Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Proceed With Venice Wedding Amid Protests

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez are in Venice to continue their planned wedding celebrations, despite protests from activists concerned about the city's increasing appeal to affluent visitors and the potential impact on local residents. The couple arrived on Wednesday by helicopter from Bezos' yacht, Koru, anchored off the coast of Croatia. They are staying at the Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal, which previously hosted George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin's wedding party approximately a decade ago. According to Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper, more than 90 private jets are expected to land at Venice's Marco Polo airport. Invited guests reportedly include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump with her husband Jared Kushner. The three-day wedding celebration begins Thursday with a party in the cloisters of Madonna dell'Orto, a medieval church in central Venice. The area has been cordoned off to manage security and address concerns from activists involved in the 'No Space for Bezos' campaign. Activists had planned to disrupt the celebrations, leading organizers to relocate the main event. Initially scheduled for Saturday at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, the party has been moved to the Arsenale shipyards, situated farther from the city center, as reported by Italian press. On Friday, the wedding festivities are expected to take place on the island of San Giorgio, known for the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore designed by architect Andrea Palladio. It is not confirmed whether the wedding ceremony itself will occur there. There is speculation that Bezos, 61, and Sánchez, 55, may have already held a private ceremony in the U.S. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have expressed support for the nuptials, noting that the celebrations are anticipated to bring €40-48 million ($46-56 million) to local businesses. Zaia highlighted that Bezos and Sánchez have donated €3 million ($3.5 million) to three local institutions: Corila, an academic consortium studying Venice's lagoon ecosystem; UNESCO's local office; and the Venice International University. 'Welcome to Venice, Jeff,' Zaia said in a statement, thanking the couple for their 'gesture of extraordinary generosity.'