A-List Guests, Exclusive Venues: Inside Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Grand Wedding

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez are set to wed in Venice, Italy, this summer, nearly two years after their engagement in May 2023. The highly anticipated wedding is expected to be a luxurious and star-studded affair. While the exact details of the festivities are still under wraps, it is being referred to as "the wedding of the century" due to its grandeur. 

Notably, Ms Sanchez started dating the Amazon boss in 2018. The couple went public with their relationship on July 14, 2019, after Mr Bezos' divorce from his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, was finalised. The billionaire proposed to Ms Sanchez in 2023 while sailing through Europe on his superyacht. The next day, she was spotted wearing a massive diamond engagement ring on her finger, worth a whopping $2.5 million.

Here are a few details of the wedding:

200 Guests

The guest list for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding is a veritable who's who of A-list celebrities and influential figures. According to TMZ, attendees will include Eva Longoria, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Oprah and Gayle King, Kris Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. The guest list also boasts some prominent politicians and business leaders, such as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, as well as Joshua Kushner and his wife, Karlie Kloss. Notably, there's no official word on whether Donald Trump has been invited, but given Bezos and Sanchez's prominent presence at the inauguration, it's likely.

In an official statement, The City of Venice said only 200 guests would be invited, a number easily accommodated without any disruption to the city, its residents and visitors. 

Luxury Hotels

Luxury accommodations in Venice are being snapped up in preparation for the wedding. According to The Daily Mail, two of the city's most upscale hotels, Gritti Palace and Aman Venice, are fully booked for the weekend. Room rates at these exclusive hotels range from $3,200 to $32,000, indicating that no expense is being spared for the couple's special day. 

A local news outlet said, "In preparation for the event, Venice is bracing for the arrival of VIPs. The city's top luxury hotels have already been booked, and reports say the entire fleet of water taxis will be made available to shuttle guests across the canals. The logistics point to a highly exclusive, tightly coordinated celebration."

Bride's Extravagant Dress

The bride has made her choice for the perfect wedding dress, opting for a design from the renowned fashion house Oscar de la Renta. She also had the expert guidance of Anna Wintour, the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue. Ms Wintour previously mentored Lauren Sanchez for the Met Gala Ball, where she wore a stunning de la Renta gown.

Not a Yacht wedding

While initial reports suggested that the wedding would take place aboard their luxurious $500 million mega yacht, Koru, sources close to the couple have clarified that the yacht's role is more nuanced. Instead of hosting the ceremony, the yacht will reportedly be involved in the celebrations, perhaps by taking guests on excursions around the Venetian Lagoon during the festivities. A well-placed friend has confirmed that the wedding itself will not be held on the boat, likely due to regulations in place to protect the city. A yacht of Koru's size would need to anchor in the Arsenale area, which is not the most picturesque part of Venice.