Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, journalist Lauren Sanchez, arrived in Venice on Wednesday to kick off a three-day extravaganza celebrating their wedding — a high-profile affair drawing global attention and sharp criticism from local residents.
Dubbed the “wedding of the century,” the celebration is expected to cost between €40 million and €48 million ($46–$56 million), with nearly 90 private jets scheduled to touch down in the region this week. Celebrities, political figures, and financial elites are among the 250 high-profile guests set to attend.
Bezos and Sanchez were spotted entering the ultra-luxurious Aman Venice Hotel on the Grand Canal, where many of their guests will also be staying, according to a Reuters reporter.
Festivities are scheduled to begin Thursday night with a welcome gathering in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church in Venice’s Cannaregio district — a lively neighborhood known for its vibrant nightlife. City authorities have cordoned off the area, blocking access to protestors who have expressed growing frustration over the privatization of Venice for the ultra-rich.
Locals have been vocal in their opposition to the wedding, with resident Nadia Rigo lamenting, “There’s only one thing that rules now: money, money, money. We who were born here are the losers.” She added that native Venetians are increasingly forced to move to the mainland or navigate growing restrictions in their own city.
Amid the backlash, regional governor Luca Zaia defended the couple, announcing that Bezos and Sanchez had donated €3 million to three local organizations: CORILA, which researches the lagoon ecosystem; UNESCO’s Venice office; and the Venice International University. “Welcome to Venice, Jeff,” Zaia said, calling the donation a “gesture of extraordinary generosity.”
While the specific date and location of the wedding ceremony remain under wraps, speculation is rife that the couple may have already married privately in the U.S. The main celebration is expected to peak on Friday with a gala on the island of San Giorgio, situated across from Venice’s iconic St. Mark’s Square.
San Giorgio is home to the Cini Foundation, an ancient monastery turned international cultural venue, featuring a historic labyrinthine garden. The exclusive island setting is expected to host the majority of the high-profile guests for a night of opulence, art, and spectacle — even as tension simmers between global luxury and local life in Venice.
