As billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée of several years, Lauren Sánchez, prepare to walk down the aisle in a star-studded, lavish wedding in Venice, Italy, their celebrations have reportedly been impacted by protests, which see the event as a sign of garish commodification of a fragile city.

Local anti-tourist activists, members of Greenpeace Italy and the U.K. group “Everyone hates Elon” (Musk) are among those protesting against the wedding ceremony, saying city authorities were prioritizing tourism over resident needs, Reuters reported.

Protesters argue the city is being overrun with tourism while steadily depopulating, and needs public services and housing, not VIPs and over-tourism.

“The problem is not the wedding, the problem is the system. We think that one big billionaire can’t rent a city for his pleasure,” one of the protesters, Simona Abbate told Reuters.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding: Everything we know so far about the secret, lavish affair

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Anti-Bezos banners pop up in Venice: See photos, video

Anti-Bezos banners and signs have sprung up in different parts of Venice. A banner, which says, “No space for Bezos!” was hung from the city’s famous Rialto Bridge.

Another with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,” was unfolded in central St. Mark’s Square June 23 by “Everyone hates Elon.”

Wedding venue reportedly moved

Amid ongoing protests and threats of disruption, multiple media outlets, including CNN and BBC reported protesters claimed victory after wedding celebrations were moved to an isolated, less accessible part of the lagoon city.

After the wedding ceremony, the location of which is unknown, the newlyweds and their guests will head to a hall of the Arsenale, a renovated maritime area on the outer edge of Venice. The vast 14th-century complex in the eastern Castello district, known for hosting the Venice Biennale art fair, is surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised.

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The event, which would mark the grand finale of the three-day event, was previously scheduled to be held at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, an art museum, BBC reported.

Locals had threatened peaceful blockades against the event on the day of.

BBC reported that some protesters were planning to enter canals near the key venues with inflatable alligators, in an attempt to block the path of the rich and famous. However, after the venue was reportedly changed, that plan has been called off, though protesters still plan to send out statements and register their protest over the wedding weekend.

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Protesters rejoiced at the development and claimed an “enormous victory,” saying the tech billionaire and his wedding guests were forced to “run away” from the city center, BBC reported.

Local officials defend celebrations

City authorities, however, are defending the grand wedding, estimated to cost $23-$34 million, according to regional governor Luca Zaia, who added it is expected to bring an economic boost to local businesses.

Zaia, on June 24, continued to offer his support to the billionaire.

Lauren Sánchez engagement ring: See photos of the stunning jewelry

“Do you think it’s normal that you try to prevent two people, whatever their social background is, from celebrating their wedding wherever they want?” the governor wrote in a post on Facebook. “Venice needs all the support and love possible, so I’m wishing Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez a happy and peaceful marriage in the most beautiful city in the world!”

Bezos and Sánchez, meanwhile, will make charity donations, including $1 million euros for Corila, an academic consortium that studies Venice’s lagoon ecosystem, Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper and the ANSA news agency reported. The couple has reportedly also requested wedding guests to make donations in lieu of gifts.

When is Jeff Bezos’ wedding to Lauren Sánchez?

Bezos and Sánchez have been rather tight-lipped about their upcoming nuptials, and the exact date of their wedding has not been revealed. Reuters and The New York Times reported the three-day wedding is likely to occur between June 26 and 28.

Who was Jeff Bezos’ first wife? All about philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

About 200 guests, including some of the couple’s closest celebrity friends such Oprah Winfrey, designer Diane von Furstenberg and husband Barry Diller, Mick Jagger, Salma Hayek, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Eva Longoria, and Kim Kardashian, are expected to be in attendance. Five of the city’s most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host the wedding party.

Bezos and Sánchez are not the first celebrity couple to choose Italy for their destination wedding. Previously, George and Amal Clooney also wed in Venice in 2014, as did Salma Hayek and her billionaire husband François-Henri Pinault in 2009.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY; Reuters

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist, in a glitzy multi-day event in Venice.

While city officials haven’t confirmed the wedding details, Italian media has reported that there are three days of celebrations planned from Thursday to Saturday, costing up to €48m (£41m).

The main wedding party had reportedly been due to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday, but will now be held at the Arsenale, out of the city centre, according to Reuters news agency.

