1 / 6Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the world’s richest people, is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former news anchor and helicopter pilot, in Venice, Italy. The wedding is planned as a three-day event starting on Thursday, June 26, 2025, and will take place in several well-known locations across the city. The couple arrived in Venice on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to prepare for the celebration, which is estimated to cost between 40 and 48 million euros. This makes it one of the most expensive weddings ever recorded. (Reuters photo)
2 / 6Event Schedule and Locations: The festivities begin on Thursday evening with a gathering at the Madonna dell’Orto church in the Cannaregio area of Venice. This church, built in the Middle Ages, has a courtyard where the couple will host an outdoor party for their guests. On Friday, June 27, 2025, the celebration moves to San Giorgio Maggiore, a small island near the main part of Venice. This location sits across from St. Mark’s Square and offers views of the city’s famous landmarks. The main wedding event happens on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Arsenale, a historic site once used to build ships for Venice’s navy. Today, the Arsenale is a space for art exhibitions and cultural events. (Reuters photo)
3 / 6Guests and Logistics: Around 200 to 250 people are expected to attend, including well-known figures like Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, Salma Hayek, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrived early on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. To house everyone, Bezos and Sanchez have reserved rooms in five of Venice’s top hotels, such as the Cipriani on Giudecca Island and the Aman along the Grand Canal. Getting guests around the city requires a lot of planning—about 90 private jets will land at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport and nearby airfields, while 30 water taxis will ferry people through the canals. (AFP photo)
4 / 6Local Impact and Protests: Venice has faced challenges from too many tourists for years, and this wedding has stirred up strong feelings among residents. The city’s population has dropped from 175,000 in the 1950s to about 50,000 now, as housing costs rise and homes turn into rentals for visitors. An event this big adds to those problems by bringing in crowds and using up resources. Local activists, including some from Greenpeace Italy, have protested in St. Mark’s Square with signs saying things like, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.” (AP photo)
5 / 6Charitable Efforts: To address some of these concerns, Bezos has promised to donate 1 million euros to Corila, a group that works to protect Venice’s lagoon, a vital but fragile part of the city’s environment. He and Sanchez have also asked their guests not to bring gifts but to give money to organisations like UNESCO’s Venice Office and Venice International University instead. (Reuters photo)
6 / 6The Couple’s Story: Bezos and Sanchez have been together since 2019, after his divorce from MacKenzie Scott. Their relationship started under public attention and has grown into a well-known partnership. Sanchez, who knows how to fly helicopters, has joined Bezos on trips into space with his company Blue Origin. This wedding in Venice marks six years together and shows their connection to the city, where they’ve spent time before. (Reuters photo)
