Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner; and Barry Diller and Diane von Fürstenberg, among others.
Even President Donald Trump could make an appearance, according to sources from Page Six.
The scale of the guest list and the profile of the attendees have led the media to label the event as "the wedding of the century."
Environmental controversy and international concerns
The choice of Venice as a wedding destination has also attracted criticism.
The beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has been subject to attention due to mass tourism and its vulnerability to climate change.
In 2023, Adam Markham, deputy director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, warned: “Venice is going to die choked by climate change and tourism,” unless authorities act swiftly.
Although the event will not take place in the heart of the city, the symbolism of using a fragile area of the planet as the backdrop for a luxury celebration has been questioned by environmentalists.
A bride with multiple talents
Lauren Sánchez is not just the future wife of one of the richest men in the world. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1969, and has Mexican roots. Her career spans television, film, aviation, and philanthropy.
She has been the host of shows like Good Day LA, Extra, and So You Think You Can Dance.
She has also appeared in films such as Fight Club, The Day After Tomorrow, and Ted 2. She is a certified helicopter pilot and the founder of Black Ops Aviation, a company specializing in aerial filming. Additionally, she serves as vice president of the Bezos Earth Fund, which leads initiatives against climate change.
Sánchez has three children: one with former American football player Tony González and two with her ex-husband, Patrick Whitesell, an influential Hollywood agent.
The closing of one chapter and the beginning of another
The love story between Bezos and Sánchez has been built not only on media attention but also on deep affinities.
According to statements from Lauren herself, her day-to-day life with Jeff is "pretty normal," focused on family and the children.
After the proposal in 2023, the couple organized two private celebrations: one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.
Now, their official wedding is shaping up to be the most spectacular event since the marriage of George and Amal Clooney, also held in Venice in 2014.
The Gritti Palace and Aman Venice—where the Clooneys exchanged vows—will once again take center stage. As Hemingway wrote about the Gritti: “the best hotel in a city full of wonderful hotels.”
Despite the luxury, Bezos and Sánchez have asked their guests not to bring gifts, but to make donations to charitable organizations, as revealed by Lauren's brother, Paul Sánchez.
A gesture aimed at contributing something positive to the planet amid a celebration that will be remembered for its opulence, but also for its meticulous organization.
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