Bezos-Sanchez Venetian Wedding Culminates In Lavish Gala/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s extravagant $50 million Venetian wedding nears its finale with a star-studded gala featuring Lady Gaga and Elton John. As celebrities celebrate, protests brew over Venice catering to billionaires. Mayor praises Bezos for embodying Venice’s spirit and donations to the city.
Bezos Sanchez Venice Wedding Quick Look
- Three-day celebration estimated at $50 million cost
- Ceremony on San Giorgio island, Dolce & Gabbana dress
- Protesters criticize Venice for favoring ultra-wealthy elites
Newlyweds Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez Ready for Lavish Venice Finale
Deep Look
VENICE, June 28 (Reuters) — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez, newly married amid the splendor of Venice, are preparing for one last night of extravagant celebrations as their star-studded three-day gala draws to a close.
The couple’s wedding festivities, estimated to cost around $50 million, will culminate on Saturday night with a spectacular party at a former medieval shipyard. Performances by music icons Lady Gaga and Elton John are expected to dazzle the exclusive crowd.
Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows Friday evening on the picturesque island of San Giorgio, just across the water from Venice’s iconic Saint Mark’s Square. The intimate ceremony was serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Sanchez wore a high-necked, lace-and-tulle gown by Dolce & Gabbana, reportedly inspired by Sophia Loren’s bridal look from the 1958 film Houseboat. She also donned diamond earrings lent by the fashion house, following the tradition of brides wearing “something borrowed” for good luck. Bezos opted for a classic black tuxedo and bow tie.
Although the ceremony was symbolic and held no legal status in Italy, a city official said the couple likely completed the legal formalities in the United States to avoid the bureaucratic hurdles of an Italian marriage.
Yet while celebrities gather in the exclusive venues of eastern Venice, discontent simmers in the city. Activists plan a protest march Saturday afternoon from the railway station to the Rialto Bridge, criticizing Venice’s increasing commercialization and catering to wealthy visitors.
For days, the “No Space for Bezos” movement has staged protests, hanging anti-Bezos banners from the iconic Rialto Bridge and unfurling a large canvas in Saint Mark’s Square urging the billionaire to pay higher taxes.https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jeff-bezos-spotted-tuxedo-lauren-sanchez-dressed-white-ahead-venice-wedding
Some locals and activists view Bezos’s opulent celebrations as a symbol of inequality. However, Venice’s mayor Luigi Brugnaro sees it differently. Speaking to Reuters, he praised Bezos for embodying what he called the “Venetian mentality” of enterprise and commerce.
“Bezos is more Venetian than the protesters,” Brugnaro, a centre-right politician, declared. He also confirmed that Bezos recently donated €3 million ($3.51 million) to local institutions, with no strings attached, further solidifying his ties to the city.
Bezos and Sanchez became engaged in 2023, four years after Bezos’s high-profile split from his first wife, MacKenzie Scott. Now, the pair are poised to close their extravagant Venetian celebration in true billionaire style.
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