Venice turned into a mini-Monte Carlo on Friday, when Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos tied the knot with longtime partner Lauren Sanchez, a media personality, at the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. This wedding was a dreamy affair set against the backdrop of St. Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal.
The news of their wedding broke when Lauren Sanchez shared a picture on her Insta handle that is now @laurensanchezbezos, in a flowing white gown, with Bezos beside her in formal black-tie attire.
Celebrities who attended the wedding were A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Orlando Bloom, among others. All stay arrangements were made in the world’s best hotels like Aman Venice, Gritti Palace, and the St. Regis.
Talking about the wedding arrangements, the dinner was carefully designed by Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino and the wedding cake was crafted by famous French pastry chef Cedric Grolet. There was also a performance by Matteo Bocelli, son of legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli.
While the celebration and event were grand and lavish, on the other side there was anger and protest that hit the streets of Venice.
Many protestors said that events like this are worsening the problems currently Venice is facing, like overtourism, depopulation, and rising rent prices. A day before the wedding, there was a message that lit up the St. Mark’s Campanile tower saying, ‘No Kings, No Bezos’.
Environmental activists lashed the event, stating the amount of carbon footprint this one event is generating is immense, with as many as 95 private jets and several mega yachts of guests. However, on the wedding day, the couple donated €3 million (approx. $3.5 million) to Venice. As per Italy’s tourism ministry’s earlier claim, the wedding will generate up to €1 billion.
While environmentalists backlashed the event, some local businessmen supported such events, saying that events like this turn Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo, and such weddings boost Venice’s image.
