Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, journalist Lauren Sanchez, were scheduled to host a wedding party in Venice, Italy this week. Due to safety concerns and the need to prevent protest activities, the party venue has been changed to a more remote and hard-to-reach location.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the tech billionaire and his fiancée initially planned to hold the wedding in the vibrant Cannaregio district of Venice, known for its nightlife. However, in recent weeks, some local residents and civil groups have strongly opposed the grand event, fearing Venice would become an exclusive playground for the wealthy, with some even threatening peaceful blockades.
Concerned that protests could lead to chaos, the organizers ultimately decided to relocate the event to a hall inside the historic 14th-century Arsenal complex in the Castello district. The Arsenal, surrounded by waterways and accessible by bridge, is considered more secure than the original venue, Scuola Grande della Misericordia. The Arsenal was formerly a military shipbuilding base of the Venetian Republic, later restored and used as a venue for the Venice Biennale.
The specific date and location of the wedding have not been disclosed, but it is expected to take place between Thursday and Saturday with around 200 to 250 important guests from the entertainment industry, politics, and finance in attendance.
This luxurious wedding once again showcases the unique allure of Venice as a top choice for celebrity weddings. In 2014, American actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin also chose to tie the knot in this picturesque city.
Regarding the venue change, Tommaso Cacciari, the founder of the protest movement “No Space for Bezos,” commented, “Bezos’ decision to move out of the Misericordia is a significant victory for us.” The group has announced plans to continue protesting on Saturday in Venice’s canals, bridges, and alleys, vowing to make the wedding a “nightmare” for Bezos and his guests.
However, Luca Zaia, the president of the Veneto region, criticized the protest activities, emphasizing that there will be up to 90 private planes participating in the wedding, potentially bringing local businesses up to €48 million (around $55.69 million) in revenue.
The 61-year-old Bezos, ranked 4th on the Forbes global billionaires list, serves as the executive chairman of Amazon. In 2023, he got engaged to the 55-year-old Sanchez, with whom he publicly started a relationship in 2019 shortly after ending his 25-year marriage with ex-wife MacKenzie Scott.
In addition, according to insiders, Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner recently visited a Ferrari factory during their vacation in Tuscany and then headed to Venice to attend Bezos’ wedding.