Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice on Wednesday — kicking off what is expected to be a weekend of lavish wedding festivities for the couple, attended by some of the world’s top celebrities and drawing the ire of locals and protesters, who view it as a crass example of the huge disparity between the one per cent and everyone else.

Bezos waves as he leaves the hotel by boat. It’s estimated the festivities are costing the billionaire 40 million to 48 million euros ($64 million to $76 million Cdn). (Luca Bruno/The Associated Press) Sanchez, a former TV journalist, travelled to space earlier this year aboard Bezos’s Blue Origin, alongside celebrities Katy Perry and Gayle King. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)

Bezos and Sanchez waved as they arrived at the dock of the Aman hotel, a five-star hotel on the Italian city’s Grand Canal, with two security boats in tow.

Ivanka Trump, right, daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, arrive at the Venice airport on Tuesday. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters) Trump and her children prepare to board a water taxi in Venice. (Yara Nardi/Reuters)

Some 90 jets are expected to arrive at local airports ahead of the weekend event. About 200 guests are expected, among them Ivanka Trump and her family, Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Canadian investor and former talent agent Michael Kives, centre, boards a water taxi on Wednesday. (Andrea Pattaro/AFP/Getty Images) Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, a wedding guest, is shown at the Venice airport on Tuesday. (Manuel Silvestri/Reuters)

Venice City Hall issued a directive on Wednesday cordoning off the area — isolating guests from activists who have been protesting for weeks that the celebrations will turn the city of gondolas and palazzi into a private amusement park for the rich.

“There’s only one thing that rules now: money, money, money, so we are the losers,” Venice resident Nadia Rigo said.

Security team members stand outside the Madonna dell’Orto church on Wednesday. (Yara Nardi/Reuters) Gondolas line up outside St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Wednesday. (Luca Bruno/The Associated Press)

Festivities will kick off on Thursday night with an open-air gathering in the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, a medieval church in the central area of Cannaregio known for its lively nightlife, a source close to the matter told Reuters.

The date and venue of the wedding itself are still unknown, and some have speculated that Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, may already have tied the knot in a private ceremony in the United States.

Boats loaded with supplies are seen in the waters ahead of the wedding. (Luca Bruno/The Associated Press)

Protesters have also been in the city all week. Activists argue that the Bezos-Sanchez wedding exemplifies broader failures in municipal governance. Chief among their concerns is the lack of investment in affordable housing and essential services.

City officials have defended the wedding. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro called the event an honour for Venice, and the city denied the wedding would cause disruptions.

“Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage,” Brugnaro told The Associated Press, adding he hoped to meet Bezos while he was in town.

A who’s who from the world of politics, Hollywood, and business are arriving in Venice to celebrate Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos.

A who’s who from the world of politics, Hollywood, and business are arriving in Venice to celebrate Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos. DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images

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Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s multiday wedding is kicking off this week, and power players from politics, business, and Hollywood are set to converge in Venice to celebrate.

The Amazon founder and his fiancée, a former news anchor, are getting married in the Floating City in front of about 200 of their closest family and friends.

Some of the famous faces expected to attend have already begun to arrive in Italy, like first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.

Related video Katy Perry and 5 other women fly into space for 11 minutes on Jeff Bezos’s rocket

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrived at Venice’s Marco Polo airport on Tuesday. Stefano Mazzola/GC Images

The guest lists at Sánchez’s Paris bachelorette party and the couple’s two engagement parties — one on Bezos’ yacht Koru and the other at billionaire Barry Diller and designer Diane von Furstenberg’s Beverly Hills home — may also provide a preview of who will attend the actual nuptials. The previous events included Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Kim Kardashian.

Since Bezos and Sánchez’s relationship went public in 2019, they have been a fixture of A-list events, such as the Met Gala, Vanity Fair Oscars Party, and Formula 1 races, often photographed with celebrities, rather than people from the tech world.

Some unwelcome guests are also planning on attending. Venice locals have been protesting against Bezos ahead of the wedding this month, with signs posted around the city that read “No space for Bezos.”

Protest organizers, who have cited concerns with overtourism, have vowed to disrupt the wedding, saying they would potentially try to block access to some venues. The city, for its part, has denounced the protests and said it welcomes the wedding.

Here is the full list of reported wedding guests:

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg

NFL Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and his wife, October Gonzalez

Fox Sports broadcaster Charissa Thompson

Miguel Bezos, Jeff Bezos’ father

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy

Author Hugh Howey and his wife Shay Londre

Island Company founder Spencer Antle

Early Amazon investor Bill Miller

Hollywood super-connector Michael Kives and his wife, documentary producer Lydia Kives

Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble

Supermodel Karlie Kloss and investor Josh Kushner

This list is being updated as attendees arrive in Venice.

Venice has become the ultimate celebrity hotspot this week as Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez kick off their highly anticipated wedding festivities. After a year-long engagement, the Amazon founder and his fiancée are celebrating their nuptials with a lavish three-day affair in one of the most romantic cities on Earth.

The couple’s grand arrival

The moment everyone’s been waiting for finally happened Wednesday afternoon when Bezos and Sánchez were spotted arriving in by Helicopter.

