The mayor of Venice has revealed the location of the American billionaire's highly anticipated wedding. Jeff Bezos, after boasting that the festivities would bring millions of dollars to the Italian city, according to the newspaper "The Telegraph".
The Amazon founder will marry his fiancée, former TV journalist Lauren Sánchez, amid the domes, towers, and stone bridges of Venice, accompanied by the cries of seagulls, according to Luigi Brugnaro.
Brugnaro said Thursday: "This event will generate economic benefits of several million euros for the city."
The celebrations, which will last three days from June 24 to 26, represent a boon for hoteliers, restaurateurs, water taxi drivers and gondoliers.
It will be the biggest celebrity wedding in the World Heritage-listed city since that of actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin a decade ago.
According to reports, Bezos' wedding guest list includes Ivanka Trump, daughter of the former US president. Donald Trump, and her husband, real estate developer Jared Kushner, as well as Kim Kardashian, actress Eva Longoria, British actor Orlando Bloom and his fiancée, pop star Katy Perry, and popular TV host Oprah Winfrey.
According to Italian sources, the couple has booked a fleet of water taxis to transport their guests to Venice. In addition, luxury hotels are fully booked, ranging from the legendary Gritti Palace to the Danieli and the Belmond Cipriani.
The Grand Canal suite at the Gritti Palace costs over 9 euros a night (about $000) in June. At the Danieli, a deluxe room with a lagoon view costs about 9 euros a night.
The wedding will be organized by the British company "Lanza & Baucina," according to the Italian press. This London-based firm has a solid reputation for planning large events for the ultra-wealthy and is known for its discretion.
On its website, the company states: "We have worked on every continent and are responsible for organizing the most refined, private, and spectacular parties in the world. Discretion is at the heart of our work. We have no social media presence and do not publish any examples of our past events." It is said that one of the company's founders owns a residence in Venice.
Money should not be an issue for Bezos, who Forbes magazine ranked as the second richest person in the world with an estimated fortune of $218 billion.
He and his fiancée are expected to arrive in Venice aboard his $500 million yacht. This yacht, equipped with three immense masts, is the largest sailing boat in the world and requires approximately $30 million a year to maintain.
The wedding comes two years after Bezos, 61, proposed to Sánchez, 55. He presented her with a 20-carat diamond ring, estimated to be worth $2,5 million. Sánchez later said she "slightly blacked out" when she first saw the ring.
Bezos has four children from his first marriage to MacKenzie Scott, whom he divorced in 2019 after 25 years of marriage.
Sanchez, for her part, has two children from her first marriage to Patrick Whitesell.
