Jeff Bezos marries Lauren Sánchez in star-studded, lavish ceremony in Venice; all you need to know

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez tied the knot on Friday night (June 27, 2025) in a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. It was the second day of events spread across the Italian lagoon city, which added complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land.

Emmy-winning journalist Sánchez, 55, posted a photo of her on social media platform Instagram in a white gown as she stood alongside tuxedo-clad Bezos, 61, the world's fourth-richest man.

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The star-studded guest list for the couple’s wedding included a plethora of athletes, celebrities, influencers, and business leaders. Dozens of private jets had flocked to Venice’s airport, and yachts pulled into the city’s famed waterways as guests converged to revel in extravagance that was as much a testament to the couple’s love as to their extraordinary wealth.

Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel advisory and destination event service.

“It’s a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people,” said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice, news agency AP reported. "There’s very tight control, especially on movement there with boats.” It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said.

Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (up to $56 million). It’s over 1,000 times the $36,000 average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola’s annual report.

On Friday afternoon, Sánchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio Island, across the lagoon basin from St. Mark’s Square, where the couple held their ceremony Friday night. Bezos followed two hours later.

Then, in a string of water taxis, came their illustrious guests—Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. Paparazzi trailed on their own boats, trying to capture them all on camera.

According to AP, local media have reported a reception Saturday (June 28, 2025) in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Biennale.