The guest list includes the likes of Leonardo Dicaprio, Eva Longoria, Oprah Winfrey and Mick Jagger, as well as pop star Katy Perry, who joined Ms Sanchez in the all-female celebrity crew that travelled to space in April.

They and other celebrity guests are set to join the couple for parties on the Amazon owner’s super yacht, worth about $500m (£371m), which will dock in the port of Venice for the wedding, Sky TG24 in Italy reports.

But not everyone in the city is excited.

Image: Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos at Donald Trump’s inauguration. Pic: Reuters

Why are there protests?

Protesters do not have an issue with the marriage itself but with what they say is the “privatisation” and “exploitation” of the city.

“He is basically going to treat the whole city as a private ballroom, as a private event area, as if the citizens are not there,” said Alice Bazzoli, an activist with No Space for Bezos.

The group is a coalition of around a dozen Venetian organisations – including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups – and its name is a play on words also referring to the bride’s recent space flight.

Members of the group have told Sky News that the event will close parts of the city and make it difficult for locals to get around, as well as posing environmental concerns with the use of yachts in the canals.

Image: No Space For Bezos protesters stand with an anti-Bezos banner at the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica. Pic: Federica Toninelli

“This is not what Venice needs. This is not what a city that is already suffering from overtourism needs,” Federica Toninelli, another activist associated with No Space for Bezos, said.

The city has long struggled with high tourism numbers.

Millions come to see the World Heritage Site for its medieval architecture, crammed into a picturesque canal network.

However, this pushes up the cost of living for locals and tends to create only low-paid temporary employment.

“It’s going to bring money, yes, but we are not going to see any money,” said Ms Toninelli.

The protests are also linked to wider issues around affordable housing and a dwindling local population in Venice’s historic centre.

“Do we want our city even more invaded by tourists, by oligarchs, and people who buy and privatise the city, or do we want services, jobs, health services, schools, universities? Do we want to live in the city like normal people, or sell it to the best offer?” Ms Bazzoli added.

Image: No Space For Bezos protesters gather in Venice. Pic: Federica Toninelli

Activists from global environmental lobby Greenpeace and the UK group Everyone Hates Elon have joined the protests, with their focus on some of the wider issues raised by Bezos’s critics around the world, such as purported tax breaks for him and fellow billionaires.

Mr Bezos has been contacted for comment.

What have protesters done so far – and what else are they planning?

Members of No Space for Bezos unfurled a massive banner on 12 June from the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica with Bezos’s name crossed out.

Image: An anti-Bezos sign hung on the bell tower of the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica. Pic: Federica Toninelli

Then on Monday activists from Greenpeace and Everyone Hates Elon unveiled a huge banner in St Mark’s Square with an image of Mr Bezos laughing and the caption: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”

It appeared to be a nod to Amazon’s ongoing tax disputes with European governments.

Image: The banner placed in St Mark’s Square by protesters. Pic: Reuters

The local activists planned a more organised protest for Saturday, where they were aiming to stop guests from arriving at a party by blocking the canals with boats and their bodies.

But the plans have been altered since the party was reportedly moved to Arsenale, a 14th-century complex surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised.

The protesters have claimed the venue change as a victory and said there will now be a march on Saturday instead of the blockade.

What has the response been to the protests?

The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has said he is “honoured” that the city is hosting the event, adding: “Once again Venice proves to be a world stage.”

“Those 20 people who are putting up posters are clearly capitalising on [Bezos’s] image,” he went on.

The city of Venice has previously denied that the event would disrupt locals, saying water taxi services would run normally and that only 200 guests had been invited.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in numbers €48m price tag The wedding and its parts are expected to cost an eye-watering €40-48m (£34-£41m), Luca Zaia, the president of Venice’s local government, said on Tuesday. This includes sizeable charity donations from the Amazon founder, including €1m (£850k) to Corila, a consortium that studies Venice’s lagoon ecosystem, local media has reported. 90 private jets The first private jets began landing at Venice airport on Tuesday and there will be around 90 in total, Mr Zaia said. They won’t all be arriving in Venice though, as some will land at the nearby Treviso and Verona airports. 250 guests Five of the city’s most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host an estimated 200-250 guests. These include the celeb favourite Cipriani, where George and Amal Clooney married in 2014. 30 water taxis Attendees of course won’t be hopping on public water buses to get around the city’s many islands. The wedding’s organisers have booked at least 30 water taxis for them to use instead.

