The long-anticipated wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez is officially underway, and Venice is quickly filling up with A-list guests.
Bezos and Sánchez have been together since 2019, following his divorce from his first wife, MacKenzie Tuttle, with whom he shares four children.
He proposed to his soon-to-be wife in May 2023, and what's certain to be the wedding of the year is now seemingly hours away, set to take place in Venice, Italy.
By Thursday evening, a steady stream of celebrity arrivals had already begun turning heads in the iconic Italian city.
The Kardashian-Jenner family touched down in full force, with Kim, Khloé, Kendall, Kylie, and Kris Jenner all spotted hopping into water taxis en route to a welcome celebration.
Close behind them were model Vittoria Ceretti and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who were seen arriving together.
Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey made her entrance alongside her longtime friend Gayle King, who famously joined Sánchez on her all-female spaceflight earlier this year.
Orlando Bloom, fresh off his rumored recent split from Katy Perry, was also seen making his way through the city’s storied canals.
Bezos and Sánchez’s lavish celebration has captured global media attention in recent weeks.
While tabloids speculate over the exclusive guest list, major outlets are covering the local backlash.
Some Venetians have voiced concern that the high-profile wedding is contributing to the city’s overtourism crisis, a claim that both event planners Lanza and Baucina, and Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, have pushed back on.
“We are working closely with the organizers to ensure the event respects the fragility and uniqueness of our city,” Brugnaro told the Associated Press.
Ahead of the nuptials, the couple's wedding invite design was also leaked, showing a cartoon-filled design with butterflies, doves, canals, gondolas, and feathers.
It also contained one notable request: “We’re excited for you to join us! We have one early request: please, no gifts.”
Instead, the invite revealed: “Donations on your behalf are being made to the UNESCO Venice Office to safeguard the city’s irreplaceable cultural heritage, to CORILA to restore the lagoon habitats that protect Venice’s future, and to Venice International University to support research and education for sustainable solutions.”
It ends with: “This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories. Our hope is that through these efforts and by you joining us, Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come.”
Not all fans were impressed with the design, however, as some criticized it, writing: "Wow! Did they just send an evite for their multi million dollar wedding?” and: “Wow what an ugly announcement/invitation. With all the money he has they could have at least done something pretty and classy."
Another joked: “Was the invitation made in microsoft paint?”
Others noted that not having gifts is a good idea, because what do you possibly buy a billionaire?
Now, all that's left to do is see what happens on the day!