From the starry guest list to Italian venue, your guide to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding

While the pandemic of the 2020s heralded the concept of intimate weddings, that changed in the recent past with the wealthy reverting to extravagant functions to mark their unions. Anant Ambani married Radhika Merchant in July 2024, after numerous rounds of wedding functions; before and after it too, spanning over 7 months, which included private performances by Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Katy Perry. In 2025, it’s Amazon and Blue Origin founder, Jeff Bezos who is making headlines for his upcoming nuptials to journalist and author Lauren Sanchez.

The couple made their relationship public in May 2019. This was after Jeff and his ex-wife, author and philanthropist, MacKenzie Scott, finalised their divorce in April 2019. The former couple’s 25-year long marriage saw MacKenzie play a key role in Amazon’s budding years, which ultimately shaped it into the global conglomerate it is today. Simultaneously, Lauren filed for a divorce from her ex-husband, American businessman, Patrick Whitesell, one day after Jeff’s divorce was finalised. The couple were married for 13 years and their separation was finalised in October 2019. Jeff has four children; three sons and one daughter, from his former marriage while Lauren has three children; a son with ex-boyfriend, former NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and another son and a daughter from her former marriage.

Since their debut in the public eye, Lauren and Jeff have made numerous appearances hand-in-hand; at the Met Gala, White House State Dinner and meeting the late Pope Francis together, while also working collaboratively at Blue Origin and the Bezos Earth Fund. In May 2023, Bezos proposed to Sanchez aboard his superyacht, Koru. He had hidden a 30-carat diamond ring under her pillow, which she found before sleeping. 

Two years later, Lauren marked the end of her single-dom in May 2025 with a bachelorette trip to Paris, attended by her celebrity friends like Natasha Poonawalla, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and Kris Jenner, amongst others. Kim and Lauren have been long-time friends, before the latter was linked to Bezos.

Now that you’re all caught up on the relationship history of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, let’s dive into its future; namely their upcoming nuptials, which is touted to be the “wedding of the year”.

ABC News obtained a snippet of the couple’s wedding invitation. It features images of birds, butterflies and gondoliers operating their famed boats over the canals of Venice. The invite asked guests to refrain from giving gifts but instead, donate to three Venetian charities, which support the city’s culture and habitat.

The soon-to-be-wedded couple were spotted aboard Koru this week, as pre-wedding celebrations began with fervour. Earlier today, Lauren waved for the cameras wearing a sculptural Schiaparelli number, seemingly for a party.

Expectantly enough, the wedding guest list is a starry one. Lauren’s gal pals; Kim, Kris and Natasha have arrived in Venice already. However, Katy Perry will reportedly skip the event, as Orlando Bloom, whom she recently split from, will be attending. Hollywood celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and Tom Brady as well as Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump have been spotted on Italian waters.

Jeff’s superyacht Koru, which has been the centre of the wedding activity, is also believed to be the host to one of the events during the couple’s wedding week.

The wedding will be held in Italy with approximately 200 guests in attendance, which Mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed.

Venice was announced as the venue for the billionaire’s wedding however, local activists protested the arrangement for its environmental impact, over tourism and priority over the functioning of residents. These protests included banners that stated “No space for Bezos!” and “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax” over landmarks like the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square. Activists also floated a mannequin resembling Bezos clutching money on an Amazon box, as part of their protests.

Since then, the nuptials have reportedly shifted their venue to the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is off the city of Venice. They were initially intended to be held at the Scuola Vecchia della Misericordia in central Venice. The wedding is set to take place later today.

Tomorrow, the guests will reportedly attend a wedding dinner party at the Arsenale di Venezia, a cluster of former shipyards and armouries, in Venice.

Source: The Cut, People, Harper's Bazaar, Good Morning America