“Venice is used to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts,” a statement said, citing G20 and G7 summits, the Architecture and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events.

It added that the city has previous experience of hosting big events successfully.

A Venetian environmental research association, Corila, issued a statement saying Bezos’s Earth Fund was supporting its work with an “important donation”.

What other events has the cited hosted?

George and Amal Clooney famously got married there in 2014.

The actor arrived at his ceremony at the Aman Grande Canal Hotel on a boat, alongside guests including Matt Damon and model Cindy Crawford.

The city also hosted world leaders for the 2021 G20 summit, as well as its annual Venice Film Festival.

Image: Day-trippers take a gondola tour in July 2024. Pic: Reuters

How does Venice place limits on tourists?

Venice has been struggling with the impacts of overtourism.

There were about 50,000 people living in the historic city centre in 2023 – and about 4.9 million tourist arrivals – according to the data gathering website Statista.

In 2024, it became the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists, with officials carrying out random checks to make sure people beyond entry points have a QR code.

As it stands, those visiting between April and July for a day trip pay a standard fee of €5, unless they have booked less than four days before their visit, in which case they must pay double.

The city has also put in place a size limit of 25 people for tourist groups to reduce crowds.

Where else have there been tourist protests?

Venice isn’t the only European city where locals are frustrated with tourist numbers.

Protesters in Barcelona sprayed tourists with water guns as part of demonstrations recently over the number of visitors.

Anti-tourism activists have also staged protests in other popular holiday destinations across Spain, including Palma, Malaga and the Canary Islands, claiming that visitors drive up housing costs and lead to residents being unable to afford to live in city centres.

Guests have begun arriving in Venice for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s multimillion-pound wedding, which has had to find a new venue.

The billionaire will marry Lauren Sanchez in the Italian city this week, and the couple will mark the occasion with three days of celebrations costing up to €48m (£41m).

The venue where the couple will say their vows has been kept secret, but their wedding party has at the last minute been moved out of the city centre, Reuters news agency reports.

Image: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at Venice airport on Tuesday. Pic: Reuters

Image: Diane von Furstenberg. Pic: Reuters

It had been due to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia but will now be held at the Arsenale, a source told Reuters.

The new venue is a 14th-century complex surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding in numbers €48m price tag The wedding and its parts are expected to cost an eye-watering €40-48m (£34-£41m), Luca Zaia, the president of Venice’s local government, said on Tuesday. This includes sizeable charity donations from the Amazon founder, including €1m (£850k) to Corila, a consortium that studies Venice’s lagoon ecosystem, local media has reported. 90 private jets The first private jets began landing at Venice airport on Tuesday and there will be around 90 in total, Mr Zaia said. They won’t all be arriving in Venice though, as some will land at the nearby Treviso and Verona airports. 250 guests Five of the city’s most luxurious hotels have been booked out to host an estimated 200-250 guests. These include the celeb favourite Cipriani, where George and Amal Clooney married in 2014. 30 water taxis Attendees of course won’t be hopping on public water buses to get around the city’s many islands. The wedding’s organisers have booked at least 30 water taxis for them to use instead.

Amid the last-minute changes, guests, including Donald Trump’s daughter, have begun arriving in Italy.

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were seen boarding a water taxi at Venice airport on Tuesday, as was fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

The move comes after weeks of protests from some local residents and pressure groups, who say Bezos and his fiancee are not welcome in the city.

Read more: Why are activists protesting the wedding?

Image: Anti-Bezos protests have been held in the city. Pic: Federica Toninelli

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The leader of the ‘No Space for Bezos’ campaign said: “The news that Bezos has run away from the Misericordia is a great victory for us.”

The group has announced more protests for Saturday, believed to be the main day of celebrations, and pledged to make the event a “nightmare” for Bezos and his guests.

The ultra-wealthy are descending on Venice ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s highly-anticipated nuptials, despite raging protests in the city.

