Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding: Celebrity guests, a ‘fleet’ of gondolas and angry locals in Venice this weekend

Estimates on the cost have varied, but a multi-million-dollar price tag is assured, and it’s expected that everyone involved in the wedding planning will have signed a raft of non-disclosure agreements, naturally.

Still, some details have leaked through the cloak of secrecy. The wedding will take place in Venice, with celebrations spread over three days, reportedly from June 26 to 28, with 200 guests.

If that sounds reminiscent of another celebrity wedding, it’s for good reason: Bezos has hired the same wedding planners as George and Amal Clooney, who tied the knot in the Italian lagoon city back in 2014.

Bezos’s celebrations have attracted the ire of some local residents. Banners have been unfurled around Venice landmarks declaring “No to Bezos”, and protesters have threatened to throw themselves in the canals to halt wedding proceedings. Here’s everything we know about the so-called “super wedding”.

It’s happening in Venice – and the locals are not happy about it

The Bezos wedding has caused quite the kerfuffle over in Venice, where a group of protesters have taken umbrage at the billionaire’s plans to wed in the city.

“Every time an event of this kind happens, the city comes to a standstill, certain areas become inaccessible and even more tourists arrive,” campaigner Marta Sottoriva told The Guardian. “This wedding really is the symbol of all that is wrong with Venice”.

Venice already charges a “tourist tax” for those who enter the city for short periods to help stem its overcrowding.

Anti-Bezos banners have been unfurled at Venice landmarks, including the Rialto Bridge and the bell tower of Fondazione Cini on the island of San Giorgio, which is one of the rumoured wedding locations.

Reserving a fleet of gondolas has got Bezos into hot water

Locals are also concerned about the number of water taxis Bezos has rumoured to have reserved. Some outlets are reporting that he has hired a “fleet” to wait on standby, with one taxi driver telling the New York Times he was booked to be “on call” from June 25 to June 30.

Another water taxi operator, Mario Gasparini, told La Repubblica newspaper: “The exact routes are being kept a secret. We will only discover who our passengers are and where we are taking them the day before the wedding service.”

That’s if they can get through. Tommaso Cacciari, an activist from “No Space for Bezos”, told The Telegraph: “To block their arrival peacefully, we will jump into the canals that surround the venue, and we will also block the alleyways that lead to it... Bezos is not just any VIP – he is a multi-billionaire who supports the world view of Trump.”

The official communications team for the Municipality of Venice has issued a statement calling the outrage “unfounded”. “Only two hundred guests will have been invited and therefore it will be easy for Venice to accommodate such an event, without any disruption whatsoever to the city, its residents and visitors,” the statement said.

“Our city has much experience in international events much larger than this. Venice is accustomed to being the stage for events and shows every week, without significant impacts, such as the G20 Economy, G7 Justice, state bilateral meetings, Art, Architecture, and Cinema Biennales, as well as private events, like large conferences, corporate meetings, fashion shows, parties, and VIP weddings.”

The guest list is stacked

While the guest list for the Bezos wedding hasn’t been made public, it’s fair to assume some of the guests based on who attended the couple’s pre-wedding celebrations.

Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Eva Longoria are all expected to attend following their participation in Lauren Sanchez’s bachelorette party in Paris last month. While Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, and Queen Rania of Jordan have topped rumoured guest lists following their attendance at the couple’s engagement party.

Sanchez’s “space sister”, Katy Perry, is also set to attend alongside Orlando Bloom, following Bezos’s Blue Origin 11-minute all-female voyage to outer space in April.

There have also been rumours circulating that Donald Trump may make an appearance, given that he and Bezos are chummy.

Bezos’s guests will be put up in the finest hotels Venice has to offer, including the Aman, a five-star hotel on the banks of the Grand Canal with private gardens and Rococo works of art, plus Gritti Palace, the Danieli, the Marriott and the St Regis. The St Regis is reportedly playing host to Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are on the rumoured guest list.

Lauren Sanchez has a rumoured 27 outfit changes

The future Mrs Bezos is expected to change outfits 27 times across the three-day nuptials, according to The Telegraph.

Sanchez spoke about the sartorial side to her wedding planning on the Today programme, telling the hosts: “[I’m] very excited about it, I’m just like every other bride.

“I never thought at 54 – I’m going to be 55… that, you know, I’d be an author and that I’d be getting married. I mean, life is just beginning.”

The former TV journalist and licensed helicopter pilot is known to be a big fan of Dolce & Gabbana, having worn designs to numerous high-profile events, including Donald Trump’s pre-inauguration dinner in January and Cannes Film Festival.

Many suspect it may be outfitting her for the wedding ceremony, especially considering she and Bezos were spotted leaving a Dolce & Gabbana fitting in Milan this March.

As for hair and makeup? Manuela Pivato, the founder of an online publication called MyFairVenice, gave an estimation to an Italian women’s magazine: “For George Clooney’s wedding, 50 hairdressers came from Rome. We can estimate a cost of around €500,000.”

Koru, the yacht, to play a big role

If you’re not already familiar with Koru, Jeff Bezos’s $500m (€435m) superyacht, you’re about to be. The future Mr and Mrs Bezos are expected to arrive in Venice via Koru, the world’s largest sailing yacht, alongside a secondary vessel, the Abeona. The Abeona is a support ship, notable for having its own helicopter pad. This adds a potential helicopter element to the wedding celebrations.

The catering will be grand… and the cocktails ‘out of this world’

As part of the Wall Street Journal’s piece on “super weddings” like Bezos’s, the outlet referenced “catering by Carbone” – the ultra-exclusive restaurant beloved by celebrities.

It wouldn’t be a ridiculous idea for Carbone to be catering Bezos’s wedding: he is a known patron of the restaurant and even made headlines by “shocking” diners once when he and Sanchez ate in the main dining room.

Bezos’s cocktail menu is expected to be entirely bespoke, and judging by previous events, probably space oriented. At a post-space-flight event in 2021, Bezos was heard ordering a “Fly Me To The Moon” – his take on the traditional Aviator, made with rum, lemon juice and creme de violette.