Jeff Bezos Drops $60M on 3-Day Venice Wedding Bash, Sparking Global Outrage

By The Hyperhive

26 June 2025

Venice, Italy, is where Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez are celebrating their wedding.

The event, expected to cost up to $65 million, has turned heads worldwide. While some see it as a glamorous affair, others are upset, saying it highlights wealth inequality and overtourism in Venice.

Let’s dive into what’s happening and why it’s causing such a stir.

A Lavish Three-Day Celebration

Jeff Bezos, one of the world’s richest men, and Lauren Sánchez arrived in Venice for a three-day wedding extravaganza from June 26 to 28, 2025.

The couple, who got engaged in 2023, planned a grand event with around 200 guests, including stars like Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The wedding was originally set to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a historic 16th-century hall. However, due to security concerns and local protests, the main celebration was moved to the Arsenale, a fortified former shipyard surrounded by water.

The event includes a Great Gatsby-themed party, cocktail receptions, and a stay at the luxurious Aman Venice hotel.

The couple’s wedding planners, Lanza and Baucina, who also organized George and Amal Clooney’s 2014 Venice wedding, emphasized minimizing disruptions and hiring locals to support the city’s economy.

Protests and Local Backlash

Not everyone in Venice is thrilled about the wedding. Local activists, under the “No Space for Bezos” movement, have protested, arguing that the event symbolizes the privatization of their city and the growing gap between the rich and the poor.

Some residents feel Venice is being turned into a playground for billionaires, with 90 private jets and superyachts clogging the city’s airways and waterways.

Greenpeace and other groups joined the protests, displaying banners in St. Mark’s Square with messages like, “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax.”

Activists even threatened to fill the canals with inflatable crocodiles to block guests, prompting the venue to change.

Despite the backlash, Venice’s mayor and some officials welcome the event, citing a $3 million donation from Bezos and Sánchez to local charities, including UNESCO and lagoon research groups.

A Wedding with Global Attention

The Bezos-Sánchez wedding has sparked debates far beyond Venice. Social media critics, including figures like Bernie Sanders, have called the estimated $50,000-per-guest cost “obscene,” pointing out that Amazon’s low tax contributions contrast with such lavish spending.

Others have mocked the couple’s wedding invitation, described as “tacky” with its butterfly and gondola designs, despite their wealth. Still, the event has brought economic benefits, with local businesses like hotels and tourism services seeing a surge in activity.

The couple’s request for guests to support charities instead of giving gifts has also been noted as a positive gesture.

As Venice hosts this “wedding of the century,” it remains a flashpoint for discussions about wealth, privilege, and the impact of high-profile events on historic cities.