Celebrations began on Thursday evening in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in the central district of Cannaregio that hosts masterpieces by 16th-century painter Tintoretto.

"This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories," the bride and groom said on their wedding invitation, in which they asked for "no gifts" and pledged charity donations for three Venetian institutions.

Their donations are worth 3 million euros ($3.5 million).

US singer Usher Raymond IV and wife Jennifer Goicoechea are pictured on a taxi boat in Venice lagoon.

US reality TV personality Kim Kardashian stands on a taxi boat as she leaves the Gritti Palace Hotel ahead of the wedding of Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos wedding.

The wedding is thought to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice's iconic St Mark's Square.

The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said.

Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake has been made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said.

Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge.

Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, the queen of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian as well as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner and Domenico Dolce from Dolce & Gabbana are among the 200-250 guests.

Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tied the knot Friday at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice's lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice's Grand Canal on Friday to head to their wedding ceremony, the centrepiece of a three-day gala featuring dozens of stars but also protests by local activists.

Sanchez, 55, waved and blew kisses to onlookers as she boarded a sleek motor boat outside the Aman hotel wearing short-sleeved, cream, fitted skirt suit, with shades and a head scarf to protect her from the blistering summer sun.

Around two hours later Bezos, 61, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie over a white shirt, made the same short trip across the lagoon to the small island of San Giorgio where the couple will exchange rings, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

The evening ceremony will have no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told news agency Reuters, suggesting the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage.

All eyes are on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former TV journalist Lauren Sanchez as the couple is all set to tie the knot at a lavish ceremony in Venice on Friday.

Social media is flooded with deets regarding Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's big day. They both looked amazing together. But it was Lauren's powerful fashion statement that caught everyone's attention, especially of Indian audience.

The bride-to-be opted for an off-shoulder black evening gown that she paired with a black satin barrel-shaped clutch from an Indian quiet luxury brand, Ahizoka, founded by Namrata Karad.

Elated to see Lauren carrying an Indian brand, Namrata Karad shared, "Seeing the Lilian clutch carried with such grace at an occasion of global relevance is not just a proud moment for Ahikoza, but a celebration of Indian design on the world stage. Our commitment to timeless elegance and intentional craftsmanship continues to find resonance across borders."

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez were set to exchange marriage vows at a ceremony in Venice on Friday, part of a three-day wedding extravaganza that has attracted dozens of celebrity guests but also protests by local activists.

Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, will exchange rings on the small island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark's Square, accompanied by singing from Matteo Bocelli, son of the famous Italian pop-opera tenor Andrea Bocelli.

The ceremony will have no legal status under Italian law, a senior city hall official told Reuters, suggesting that the couple may have already legally wed in the United States, avoiding the bureaucracy associated with an Italian marriage.

The star-studded wedding festivities of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos have officially begun in Venice.

On Thursday, June 26, 2025 the American journalist, Lauren Sanchez and the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos welcomed several high-profile guests to their three-day wedding celebrations. While the bride and groom-to-be were in a festive spirits, all eyes were on Lauren's exquisite Schiaparelli couture beige silk gown.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former American television presenter Lauren Sanchez are getting married this weekend in Venice, Italy, where the who's who of the worlds of business and showbiz have flown in. Bezos and Sanchez's wedding will take place in the Italian city on Saturday, June 27.

The couple are all set to exchange vows on the island of San Giorgio, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony, a senior City Hall official told Reuters, "will have no legal status under Italian law". There are murmurs that Bezos and Sanchez have already gotten married in the US, to dodge the complicated wedding process in Italy.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to marry Lauren Sanchez in a grand celebration in Venice. The high-profile wedding, which is expected to take place between June 26 and 28, will bring in around 200 to 500 guests, including celebrities, tech billionaires and political elites.

The three-day celebration includes an exclusive gala, more like a cocktail party, on June 26 at Lido de Venice, followed by the main wedding ceremony on June 27 at the picturesque Teatro Verde on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the grand farewell party on June 28.

Who is Lauren Sanchez?

Born on December 19, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lauren completed schooling from Del Norte High School. 

Lauren went to the University of Southern California and studied journalism. She began her career as a desk assistant at KCOP-TV in Los Angeles and held several positions, including an anchor and reporter. Lauren's career took off in broadcast journalism in 1990 when she joined Fox News as an entertainment reporter and later moved to Fox Sports Net, UPN News 13 and Good Day LA.

Lauren also hosted the dancing competition series, So You Think You Can Dance. In 2010, she appeared in the Hot Bodies edition of US Weekly and the 50 Most Beautiful issue of People magazine.

Residents of Venice, already fed up with crowds of tourists cramming into their canal city, now have one more gripe: Jeff Bezos.  The billionaire Amazon founder is due to marry journalist Lauren Sanchez in a celebration in Venice today.

Not everyone is feeling the love though, with some residents hanging a huge banner with an X over Bezos's name on a belltower overlooking the Venice lagoon before the sign was removed on Thursday. 

