VENICE, ITALY — Billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez touched down in Venice on Wednesday to begin a three-day wedding celebration that has turned the floating city into a fortress of luxury, security, and spectacle.
Arriving via helicopter from Bezos’s private yacht support vessel, the couple made their way to the exclusive Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal, waving to awaiting photographers.
The wedding weekend, running June 26–28, features a black-tie ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore and a grand reception at the Arsenale, with a guest list studded with celebrities including Oprah, DiCaprio, and the Trumps.
But not all Venetians are celebrating. Environmental and anti-inequality groups have launched protests under the slogan “No Space for Bezos,” criticizing the privatization of historic sites and the impact of billionaire tourism.
In a gesture of goodwill—or damage control—the couple is reportedly donating up to €3 million to local causes, including environmental preservation and education.
City officials estimate the event could inject as much as €48 million into Venice’s economy, even as it raises enduring questions about wealth, space, and belonging in one of the world’s most storied cities.
