Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to celebrate $20 million Venetian wedding TODAY as A-list guests are forced to cut short final party before lavish ceremony: Live updates

Preparations continued at the Arsenale on the north of Venice for the gala finale of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding on Saturday night.

The complex, which consists of former shipyards and warehouses, was the bedrock of Venice’s naval history is now a trendy exhibition and party venue.

When MailOnline stopped by to look in warehouse 91 where the Venetian masked ball gala will take place security guards quickly ushered us away.

One said:’You can’t come any further. It’s a private function for Jeff Bezos.

Two large lorries were parked outside and there was a constant procession of staff carrying equipment inside the warehouse while another used a forklift truck.

Glancing through an open window crates of glasses, crockery and dozens of bottles of water could be seen in what looked like a staff canteen area.

Croissants were also piled high and there was coffee and fresh fruit available as it appeared work had been going through the night.

An innocuous-seeming paparazzi photograph may have inadvertently revealed details about Lauren Sanchez’s fiercely-guarded bridal look, as the former journalist prepares to say ‘I do’ to Jeff Bezos this week.

A tour guide hired to welcome guests as they arrived in Venice for the $20 million wedding of the Amazon founder Bezos, 61, and Lauren, 55, was snapped holding a clipboard of names.

Prominent among Beatrice Bavato’s list – that included names, flight numbers, and hotel destinations – were members of Lauren’s ‘glam squad’.

The most intriguing of the ancillary guests is Samuel Horowitz, a sales executive at Dolce & Gabbana.

Could the young Milan-based associate’s presence be confirmation that Lauren has opted to wear one of their creations for her wedding ceremony?

Read the full story here:

At 61 years old, most people may look back at their twenty-something-year-old selves with envy – but it couldn’t be less true for Jeff Bezos.

He now boasts a sculpted body – the result of a strict diet and training regimen – and tanned complexion; in contrast to the wan posture and thinning locks he held just years ago.

His transformation was believed to have been sparked by Amazon’s 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods – the health-conscious grocer – for nearly $14 billion, but he had reportedly started hitting the gym as early as 2013.

In an interview with Vogue in December 2023, Sanchez revealed she and Jeff work out together, but couldn’t do the same exercises, with his fiancée noting: ‘He’s on a whole different level than I am. He is a monster in the gym.’

He also appears to be dedicated to getting his beauty sleep, with the couple sharing in the same interview, they go to bed at 9.30pm. after watching some television.

She’s set to walk down the aisle and wed billionaire Jeff Bezos today in Venice, but it’s not the first time Lauren Sánchez has said ‘I Do’ or come close to exchanging vows with the love of her life.

The soon-to-be Mrs Bezos, 55, has had a roller-coaster quest to find love, filled with a divorce, cheating scandals and three failed engagements.

Lauren has gone through a string of famous romances to finally find her one, with her star-studded list of exes including two NFL players, an actor and a Hollywood movie executive.

But it wasn’t until she cheated on her most recent ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, 60, with the Amazon founder, 61, that she propelled into mega-stardom.

As she prepares to tie the knot with the billionaire in a very star-studded wedding, we have recapped her famous past loves.

When Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tie the knot today, their families will officially become blended.

The Amazon founder, whose net worth is estimated at around $215 billion, welcomed four children with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, whom he married in 1993.

The couple met while they working for the same investment management firm, D. E. Shaw & Co, and tied to knot a year before Bezos launched Amazon.

There is little known about Jeff and MacKenzie’s four kids – three biological sons and a daughter they adopted from China – with all of them keeping a quiet profile despite their father’s fame and fortune.

Sanchez, 55, on the other hand, welcomed a son, named Nikko Gonzalez, with footballer Tony Gonzalez in 2002 before splitting.

She then walked down the aisle with Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell in 2005, and together, they had a son, named Evan Whitesell, in 2006 and a daughter, named Eleanor Whitesell, in 2008.

Here’s all we know about the children:

Pictures obtained by the Mail showed the couple kissing and canoodling on board ‘Koru’ as Sanchez struggled to conceal the rock the size of a Balearic Island that glinted on her ring finger.

The 30-carat diamond ring is estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million.

The pair were pictured off the coast of Cannes, where they were enjoying a Mediterranean odyssey and the inaugural voyage of Bezos’s superyacht

Speaking with Vogue in November 2023, Sánchez revealed she and Bezos had enjoyed dinner before the proposal with him hiding the ring under her pillow

‘When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit,’ Sánchez told the magazine.

Jeff Bezos was introduced to Lauren Sanchez in 2016 by his friend and her ex-husband Patrick Whitesell.

As couples Bezos and his ex Mackenzie Scott and Sanchez and Whitesell socialised together, with the unwitting spouses each considering the other’s a friend.

The story was published on January 9, 2019. Earlier that same day Bezos and his then wife, Mackenzie Tuttle, 53, published an announcement on Twitter that they were separating and that the split after 25 years of marriage was ‘amicable.’

Around that same time, Sanchez told her then husband, Patrick Whitesell, 58, the truth of her affair.

Bezos and Sanchez appaearing at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in March

A-listers who have flocked to Venice are appearing to revel at the opportunity to parade their slimmer bodies amid the Ozempic trend sweeping Hollywood.

Oprah Winfrey – who has lost nearly 50 pounds with the aid of one of the newly popular weight-loss drugs – lead the pack of celebrities flaunting much smaller waistlines, alongside her best friend Gayle King, who has also dropped the pounds.

The former talk show host has showed off her slimmer figure in recent months – such as when she made an appearance at the 2025 Tony Awards earlier this month in NYC.

Back in 2023, the star admitted to taking weight loss medication and at the time she told People, ‘I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing.