The Amazon billionaire and his bride-to-be are said to have invited 200 people to their three-day Italian wedding, which is due to kick off on Thursday and end on Saturday.

On Tuesday, a copy of the couple’s invite was leaked with one very specific request made on behalf of the couple.

They’ve asked guests not to buy them any presents and told them they’ll be making donations to multiple charities working to stop Venice from sinking on attendees’ behalf instead.

The star-studded guest list including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, and Kim Kardashian, who was recently seen on Sanchez’s bachelorette.

Other high-profile guests have already landed in the City of Canals, including US First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her family, as well as fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg.

Ivanka, 43, sported a sand-tone two-piece set with red accents from pricey designer La DoubleJ for the occasion.

The top, which retails for $550, features a cropped length and a bold red embroidery pattern.

IVANKA TRUMP AND JARED KUSHNER

The ultra-wealthy are descending on Venice ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez ‘s highly-anticipated nuptials, including Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

Ivanka was seen wearing a sand-tone two-piece set with red accents, while her husband Jared Kushner opted for a linen shirt and his usual khakis for the boat ride to their Italian dwellings

Ivanka was accompanied by her three children, Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore

The First Daughter was seen boarding a boat shortly after her arrival and sported a $1,170 La DoubleJ ensemble

She donned the matching $620 skirt, which hit her at the knee and featured the same embroidery pattern as the top. In total, the ensemble comes out to a whopping $1,170.

Her husband Jared Kushner, 44, opted for a linen shirt and his usual khakis for the boat ride to their Italian dwellings.

The couple were accompanied by their three children, Arabella Rose, 13, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, eight.

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg was also seen arriving at the Venice Airport

Diane von Furstenberg is among the high profile arrivals

The fashion designer appeared to be in a jovial mood as she left the Venice Airport on a boat

Meanwhile, von Furstenberg appeared to be in a jovial mood as she left Venice Airport by boat, snapping photos of her surroundings as she traveled.

The 78-year-old designer wore a multi-colored, striped suit for the journey.

Many guests are expected to arrive to the lavish wedding via private jet, with at least 95 planes having already requested to land at Venice’s Marco Polo Airport.

COREY GAMBLE

On Wednesday, Kris Jenner’s long-term partner Corey Gamble was spotted in a water taxi.

There was no sign of Jenner or any of the Kardashians, but they are also expected to attend.

Kris Jenner’s long-term partner Corey Gamble was spotted in a water taxi

Kris Jenner, Gamble’s partner and one of Sanchez’s closest female celebrity friends, is also expected to attend

Other guests, like American Investor Bill Miller and billionaire Shahid Khan, are arriving to the ceremony via yacht. Miller’s $70million boat was seen moored off the coast of the Italian city.

Bezos’ superyacht, Koru, which includes a bronze goddess statue that shares similarities with his lover Sanchez, is also in the area, moored off the coast of Croatia, which is located across from Italy in the Mediterranean.

The pair threw a foam party onboard the vessel on Friday. The $500 million superyacht is where Bezos popped the question to Sanchez in May 2023.

However, their arrival in Venice has been far from smooth sailing and the couple is being plagued by protesters who are furious the needs of local residents are allegedly being sidelined to make way for wealthy tourists.

Bezos is worth around $224.6 billion and is thought to be spending tens of millions on his wedding.

‘If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,’ one gigantic banner read in St. Mark’s Square.

Greenpeace and the UK-based collective Everyone Hates Elon have joined protests in Venice attempting to disrupt, or even prevent, the planned wedding celebrations of Amazon founder Bezos this week.

‘Jeff Bezos is the second-richest man in the world yet is reported to pay a 1.1 percent true tax rate,’ the two groups said in a joint statement. ‘The multi-million-dollar wedding is reportedly happening over three days, with the wedding ring alone worth as much as $5million.’

A spokesperson from Everyone Hates Elon said: ‘As governments talk about hard choices and struggle to fund public services, Jeff Bezos can afford to shut down half a city for days on end just to get married.’

Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have spoken out in favor of the nuptials, which have been dubbed, ‘the wedding of the century,’ pointing out that the celebrations are expected to bring $23-34million to local businesses.

