Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in full swing amid lavish celebrations
A-listers such as Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio have applauded as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez made it (publicly) official during extravagant wedding celebrations in Venice. See the pictures.
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Cheers erupted as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez exchanged vows at their A$75 million Venetian three-day wedding extravaganza in front of some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 55, tied the knot in a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice early Saturday AEST.
The couple were married in front of 200 celebrity guests including the Kardashian-Jenner family, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Tom Brady, Usher and Orlando Bloom.
People magazine reported the couple’s wedding ceremony kicked off with a performance of Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, sung by Matteo Bocelli, son of Andrea, to cheers from the guests while a gospel choir started singing Whitney Houston’s Higher Love when the couple said ‘I do”.
Sánchez walked down the aisle in a lace long-sleeved Dolce & Gabbana gown.
Her dress featured a corsetted waist, turtleneck and buttons from neck to the floor, culminating in a mermaid-style skirt.
The bride wore pulled her hair back into a bun, leaving some pieces out in the front underneath her minimal veil. She added Dolce & Gabbana Alta Gioielleria Miracolo earrings featuring four diamonds cut from a single stone and inlaid in white gold as her “something borrowed,” according to Vogue.
The style was inspired by the high-necked lace wedding dress Sophia Loren wore in 1958’s “Houseboat” to marry Cary Grant, she told the magazine.
“It went from ‘I want a simple, sexy modern dress’ to ‘I want something that evokes a moment,’ and where I am right now. I am a different person than I was five years ago,” Sanchez said.
“I researched pictures of brides in the 1950s,” she added. “I wanted to reflect back, and I saw Sophia Loren and her hands were [in a prayer position] and she was in high lace, up to the neck, and I said, ‘That’s it. That’s the dress.’”
She predicted that people would be surprised by the covered-up look.
“It is a departure from what people expect,” she told Vogue, “from what I expectbut it’s very much me.”
She captioned an Instagram post “06/27/2025” with a love heart emoji after changing her name on the social media platform to Lauren Sanchez Bezos post-ceremony.
The groom, meanwhile wore a classic black tuxedo, also by the Italian fashion brand, also a favourite of Kim Kardashian.
The couple celebrated their Italian nuptials over several days with a series of lavish events.
They had planned to hold their wedding ceremony on Saturday local time at Scuola Grande della Misericordia, but made a last-minute location change due to security concerns amid ongoing local protests over the wedding.
Earlier, the newly married couple’s many celebrity guests were seen leaving their hotels to board water taxis to San Giorgio Maggiore.
Bezos was photographed leaving the luxurious Aman Venice hotel early Saturday AEST ahead of the wedding.
The billionaire Amazon founder wore a classic black tie tuxedo and smiled and waved before getting into a water taxi.
He was accompanied his half-sister, Christina, and half-brother, Mark.
BEZOS’ $75 MILLION WEDDING EXTRAVAGANZA
The New York Post reported that the couple’s three-day wedding celebrations cost A$75 million — even though they were reportedly already legally married in the US before their Italiancelebrations.
The party got into full swing early Friday AEST when Sánchez stepped out in a vintage Alexander McQueen dress with Bezos for a pre-wedding dinner, which was lashed by thunderstorms.
Before their very wet welcome party, the pair hosted a foam party aboard Bezos’ A$765 million megayacht, Koru.
As the wedding celebrations continued, the New York Post reported that Bezos has gifted Sanchez a necklace valued at $7 million for their wedding weekend.
A source told the outlet that the multimillion dollar jewellery is “a diamond necklace that circles her neck with a large centre stone and matching earrings”.
The source said that there’s buzz Sánchez will don the “dazzling new gems” during celebrations.
Amid a wave of protests, Bezos and Sánchez reportedly donated to a number of local charities in Venice as part of their wedding planning process.
They also reportedly sourced almost all of their wedding goods from Venetian vendors.
They also asked guests not bring gifts, stating on their wedding invitation that they would donate to various Venetian conservation efforts.
Bezos proposed to the former news anchor aboard Koru in May 2023 after five years together.
The duo began dating in 2019; however, they avoided being seen together publicly until after their respective divorces were finalised.
Sánchez was previously married to Hollywood uber-agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she shares son Evan, 19, and daughter Eleanor, 17. She also has a son, Nikko, 24, whose father is former NFL player, Tony Gonzalez. Her ex, Gonzalez, was a guest at the wedding.
Bezos has three sons and one daughter with his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. His eldest son, Preston, is the only child whose name has been shared publicly.
Earlier Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner stepped out in head-turning fashion, with Kardashian in a black dress and thongs while Jenner wore a bold leopard-print gown. Actress Sydney Sweeney was also photographed walking the streets of Venice in a short black dress with a plunging neckline.
Interestingly, the island of San Giorgio Maggiore was not totally shut down to tourists and locals.
TMZ reported businesses on one side of the island — including two museums, the sailing club and a cafe – were open all day and will close at normal times, and the side of the island they’re on didn’t shut down for the wedding.
However, the islet is set into two pretty distinct parts … with one half covered by businesses and the other dominated by the wedding grounds and the Teatro Verde amphitheatre, as well as sprawling greenery. It’s unclear whether the Basilica itself — where the couple took their vows — is open to the public during the daytime.
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