While Leonardo DiCaprio looked considerably thinner as he arrived for the celebrations, although his method for transforming from tubby to trim remains a mystery.

Tom Brady and Orlando Bloom will no doubt be two of the most sought-after for a chat from single women during the festivities.

The two eligible bachelors shared a water taxi yesterday as they set out to prove that teamwork makes the dream work.

Former husband of Gisele Bundchen, Tom, donned a white dress shirt with the top few buttons undone.

He flashed his signature pearly whites as he also donned a pair of black designer shades.

While Orlando matched his buddy Tom in a crisp white dress shirt as his short locks were elegantly disheveled.

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner enjoyed a spot of sightseeing yesterday as they were among the first wave of A-list arrivals in Venice.

The couple are joined in the city by their three children, Arabella Rose, 13, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, eight.

Ivanka took to Instagram to post pictures from their day in Venice. ‘Da Venezia con amore’ (‘From Venice with love’), she captioned the post.

Watch the moment Ivanka and Jared arrived in Venice on Wednesday:

Today may be Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ big day.

Kim – who recently spent time in Paris with Lauren on her hen do – looked incredible in a tiny Balenciaga bandeau top, which also featured a ribbed maxi skirt.

She teamed the garment with snakeskin boots and oversized shades while she shrugged a black hoodie off her shoulders.

By her side was Khloe, who exuded glamour in a skintight leopard print catsuit from her sister Kim’s SKIMS collab with Dolce & Gabbana, that showcased her famous curves.

The siblings were joined by mother Kris Jenner on the outing, who was also dressed in black, showcasing her figure in a low-cut dress.

The official wedding guest list is believed to have under 200 people in what is likely to be a mix of A-list celebrities and the wealthy elite.

So which of Jeff and Lauren’s celebrity pals scored an invite to what is expected to be the wedding of the century?

Kim Kardashian, 44, has been a steadfast presence in Lauren’s inner circle for years, offering consistent support through DMs and lavish joint outings including Lauren’s recent Bachelorette party in Paris where Kim gave evidence in her high-profile robbery trial.

Lauren and the Kardashian matriarch, Kris Jenner, 69, have also cultivated a family-like friendship. The pair grew close when Kris joined Kim and Lauren at one of Beyoncé’s concerts on the Renaissance tour in 2023.

The First Daughter, 43, has travelled to Venice with her husband Jared Kushner and their three children. Ivanka’s brother Donald Trump Jr is also set to attend today’s ceremony.

Oprah, 71, will be among the guests in Venice and was pictured arriving yesterday. Oprah recently supported Lauren following her Blue Origin spaceflight in May as she watched the launch in Texas.

The newly single actor arrived in Venice on Thursday amid reports of a recent split with pop star Katy Perry

The Academy Award-winning actor, 50, will attend alongside his 27-year-old Italian girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, according to People magazine. Di Caprio attended the couple’s engagement party in 2023 at the Beverly Hills home of Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

‘They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law,’ the insider revealed.

They added: ‘When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married.

‘There is no application for a wedding license from the couple because it was not required.

‘Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding. Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning.’

The source also claimed that Jeff had personally confirmed that he and Lauren are already legally married, and that they had also signed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect his $244 billion fortune.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez pictured yesterday in Venice

The lavish event held at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters marked the start of the billionaire couple’s lavish three-day wedding in Venice, Italy, which will come to a close on Saturday.

However, Thursday night’s star-studded soiree was brought to an early end due to the intense downpour.

Guests dived for cover under the vaulted cloisters as lightening bolts flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead at the end of what was a torridly humid day with temperatures nudging 96.8° Fahrenheit.

Torrential downpours and a strong wind left guests soaked as they then dashed for water taxis which had been scrambled a good 45 minutes ahead of the midnight finish time.

One onlooker said: ‘It just goes to show you can have all the money in the world but you cant control the weather – although an Italian saying says a wet bride is a happy and lucky bride.’

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore will be the backdrop to today’s wedding ceremony between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez

On the island there are 11 small chapels enclosed in private gardens which have been closed for several days and have previously been hired out by the super-rich.

Incredibly rich in history, the gardens include a 128-metre private library and also a maze which are both usually buzzing with tourists this time of year.

Gardeners, builders and electricians have been working to make sure all of the final details are complete ahead of the bride and groom’s arrival later today.

Around 30 ex-marine security men also patrolled the island, in what appeared to be them preparing for the arrival of the 200 guests.

Not a private members club in the traditional sense, the island is home to a sailing company that has private facilities on the island like a clubhouse which can also be used for events like weddings and gatherings.

However the private events are usually arranged with the money to then be donated to the islands charity, Fondazione Giorgio Cini.

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.

The ceremony will take place on San Giorgio Maggiore island

The multi-billionaire Amazon founder, 61, was seen stepping off a boat alongside his glamorous girlfriend, 55, at the luxury Aman Hotel on Wednesday.

After being dropped off by water taxi to the hotel’s private jetty, the couple were also joined by around 50 other of their closest guests and friends.

The couple chose Italy to host their wedding following a two-year engagement.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice.

The Amazon founder and one of the world’s richest men and the former TV journalist today host a lavish ceremony during their three-day celebration in the Italian city costing an estimated $20 million.

Hollywood A-listers and super-rich guests have made their way to San Giorgio Maggiore island in the Venetian Lagoon for what has been dubbed the ‘wedding of the century’.

But the nuptials have caused anger in Venice with protest banners, posters and graffitis plastered in recent days with activists planning to disrupt the celebrations.

Stick with us for the latest updates with our correspondents Nick Pisa and Molly Clayton reporting from Venice plus our reporters in London and New York.