As Venice shimmered under the Italian sun in late June 2025, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez wrapped up their three‑day wedding extravaganza—but not without stirring the city into uproar.
💍 The Love Story and Its Setting
Bezos and Sánchez touched down in Venice on June 25, hopping into water taxis bound for the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal. Their ceremony, held June 26 at the cloistered Madonna dell’Orto church, featured performances by Matteo Bocelli and boasted a guest list loaded with A‑listers—Oprah, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Ivanka Trump and more youtube.comnewsweek.com+15apnews.com+15theguardian.com+15.
Originally slated for the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia in Cannaregio, the celebration was abruptly moved to the fortified Venetian Arsenale complex in Castello due to rising unrest and concerns about public sabotage newsweek.com+7euronews.com+7indiatimes.com+7.
🎉 Protests That Made History
Venetians weren’t about to let the city become an exclusive private venue. The “No Space for Bezos” movement, backed by local housing advocates, environmental groups, university networks and Greenpeace, emerged defiantly. Banners like “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes” flooded St. Mark’s Square. Activists even floated a Bezos dummy clutching Amazon boxes into the canals—a dramatic statement of dissent newsweek.com+8cadenaser.com+8euronews.com+8.
Organizers admit the protests succeeded. Originally planned in the heart of the city, the venue was switched to the Arsenale—a secure complex accessible only by water—to sidestep possible disruption theguardian.com+7cadenaser.com+7indiatimes.com+7.
💰 Cost, Criticism, and Charity
This isn’t a modest affair—it’s pegged at nearly $50 million (€40–48 million), with estimates rising to $56 million depending on sources apnews.com. The scale has provoked fury and fierce debate: some locals cite overtourism and skyrocketing housing costs as direct consequences of billionaire events overtaking Venice’s fragile fabric timesofindia.indiatimes.com+9abc7.com+9apnews.com+9.
City officials, in contrast, speak of economic infusion: private jets (around 90–95) and yachts boosting business for hotels, taxi services, artisans—and echoing past events like the Clooney‑Amal wedding . Bezos also pledged millions to local charities: €3 million (or €2 million per other sources) for lagoon research and environmental initiatives, plus police overtime support thetimes.co.uk.
Still, for many Venetians, it’s not enough. Critics say it glosses over deeper issues—housing, residents’ rights, and the commercialization of their heritage people.com+1apnews.com+1.
Final Take:
Bezos and Sánchez’s wedding lit up Venice with star power—but it also lit a firestorm of backlash. Between A‑list celebrations, venue changes, celebrity security, and heartfelt protests, it’s become more than a wedding—it’s a cultural flashpoint highlighting wealth, privilege, and who gets to shape one of the world’s most iconic cities.
Hello, I am Harlee Wilkinson. I like art, culture, and famous history. I write about cool stories about well-known stuff. Come with me to explore the interesting world of famous things!