The couple’s arrival in Venice has been anything but smooth for the billionaire, who has been met with protests

Pictured: Protesters in Venice ahead of Bezos and Sanchez’s wedding who are furious that the city has been ‘sold off’ to the Amazon executive, who has a net worth of $224.6 billion

‘This is a city that handles 150,000 people a day,’ Zaia told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. ‘George Clooney, François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, Alexandre Arnault, Elton John and many others got married here.’

Bezos has also pledged to make sizable charity donations, including $1.16million to Corila – an academic consortium dedicated to studying Venice’s lagoon ecosystem – according to Corriere della Sera and Italy’s ANSA news agency.

Earlier this month, anti-Bezos banners were hung in Venice from St. Mark’s Tower with ‘Bezos’ in blue capital letters and a red X over it as part of a ‘No Space for Bezos’ campaign, a play on Bezos’ Blue Origin spaceflight venture.

TOM BRADY

Tom Brady is also set to be among the exclusive list of around 200 guests at the wedding

Other guests, like American Investor Bill Miller and billionaire Shahid Khan, are arriving to the ceremony via yacht. Miller’s $70million boat (pictured) was seen moored off the coast of the Italian city

A statue of a human body covered in dollar bills with what appears to be Bezos’ head was spotted in Venice as part of the protests

It is not the only scandal clouding their nuptials, as guest Orlando Bloom is expected to attend by himself sans his popstar wife Katy Perry, who is currently on tour in Australia.

It is rumored the actor will debut as a ‘single man’ at the billionaire’s wedding.

A tour guide also accidentally leaked some of the guest list, which revealed that Sanchez’s go-to nail artist won’t be in attendance.

Beatrice Bavato, a freelance tour guide, was photographed as she waited for guests and staff from London-based wedding planners Lanza & Baucina in the arrivals hall at the lagoon city’s airport.

The clipboard she was holding listed names, flight numbers and hotel destinations for some of the 200 guests due to arrive at the iconic Italian city in the next few days.

The list also suggests that the bride suffered a last-minute stressful cancellation: her first choice nail artist is marked in biro as a ‘no show’.

Among those listed on Beatrice’s clipboard were Mike and Beth George arriving on a British Airways flight from London before being transferred to the Al Redentore luxury apartment complex.

George was a former Amazon executive who became president of the Bezos Academy, a network of tuition-free preschools founded by Jeff Bezos, and he previously led the Echo and Alexa teams at Amazon.

Bezos and Sanchez nuptials has already attracted huge controversy with protests planned by locals angry at the couple for ‘taking over the city’ for the planned three day festivities. Pictured: Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sanchez at a foam party on Bezos’ yacht ahead of the event

Pictured: Protesters display a banner reading ‘No Space for Bezos!’ on the Rialto Bridge

New York-based Jewelry Designer Sandra Leong and her philanthropist husband Robert Gelfond, were marked arrived on a Delta Airlines flight from the Empire State.

Others on the guest list include Elana Jassy, wife of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

The lavish event and its extensive guest list will mean beefed-up security, closed streets, monitored airspace and a strong police presence.

Police were already seen doing underwater checks ahead of the events.

Bezos’ superyacht will be moored at San Basilio – the closest it can get to the city center due to its fragile ecosystem – and be in sight of the Hotel Cipriani, where many will be lodged.

It is thought Bezos, Sanchez and their immediate families will stay on the nine-bedroom yacht with other guests split between the Cipriani and Aman hotels nearby.

Wedding experts Kunal Madan, the CEO and Founder of DressPreservation.com, and Zoe Buke, from Hitched.co.uk, told DailyMail.com the couple’s wedding will likely cost as much as $15million to $20million – depending on venue exclusivity, location planning, and celebrity headcount.

A large amount of the provisions are coming from local businesses, including Rosa Salva, the city’s oldest and most revered bakery.

A team of former US marines has already been hired to provide security for the event by Bezos, which is due to take place over three days from June 26 in the iconic lagoon city. Pictured: A banner against Bezos lies on the ground in St. Mark’s Square

The couple also suffered a major setback after reportedly being forced to change their venue at the last second.

The original plan was for a huge party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday night, but it has now been moved to another venue in the Arsenale area of the city, according to local media.

Il Gazzettino said the days leading to wedding would be ‘tension filled’ and the move to the venue was due to it being ‘easier to control’ as large scale protests are expected.