© Backgrid UK/The Grosby Group

Then the couple took private water taxi (Vaporetto) at one of the opulent wedding venues. Their first stop? The iconic Aman Venice hotel, a seven-star property with sweeping views of the Grand Canal, is famously the same place where George and Amal Clooney tied the knot.

© MARCO BERTORELLO © Ernesto Ruscio

Venice is already buzzing with A-list arrivals. Corey Gamble, longtime partner of Kris Jenner, has touched down, and sources say Victoria Beckham is expected to make an appearance. Mega-yachts have anchored just offshore, reportedly hosting guests like Leonardo DiCaprio, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Eva Longoria, and even Queen Rania of Jordan.

© Luigi Iorio Corey Gamble is seen ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding on June 25, 2025 in Venice, Italy.

To accommodate the VIP crowd, five of the city’s most luxurious hotels, Aman Venice, Cipriani, Danieli, Gritti Palace, and St. Regis, are fully booked. Room rates exceed $2,500 per night.

© Luigi Iorio Ivanka Trump arrives at the St Regis Hotel ahead of the wedding of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos in Venice

Secret Venues, surprise performances

While the full itinerary remains tightly under wraps, festivities are expected to take place across several historic Venetian landmarks, including the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, Fondazione Cini, and the Teatro Verde. The wedding ceremony is rumored to be scheduled for Friday, June 27, on the ultra-private San Giorgio Maggiore island, chosen for its security and prestige.

© Backgrid UK/The Grosby Group

Adding to the buzz, there’s speculation about a surprise performance by none other than Lady Gaga and Elton John, though insiders say nothing’s confirmed. One musical appearance we do expect? Matteo Bocelli, son of famed tenor Andrea Bocelli. A fireworks show over Piazza San Marco will cap off the night in spectacular fashion.

Glamour meets controversy

While this may be one of the most extravagant celebrity weddings in recent memory—reportedly costing up to $20 million, it hasn’t come without backlash. Local protest groups like No Space For Bezos have voiced opposition, criticizing what they see as the commodification of Venice for the global elite. Security has been intensified with ex-U.S. Marines on duty, especially given global political tensions involving the U.S. and Iran.

© ANDREA PATTARO People gather to protest against the wedding of Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez in Venice, on June 13, 2025.

Couture overload: Lauren Sánchez’s 27 wedding looks?

In a true show of fashion power, Sánchez is rumored to be planning up to 27 outfit changes throughout the wedding weekend, featuring custom pieces by Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Galia Lahav. If true, it could mark a new milestone in celebrity bridal fashion.

© MARCO BERTORELLO Gondoliers sail on the Grand Canal in Venice lagoon on June 25, 2026. Celebrities in superyachts sail into Venice this week for the three-day wedding party of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez

Culinary delights and philanthropy

The celebration will also spotlight local flavors, with famed bakery Rosa Salva Venetia preparing traditional Venetian pastries like tiramisù, cream-filled puff pastries, and frittelle. Instead of gifts, guests have reportedly been asked to make donations to social and environmental causes, a move that aligns with the couple’s philanthropic interests.

© Ernesto Ruscio Paparazzi follow the Jeff’s Besos boat ahead of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Wedding at Hotel Aman on June 25, 2025 in Venice, Italy.

Venice is ready

From June 24–29, access to San Giorgio Maggiore is restricted. Nearly 30 water taxis and a fleet of gondolas are reserved for the event, with private boats ferrying guests between hotels, venues, and Bezos’s $500 million yacht, “Koru”, which could double as an after-party location, or possibly even the wedding stage itself.

© MARCO SABADIN Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wave from the taxi-boat as they arrive at the Aman Hotel on June 25, 2026.

With the entire city buzzing and privacy measures at their max, one thing is clear: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are pulling off one of the most headline-grabbing weddings in recent memory, a perfect blend of opulence, intrigue, and unapologetic star power.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez have kicked off their lavish three-day wedding celebration in Venice this week – and festivities are already in full swing. HELLO! understands that the couple’s wedding ceremony will take place on the exclusive island of San Giorgio, in a private church nestled within the island’s renowned gardens, far from public view.

200 guests will travel by gondola through the city, as Jeff has reserved the luxurious Aman Hotel to host his closest friends and family throughout the festivities. HELLO! even has our very own reporter, Isabelle Casey, on the ground in the floating city, ready to bring you all the inside information. During her visit to the sprawling venue, Isabelle observed a stunning floral color scheme featuring white and orange blooms, accented with touches of green and purple.

The multi-million-dollar nuptials are expected to attract a star-studded guest list, so stay tuned for all the latest updates from what promises to be the wedding event of the year.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez exiting the Aman hotel in Venice in June 2025.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez exiting the Aman hotel in Venice in June 2025. Yara Nardi/REUTERS

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What starts with a foam party and ends with “I do”? Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding week, of course.

On Wednesday, Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, floated into Venice via water taxi for their multi-day nuptials. Their wedding has been a long time coming, as the billionaire and former journalist first went public with their relationship in 2019 and got engaged in 2023.

From local protests to celebrity sightings, it’s already been an eventful week, but the celebration is just getting started. Take a look at photos of Bezos and Sánchez’s wedding so far.