Forget Bridgerton—2025’s most talked-about wedding didn’t need corsets or carriages, just a $500 million yacht and a protest-proof island. As Venice played host to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s multi-day nuptials, the world watched with a mix of curiosity, critique, and the kind of fascination usually reserved for royal families or reality show finales. Here’s your crash course on the Amazonian affair that had gondoliers whispering and activists marching.
When Jeff Met Lauren
Jeff Bezos, Amazon's king of e-commerce, met Lauren Sánchez, an Emmy-winning journalist turned aerial cinematographer, back in the late 2010s while she was still married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell. Their relationship went public in 2019 after Bezos’s very public divorce from his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie Scott. Since then, Sánchez has flown to space, penned a bilingual children’s book, and become Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. The couple got engaged in May 2023—aboard his yacht, obviously.
The $3.5 Million Cushion Cut That Stole the Show
Lauren’s engagement ring isn’t just a rock—it’s a tectonic plate. Estimated at $3.5 million by Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone jewellers, the 20-carat cushion cut dazzler sits atop a platinum band and likely flaunts a D colour grade and VVS clarity. It’s the kind of sparkle that says spaceflight, but make it bridal. With Kim K, Mariah Carey, and Meghan Markle in similar company, Lauren’s finger officially joined the A-list before the aisle.
A Wedding So Big, It Got Protested
Originally planning a black-tie bash at the Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia, Bezos and Sánchez had to pivot after Venetians (and Greenpeace) protested the city’s transformation into a billionaire’s playground. Signs reading “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax” went up. The reception was relocated to the Arsenale shipyards, and the ceremony moved offshore to San Giorgio Maggiore. The city may float, but not everyone was on board with this billionaire takeover.
The Schedule: Three Days, Two Yachts, One Foam Party
It all kicked off with a foam party aboard the Koru (meaning 'new beginning'), Bezos’s superyacht. Then came a welcome night at Madonna dell’Orto, a black-tie wedding ceremony on San Giorgio with Matteo Bocelli (yes, Andrea’s son) performing, and a final luxe dinner at the Arsenale di Venezia. Most guests arrived by water taxi—30 of which were on exclusive duty for the affair .
The Guest List: From Kardashians to Clooneys
About 200 invitees made the cut, including The Rock, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Ivanka Trump, Diane von Fürstenberg, and possibly Oprah. The same social circuit that turned up for the Clooneys and Pinaults turned out once more—because nothing says I do like sharing Bellinis with billionaires .
The Invite? More Clipart Than Couture
Despite the glamour, the wedding invite raised eyebrows. Featuring butterflies, gondolas, and a Microsoft Word-level aesthetic, the card was slammed online for being “homemade, but not in an artisanal sense.” The message, however, was pointed: no gifts, just donations to Venice conservation efforts including UNESCO and CORILA .
The Bride, The Dress, The Mystery
While Lauren Sánchez kept her wedding dress designer under wraps (Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana were in the rumour mill), she’d already made fashion headlines at her Paris bachelorette, where she partied with Kim K and Katy Perry. Having flown to space and led Bezos’ Earth Fund initiatives, her bridal moment was just another chapter in a life that’s anything but grounded .
The Politics of Luxury
Bezos’s team insisted their Venice plans were designed to minimise disruption, sourcing 80% of wedding supplies locally. But the backlash highlighted a deeper tension: what does it mean when a city built on history becomes the backdrop for extravagance? Venice’s residents made sure the question stayed centre stage .