But they also added ‘the winds of war and rising global tensions between the US and Iran’ were also being taken into consideration – there is a large American airbase at Aviano just 50 miles away.

On Tuesday a meeting is due to take place between local authorities and police and security teams to discuss the wedding.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sanchez are set to tie the knot in Italy this week, even as local frustrations mount over the multi-million dollar event.

Here’s what to know about the three-day wedding celebration, as well as the protests unfolding in the background.

Where and when is the wedding?

Bezos, 61, and Sanchez’s wedding extravaganza kicks off in Venice this Thursday, with the ceremony scheduled to take place Saturday at an undisclosed location.

The nuptials will mark Bezos’ second marriage, after his first marriage to philanthropist Mackenzie Scott ended in 2019. Sanchez, 55, was previously married to Patrick Whitesell, the executive chair of talent firm Endeavor, with their marriage also ending in 2019.

The wedding ceremony is likely to be held on San Giorgio Maggiore, according to CNN. One of the islands that make up Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore is known for the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by the architect Andrea Palladio in the 1500s.

A picture shows The Giorgio Cini Foundation on the island of San Giorgio in Venice, which according to Italian media could be one of the locations for the wedding between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez. ANDREA PATTARO/AFP via Getty Images

A protest group called “No Space for Bezos” declared victory this week, saying that the couple has moved their planned post-wedding party on June 28 to a shipyard on the outskirts of Venice rather than the 14th-century Grande Scuola Misericordia in central Venice, CNN reported.

How much will the Bezos-Sanchez wedding cost?

The three-day event could cost between about $64 million to $76 million, Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto regional government that comprises Venice, told reporters on Tuesday, according to The Globe and Mail.

About 80% of the wedding provisions will be sourced from Venetian vendors, the Associated Press reported, citing people close to the couple. These products include locally made pastries and hand-blown glass from Murano, an island known for its long history of glassmaking.

Bezos has a net worth of $230 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That ranks him No. 3 on the index’s list of the world’s richest people, after Mark Zuckerberg ($246 billion) and Elon Musk ($385 billion)

Who is attending?

Bezos and Sanchez invited about 200 guests to celebrate with them in the Italian city, according to media reports. The event is expected to draw plenty of star power, with guests said to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.

According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, at least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice’s Marco Polo airport.

Who is Lauren Sanchez?

Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and owner of The Washington Post, is marrying Lauren Sanchez, a former journalist turned children’s book author. The couple went public with their relationship in 2019 and became engaged in 2023.

Sanchez recently participated in Blue Origin’s first all-women’s space flight, which included “CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King and singer-songwriter Katy Perry. A licensed pilot, Sanchez pitched the idea for a female-led flight to Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin, shortly after he completed his own trip to space in 2021.

Sanchez’s bachelorette party in Paris last month included Perry, Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Eva Longoria, according to AFP.

What are the wedding protests about?

Some Venice locals are expressing frustration over the city’s decision to welcome wealthy tourists while failing to meet residents’ needs.

This comes amid a broader pushback against tourism in parts of Europe. Last week, protestors gathered in Venice and other popular European destinations to protest a flood of visitors, who some critics blame for driving up housing costs and pushing out local residents. For the second year, Venice is requiring people visiting the city for a day to pay a tax to enter on certain summer dates.

Among those protesting the wedding are the organizers of the “No Space for Bezos” campaign, which has the backing of a dozen different local organizations including housing advocates and university groups.

People gather to protest against the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in Venice, on June 13, 2025, with some local residents claiming the city is catering to billionaires. ANDREA PATTARO/AFP via Getty Images

Greenpeace joined the mix on Monday, with a handful of activists unfurling a giant banner in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square with a photo of Bezos and text that read: “IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.” Local police folded up the banner and took it away.

Venetian officials have stood their ground, even as criticism of the event escalated. In March, the city issued a statement denying reports that there would be any major disruption to daily Venetian life, even with hundreds expected to descend on the city this week for the wedding.

Venice and the surrounding metropolitan area has a population of roughly 250,000, according to Statista. But fewer than 50,000 people live in the city’s historic district, which is composed over 100 islands connected by Venice’s famous canals and footbridges.

and contributed to this report.