Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez kicked off their wedding festivities in Venice, attracting a host of celebrity guests, including the Kardashians. The couple was seen smiling and waving to fans as they departed a luxury hotel for a pre-wedding reception via water taxi on Thursday evening.
Orlando Bloom was spotted flashing a peace sign to onlookers as he exited the Gritti Palace Hotel, soon followed by Oprah Winfrey, who also greeted fans with a smile. Kim and Khloe Kardashian arrived with their mother, Kris Jenner, who captured a moment of her daughters on a water taxi. Other notable attendees included Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
The lavish celebration is expected to draw around 200 to 250 VIP guests from various fields, including entertainment, politics, and finance. The estimated cost of the wedding and related events ranges between €40 million and €48 million (approximately £34 million to £41 million). Bezos and Sanchez have booked multiple luxury hotels in the city, with the couple staying at the Aman hotel, where rooms start at €4,000 per night.
The first of the wedding parties took place in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a historic church known for its stunning artwork by the 16th-century painter Tintoretto. While the couple and their celebrity guests celebrated, some locals expressed their discontent, viewing the event as a sign of the city catering to the ultra-wealthy. Activists protested, claiming that the presence of billionaires like Bezos exemplifies the negative impact of wealth disparity on the community.
In a show of dissent, one protester unfurled a banner in St. Mark’s Square that read, "The 1% ruins the world." Additionally, a life-size mannequin resembling Bezos was dropped into one of Venice’s canals. The city council imposed restrictions on pedestrian and water traffic around the wedding venue to minimize disruptions from demonstrators.
As the wedding weekend unfolds, the couple is set to exchange vows on Friday on the small island of San Giorgio, located just across from St. Mark’s Square. A second party is planned for Saturday, with the venue having changed just days before the celebrations began.