Jeff Bazos married Lauren Sanchez in a lavish event in Venice (India Today)
The beautiful Italian city of Venice is never short of glamour, but thanks to billionaire Jeff Bezos this weekend it has taken a step to the next level.
The Amazon mogul invited around 200 VIP guests to witness Emmy-winning journalist Lauren Sánchez and himself exchange their vows, as the centre-point of a lavish 3-day celebration.
The ceremony took place on the tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore, which overlooks a Venice lagoon, with the 55-year-old bride arriving by speedboat.
Some of the planet’s richest and most powerful people – including royals and statesmen – all gathered in the restored amphitheatre for the short service, while Matteo Bocelli, the son of tenor Andrea, sang the popular Elvis Presley number: “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.
It is understood that the multi-million dollar event is effectively just for show, because the 61-year-old, fourth richest person in the world and his now philanthropist bride, are actually already married with a pre-nuptial agreement signed to protect his $244billion fortune.
Plans altered due to local protests
The build-up to the ceremony had not gone as smoothly as the couple would have wished, as their plans were ripped up and remade in the week leading up to their big event.
Much of the issues were connected to some public hostility regarding their descent on the city in such an overwhelming show of wealth and indulgence. The pair left their $500 million yacht, the Koru, off the coast of Croatia, after being advised to do so because of the bad feeling circling Venice, despite the initial intention to moor it in the city.
Arrests made
Earlier in the week forty people were held by police after a small protest in St Mark’s Square when a banner was unfurled on the square reading: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.”
Disgruntled locals continued their show of displeasure throughout the ceremony and associated wedding celebrations. Those behind the protests are believed to be a coalition of groups angered by what they see as the selling-out of the city, housing activists and anti-cruise ship campaigners.
Already married
What may have come as a surprise to some would have been learning that the two stars of the show are already married to each other, and have been for at least a month.
A source close to the couple explained: “The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law. There is no application for a wedding licence in Venice from the couple because it was not required”.
Under Italian law, it was not a wedding celebration in the strictest terms, and the vows exchanged do not have any actual legal meaning.
Luxury hotels booked out to guests
Nevertheless, and whether they knew already or not, the rich and powerful were not going to miss the second-round of nuptials and it required five of the city’s most luxurious hotels to be booked out to accommodate them all.
Indeed, make-up tycoon Kylie Jenner needed a separate water taxi to carry her 25 pieces of monogrammed luggage to her Venetian home for the weekend.
Two other three-star hotels were booked up to house the 150 staff who worked on the event.
Throughout the ceremony and for that matter throughout the entire three days of celebrations, police on jet-skis patrolled the canals.
Rich and famous out in numbers
Kris Jenner and daughters Kim and Khloe were in attendance, as were chat show host Oprah Winfrey and her best friend, TV presenter and author Gayle King, who went on the space “flight” on the Jeff Bezos Blue Origin rocket last month, as part of an all-female team.
Other well-known faces making an appearance were Orlando Bloom, Usher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Bill Gates, and former US President Barack Obama. Donald Trump was believed to have been invited but did not attend, although his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner were there.
Queen Rania of Jordan kept a low profile, not something that could be levelled at fashion duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, probably because they created the bride’s handmade, one-of-a-kind gown.
They were all treated to pizza cooked on site by a famous Neapolitan chef, along with fried zucchini flowers, arancini, octopus and cod.
Venetian vendors provided vast majority of provisions
To show their appreciation to Venice for hosting themselves and their guests, Bezos and Sánchez made a point of sourcing upwards of 80% of their provisions for their special occasion from Venetian vendors.
In addition, the couple asked their guests to make a financial donation to the city itself, instead of purchasing wedding gifts.
“Breathtakingly obscene”
On the streets and canals of Venice the reaction to the sudden take-over by the rich and famous was split. Some were furious, others delighted, dependent in many ways on the level of disruption felt and sales made.
It was probably best summed up by one local who commented: “It’s breathtakingly obscene,” which possibly hit the nail on the head.
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