Everything There’s to Know About Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s Venice Wedding

On June 27, 2025, Venice became more than just a city of water; it turned into the backdrop of one of the most glamorous and talked-about weddings in recent history. Jeff Bezos, billionaire founder of Amazon, and Lauren Sánchez, an Emmy award-winning journalist and pilot, exchanged vows in an elegant, star-studded ceremony.

Their love story didn’t begin with a viral moment or a Hollywood romance cliché. It began quietly, away from the spotlight, as both of them were navigating endings.

In early 2019, Bezos and his then-wife, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, announced their divorce. Around the same time, Sánchez was going through a separation from her husband, talent executive Patrick Whitesell. The timing, for both, was complex but within that complexity, something real began.

What started as a professional relationship eventually turned into something deeper. Sánchez, who owned an aerial film company, was reportedly working with Bezos on aerial footage for his space company, Blue Origin. Shared values, similar ambitions, and an undeniable spark turned work into romance.

As their relationship grew, so did public interest. The couple traveled together, attended high-profile events, and shared quiet moments aboard Bezos’s sailing yacht, Koru; a 417-foot, three-masted vessel whose name symbolizes new beginnings in Māori. That yacht would later become the site of their engagement in May 2023, during the Cannes Film Festival.

Sánchez discovered a $2.5 million pink cushion-cut diamond ring under her pillow, hidden by Bezos. It was simple, it was unexpected, and it was deeply personal, just like the love they had been building away from the flashbulbs and headlines.

The proposal set the tone for what would become one of the most opulent weddings of the decade, yet one grounded in intention and emotional meaning.

In the months following the engagement, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding planning began; not just for the ceremony, but for an entire experience that reflected the philanthropist’s evolution and the couple’s shared vision. The bride-to-be didn’t want a flashy affair full of clichés. She wanted something elegant, something timeless. And that began with the dress.

What began as an idea for something modern and sleek quickly evolved. “I went from wanting a simple, sexy dress to something that felt like a moment,” Sánchez told Vogue in an interview. That turning point came during a dinner at Domenico Dolce’s apartment overlooking the Hudson River. 

She had met Dolce and his partner Stefano Gabbana during a summer in Portofino, when both their yachts were anchored nearby. A drink invitation turned into a late-night conversation, and eventually, a creative partnership. The fashion designers would go on to create a piece of art that would grace the cover of Vogue and represent the new chapter of Lauren Sánchez’s life.

Days before the wedding, Sánchez traveled to Milan for her final fitting at the Dolce & Gabbana atelier. There, she slipped into the gown for the last time before the big day, surrounded by a team of tailors and stylists. The next day, she was photographed outside a historic 18th-century villa on the outskirts of Milan for Vogue’s June cover. She posed confidently under rows of cypress trees, the veil flowing, her hands on her hips, evoking both elegance and strength. 

“I feel like a princess,” she said, and the glam team echoed her emotion. What made the moment even more special was that Bezos hadn’t seen the gown. Despite asking and almost convincing her, Sánchez held firm. “I want it to be a surprise,” she said. “As you get older, surprises become rare.”

Her ceremony gown was a custom Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda creation; a dramatic, high-neck, long-sleeved wedding dress hand-stitched from delicate Italian lace. The bodice was corseted and fitted close to the body, giving it a mermaid silhouette that flared gently at the bottom.

Running down the back were 180 silk chiffon-covered buttons, a nod to traditional craftsmanship. The dress evoked a vintage aesthetic that was directly inspired by Sophia Loren’s bridal costume in the 1958 film Houseboat. Sánchez studied the photo for hours and knew immediately; this was the kind of bride she wanted to be. Timeless. Elegant. Powerful.

The accompanying veil was its own showstopper: a full-length cathedral-style veil made of tulle and lace, treated with the care of a museum artifact. During her Vogue cover shoot, held on the grounds of an 18th-century brick villa outside Milan, the veil was laid out by a team of Dolce tailors in crisp white coats, their hands moving with the precision of surgeons. 

From the fittings in Milan, the scene shifted to Venice, where the multi-day celebration began. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding ceremony was kept mostly private, with limited press access and high-level security. However, what we do know paints a picture of curated luxury and heartfelt detail. 

On the morning of June 27, Sánchez was seen leaving the Aman Hotel, dressed in white blazer set, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd as she boarded a sleek motorboat. Two hours later, Bezos followed, dressed in a black tuxedo, smiling and waving from another water taxi as it made its way through the canal toward the wedding venue.

Although the specific location was never officially confirmed, it’s widely believed the ceremony took place at San Giorgio Maggiore, one of the most beautiful islands in the Venetian Lagoon. The setting was cinematic; historic domes, marble steps, and sweeping views of the city’s ancient skyline. Despite their status, the couple kept the ceremony surprisingly intimate.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, Venice welcomed a parade of A-list guests on Thursday, June 26th, for a reception ahead of the wedding day. Photos captured many celebrity guests boarding water taxis and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Lauren’s Paris bachelorette party had already made headlines, with attendees like Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, Kris Jenner, and Katy Perry. But the Venice celebration took things to another level.

The guest list read like a Forbes Gala meets Vanity Fair party. Leonardo DiCaprio arrived with his girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti. Oprah Winfrey was there. Tom Brady, Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Gayle King, Diane von Fürstenberg, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner; all in attendance. The Kardashian-Jenner sisters showed up in force. And those were just the ones photographers managed to spot.

Of the 200 guests, about 70 were family members. Phones were not allowed, ensuring the moment remained sacred and away from social media noise.

Guests received personalized goody bags upon arriving at their hotels, each filled with Venetian treats. Men were gifted custom blue velvet slippers from Vibi Venezia, while women received plush black open-toe slippers for dancing. Every detail, down to the party favors, was thoughtful and tailored.

Amid Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding celebration, the wedding sparked public discourse. Locals in Venice protested the event, launching a campaign titled “No Space for Bezos” and expressing frustration about the influx of wealth and disruption. Despite that, the mood within the wedding remained celebratory and insulated. The love story, for those attending, was front and center.

After the ceremony, the couple posed for photos; Sánchez in her couture lace, Bezos in his classic tux, while applause rang out from guests. The city, the fashion, and the emotion all converged into one unforgettable moment. 

Their journey, from professional collaboration to romantic partnership, from the decks of a yacht to the stone steps of San Giorgio, is a reminder that love can evolve, surprise, and transform. Sánchez, who reflected deeply on her growth during the wedding preparations, credited not just therapy, but also Bezos for helping her feel “seen” and “free.”

“I went into a lot of therapy and it changed me,” she said to vogue. “But it’s really Jeff. He hasn’t changed me—he’s revealed me.”

From the pink diamond on a yacht to a lace veil in a centuries-old chapel, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding was more than a celebrity spectacle. It was a love letter to timing, transformation, and the kind of romance that builds slowly… and then lasts.

Photo: Instagram/Laurensanchezbezos