
Billionaire tech mogul Jeff Bezos and former TV journalist Lauren Sanchez will today celebrate their $20 million Venetian wedding in front of a dazzling array of star-studded guests.
Described as the ‘wedding of a century’, the 61-year-old Amazon founder and one of the world’s richest men and his bride-to-be, 55, have welcomed nearly 200 VIPs to Venice for three days of lavish celebrations.
Last night it was revealed Bezos and Sanchez have already married legally ahead of today’s ceremony on San Giorgio Maggiore island. It came as guests including Kylie Jenner were forced to take cover from a freak thunderstorm during the couple’s pre-wedding party inside the historic Madonna dell’Orto cloisters.
A-listers Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom jetted in to Italy earlier this week for the nuptials which come two years after Bezos asked Sanchez to marry him on his $500 million superyacht.
But preparations for the couple’s big day have been far from plain sailing with protesters planning to disrupt the celebrations, even forcing a late venue change.
Live updates below
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Girls, I’m living a fairytale. I’m on cloud nine in a wonderful city, with the man I love. I couldn’t be happier.
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We are not psychopaths we are not against people getting married but what we are against is this extravagant waste of money by the elite.
These billionaires and millionaires are flaunting their wealth and parking their yachts just feet away from where some are finding it a real struggle to make ends meet.
The change of venue was a victory for us and we will continue to protest until the event is over, Venice is not a theme park or play toy that can be hired at the whim of an oligarch.
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We need information because from Wednesday until Saturday night the city of Venice will be in a virtual lockdown to allow the Amazon magnate’s wedding to go ahead.
It will be locked down, but it will also be a city bought for three days in a sort of unbridled celebration of luxury that will limit the movement of citizens. I am here to ask the Ministry of the Interior to guarantee the freedom to express dissent. How is it possible to buy a city for three days creating a series of inconveniences?
I remember that Amazon is under investigation for the exploitation of workers, Bezos’ wealth comes from this. If they can buy Venice for three days, these super rich can pay taxes.
View from Venice: Locals fear wedding anger could tip into violence
Today, the atmosphere in the world’s most beautiful city is distinctly ugly.In my neighbourhood, Zattere, behind the Salute Church on the Grand Canal, the canals and alleyways are eerily quiet.
Aside from an unusual number of mega-yachts – with smartly dressed crew bustling about the decks and heavies guarding the gangways – there’s almost no one about.
Only the thump-thump of the helicopters ferrying guests from the airport on the mainland suggests anything unusual. Frankly, it feels menacing.
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Inside the wedding venue where A-listers will gather today
The problem is with the Bezos wedding is we don’t know where that money is going. That’s been difficult and the thing we are upset about.
Watch: Moment Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez arrive in Venice
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to marry in star-studded ceremony in Venice