Topline<\/p>\n
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren S\u00e1nchez will exchange vows on a small Venetian island Friday, the centerpiece of what is expected to be a star-studded, and controversial, multi-day ceremony hosted in Venice, Italy, with protests by angered locals already interfering with events. (Related<\/a>: All the photos of the celebrity attendees<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Lauren Sanchez and US founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, leave the Aman Hotel in Venice on June 25, … More 2026.<\/p>\n Photo by STEFANO RELLANDINI\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n Key Facts<\/p>\n Where<\/strong>: Bezos and S\u00e1nchez will tie the knot on San Giorgio Island on Friday, multiple<\/a> outlets reported<\/a>, a small locale off the coast of Venice\u2019s St. Mark’s Square which contains a centuries-old church known for its bell tower.<\/p>\n Is it official?<\/strong> Though the couple will hold their wedding in Italy, city officials told CNN<\/a> they have not received an official marriage request from the couple, indicating their celebrations are ceremonial and that they may already have married in the United States.<\/p>\n Who is performing?<\/strong> Friday\u2019s wedding celebration will feature a performance by Matteo Bocelli, the son of opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Reuters<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n How long\u2014and how much?<\/strong> The wedding began its \u201cmulti-day celebration\u201d Thursday and is expected to last until Saturday, costing the billionaire tech mogul and his soon-to-be wife tens of millions of dollars, according to multiple<\/a> outlets<\/a>.<\/p>\n Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has spoken out against protesters demonstrating against the wedding, told Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera<\/a> the wedding \u201cwill have economic repercussions worth millions of euros for our city.\u201d<\/p>\n Protests by locals, who are upset with overtourism and Bezos\u2019 links to President Donald Trump, have threatened to disrupt the wedding, and sources told Reuters<\/a> the threat of protests prompted Bezos to move a wedding party from a central nightlife area to the more secluded Arsenale, which is surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised.<\/p>\n Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts<\/strong>: We\u2019re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day\u2019s headlines. Text \u201cAlerts\u201d to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who Is On The Guest List For The Bezos-Sanchez Wedding?<\/p>\n Venice officials have said the guest list for Bezos and S\u00e1nchez\u2019s wedding is limited to 200 people. On Tuesday afternoon, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, who were rumored to attend, were photographed arriving in Venice. Other celebrities so far spotted in Venice<\/a> for the festivities include Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio and Sydney Sweeney. Investor Michael Kives has also been seen in Venice in addition to Dolce & Gabbana founder and billionaire Domenico Dolce and Queen Rania of Jordan, wife of the country\u2019s King Abdullah II. Bezos invited President Donald Trump to the wedding, the Journal reported, though Trump will not make the trip due to scheduling conflicts.<\/p>\n How Many Wedding Celebrations Are Jeff Bezos And Lauren S\u00e1nchez Planning?<\/p>\n Festivities kicked off Thursday night, after many of Bezos and S\u00e1nchez\u2019s celebrity guests arrived, with a party at the Madonna dell\u2019Orto, a 14th-century cathedral, CNN<\/a> reported. Guests appear to be adhering to strict social media rules, CNN reported, as some of the most social media-savvy guests, like the Kardashians, have not posted any pictures from inside the venue. After Friday\u2019s wedding ceremony, celebrations are expected to conclude with a wedding reception Saturday at the Arsenale, a shipyard and armory that is now the site of an annual Venetian cultural festival. The Saturday reception was initially set to take place at the Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, a 14th-century building, but the event was moved because of concerns over protests, the Wall Street Journal<\/a> reported, though protests are still planned for the new location. Reuters<\/a> reported Lady Gaga and Elton John may perform at Saturday\u2019s party, though The Hollywood Reporter<\/a> said this week Gaga was not asked to perform. Bezos and S\u00e1nchez first appeared in Venice on Wednesday, where they had dinner at the home of billionaire Barry Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, the New York Times<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n Who Is Protesting The Wedding And Why?<\/p>\n Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism<\/a> that has strained the city\u2019s infrastructure and services for years, have staged protests under the name \u201cNo Space for Bezos<\/a>\u201d over concerns the wedding\u2019s scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds, with more demonstrations planned to disrupt this week\u2019s festivities. Protesters are planning a march on Saturday, according to posts by the \u201cNo Space for Bezos\u201d group on Instagram<\/a>, which will start at the Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia train station, located roughly 1.5 miles away from the Arsenale venue. The group has already held multiple demonstrations<\/a>. On Monday, the Greenpeace environmental activist organization joined \u201cNo Space for Bezos\u201d in Venice\u2019s St. Mark\u2019s Square, unveiling a banner with Bezos\u2019 face that read: \u201cIF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.\u201d Police quickly took the banner away, the Associated Press<\/a> reported. They previously hoisted a banner that says \u201cBezos\u201d with an \u201cX\u201d through it on the San Giorgio Maggiore church\u2019s bell tower. Federica Toninelli, a Venetian activist with \u201cNo Space for Bezos,\u201d told Reuters<\/a> the wedding is also a \u201csymbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders.\u201d Protesters have threatened to block access to canals and city streets in an effort to block wedding attendees from reaching party venues in the city, according to Variety<\/a>. Oliviero Cassar\u00e0, a lead organizer and activist, said in a statement \u201cNo Space for Bezos\u201d has zero issue with Americans or people getting married in Venice, instead criticizing Bezos for his links to Trump and blasting the president\u2019s controversial trade policies. \u201cBezos supported Trump economically and politically and is consequently co-responsible for this drift against us Italian and European citizens,\u201d Cassar\u00e0 said. Brugnaro has spoken out against the protesters and tried to reassure them the city is capable of handling the event, citing its hosting of the Venice Film Festival and G7 Summit. Brugnaro said he was \u201cashamed of those who behave like this,\u201d Variety reported.<\/p>\n How Much Will The Wedding Cost?<\/p>\n Multiple reports have said the wedding will predictably cost millions of dollars. Reuters<\/a> reported an estimated total cost of $46.5 million to $55.6 million. The Journal reported a luxury wedding with 200 guests such as Bezos\u2019 costs about $4 million, citing Jamie Simon, director of events at luxury planning firm Banana Split, which organized the multiday wedding between Sofia Richie Grainge and Atlantic Records CEO Elliot Grainge in 2023.<\/p>\n Who Is Organizing The Bezos-S\u00e1nchez Wedding?<\/p>\n The Journal reported Lanza & Baucina, a London-based group that planned George and Amal Clooney\u2019s 2014 wedding in Venice, has been hired by Bezos and S\u00e1nchez. A representative for the group told the Journal its principles and the instructions of Bezos call for the \u201cminimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events.\u201d The 2014 wedding had a generally positive perception, with locals lauding Clooney<\/a> for his consideration and respect for Venice. Cassar\u00e1 even compared Bezos to Clooney in his statement, saying Bezos \u201cis not George Clooney with his romantic aura.\u201d<\/p>\n Forbes Valuation<\/p>\n We estimate Bezos\u2019 net worth at $234.9 billion as of Friday, making him the fourth-wealthiest person<\/a> in the world behind Mark Zuckerberg ($252.1 billion), Larry Ellison ($256.1 billion) and Elon Musk ($410.1 billion).<\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n Bezos and S\u00e1nchez met almost 10 years ago and began making public appearances together around 2019, when the two began dating. They became engaged in 2023 aboard the Koru superyacht, with Bezos offering S\u00e1nchez a 30-carat cushion cut pink diamond set in platinum, according to Vanity Fair.<\/a><\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n