"He's not welcome, not in Venice, not anywhere!" wrote the "No Space for Bezos" collective on Facebook, which was responsible for the banner.

The anti-Bezos group, whose posters and stickers have been seen in recent days across the city, has called a public assembly for Friday evening to drum up opposition.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez began three days of lavish wedding celebrations in Venice on Thursday with tight security shielding their VIP guests from protesters.

Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom and the Queen of Jordan were among the latest arrivals, joining Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who showed up on Tuesday, have used the extra time for sightseeing and shopping.

Some 200-250 A-listers from show business, politics and finance are expected to take part in what has been widely dubbed "wedding of the century", estimated to cost around $50 million.

Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancee, former journalist Lauren Sanchez, are set to get married this weekend in Venice, Italy.

They arrived in Venice on Wednesday ahead of their wedding, an event that has sparked protests with protestors saying the UNESCO city is no billionaire's playground.

Since the stage is set for the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice with the couple and guests arriving in the Italian town for the nuptials. Jeff and Lauren announced their engagement back in 2023. Jeff Bezos who is the world's fourth richest man and his fiancée were seen stepping off a water-taxi at the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal. Termed as the 'wedding of the century' the celebrations are estimated to see 90 private jets full of wedding guests landing in Venice for the three-day wedding. US president's daughter, Ivanka Trump was even spotted departing in a boat from the Venice Marco Polo Airport ahead of this week's wedding to be held on June 27, 2025.

Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom and the Queen of Jordan were among the latest arrivals, joining Oprah Winfrey, Kris Jenner and Kim and Khloe Kardashian.
U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who showed up on Tuesday, have used the extra time for sightseeing and shopping.
Some 200-250 A-listers from show business, politics and finance are expected to take part in what has been widely dubbed "wedding of the century", estimated to cost around $50 million.

Tech magnate Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million dollar nuptials, which are expected to begin with an open-air soiree in the cloisters of the 14th-century Madonna dell'Orto church.

Sanchez, who arrived with Bezos Wednesday, was spotted wearing a black dress with silver sequins -- one of an alleged 27 outfits she will don during the festivities.

Oprah Winfrey arrived in Venice on Thursday, leading a star-studded guest list of celebrities descending on the lagoon city for the weekend wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

Winfrey's private jet landed at Venice's Marco Polo airport. Former American footballer Tom Brady arrived soon thereafter.

The details of the nuptials have been a tightly kept secret, though the locations now appear to have firmed up as has the guest list.

Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and their three children arrived Wednesday.

Other celebrities on the guest list, according to two people close to the wedding who spoke on condition of anonymity, because they weren't authorized to speak publicly, include:

- Kim Kardashian

- Mick Jagger

- Leonardo DiCaprio

- Orlando Bloom

- Microsoft founder Bill Gates

- Diane von Furstenberg and her husband Barry Diller

- Katy Perry had originally been expected but the latest update had her as not attending.

VIPs whizzed by speed boat through Venice Thursday as the three-day wedding party of Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez kicked off and protesters demonstrated in St Mark's Square.

US reality TV personalities Kim and Khloe Kardashian were snapped climbing into water taxis in stilettos, followed by US talk show host Oprah Winfrey in an all-white outfit, including sensible trainers.

Residents accuse Bezos of treating Venice like a billionaire's playground, ignoring the city's ongoing struggles with mass tourism, rising housing costs, and climate change.

Amazon's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice on Wednesday ahead of their wedding, an event that has sparked protests in the Italian city.

Bezos, the world's fourth-richest person, and his former television anchor bride-to-be were seen stepping off a water taxi at the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal.

Around 90 private jets are set to land in local airports this week, bringing A-listers from showbusiness, politics and finance to the widely-dubbed "wedding of the century" that will cost Bezos an estimated 40-48 million euros ($46-$56 million).

eff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez are expected arrive in Venice on Wednesday, as per reports, for three days of lavish VIP parties to celebrate their wedding in the romantic lagoon city despite protests from locals.

Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have booked out the city's finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump.

The weekend's star-studded Venice wedding has galvanized activist groups that are protesting it as a sign of the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots as well as disregard of the city's residents.

About a dozen Venetian organisations - including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups - have united to protest the multi-day event under the banner "No Space for Bezos", a play on words also referring to the bride's recent space flight.

The hall of Arsenale, surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when connecting bridges are raised, is considered a safer venue than Cannaregio's Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a medieval former religious school.

Originally a giant shipyard serving the Venetian Republic's maritime empire, the Arsenale has been restored and converted into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.

The wedding party has now been moved to hall of the Arsenale, a vast 14th-century complex in the eastern Castello district.

Around 200-250 VIP guests from show business, politics and finance are expected to attend the wedding.

After the wedding ceremony, whose location and exact date remain secret, although it is expected to be between Thursday and Saturday.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka was seen departing in a boat from Venice Marco Polo Airport on Tuesday ahead of this week's wedding between American tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez.