Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez have officially closed the chapter on one of the most talked-about celebrity weddings of the decade, ending a three-day wedding spectacle in Venice that seamlessly blended extreme privacy with high-wattage glamour.

The Amazon founder and the former broadcast journalist tied the knot in a ceremony that was as shrouded in secrecy as it was flooded with star power. The main event was held Friday on San Giorgio Maggiore, a small island in Venice’s San Marco district, where guests—including Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Usher—gathered under a strict social media blackout.

Though the ceremony itself was cloaked in confidentiality, details have slowly emerged, painting a picture of a celebration that was both extravagant and meticulously curated. According to Vogue, Sánchez walked down the aisle in a custom Dolce & Gabbana gown that took a year and a half to design. The corseted, high-neck lace gown featured 180 hand-covered silk chiffon buttons—an ode to intricate Italian craftsmanship.

Following the ceremony, Sánchez slipped into not one, but two more designer looks: a 1940s-inspired sweetheart dress referencing Rita Hayworth’s iconic role in Gilda, and a crystal-laden Oscar de la Renta cocktail dress that reportedly featured over 175,000 hand-applied crystals.

Bezos, meanwhile, opted for understated elegance throughout the weekend, donning a black suit and shirt ensemble as the couple sailed to their final event—a lavish closing celebration at the Arsenale, a historic shipyard now hosting the Venice Biennale.

A Celebration Shadowed by Protest

While the wedding delighted celebrity-watchers and fashion magazines, it sparked a different kind of reaction among some Venetians. Demonstrators gathered at the city’s train station, accusing Bezos and other billionaires of turning Venice into a playground for the ultra-rich. Guerilla-style banners, mannequins made in Bezos’ likeness, and threats to blockade the city’s famed canals reportedly forced the couple to change parts of their plan at the last minute.

The selection of San Giorgio Maggiore, an island known for its limited accessibility and Renaissance-era architecture, was no coincidence. Its isolation offered the kind of security and discretion the couple desperately needed amid growing public scrutiny.

According to Venice’s Ministry of Tourism, the event may have generated nearly 68% of the city’s annual tourism revenue—in a single weekend. But for many locals, the influx of yachts, celebrities, and security details only served to highlight the growing chasm between Venice’s working residents and its role as a destination for the global elite.

A Legal Mystery

While the visuals and guest list screamed “wedding,” it remains unclear whether the ceremony was legally binding. A spokesperson for Venice’s mayor’s office confirmed no official marriage request had been submitted by the couple. This suggests the event may have been purely symbolic, with the legal union potentially taking place in the U.S. before the weekend.

Fueling further speculation, Sánchez updated her Instagram handle shortly after the Vogue reveal to “@laurensanchezbezos,” making the marriage’s legality seem all the more plausible—despite the city’s silence.

Style, Guests, and Glamour

The guest list looked like a red carpet. Oprah Winfrey arrived in a draped mermaid gown in blush pink, Kim Kardashian in a toffee-colored body-hugging dress, and Kylie Jenner in a powder blue lace-up corset gown. Kendall and Kris Jenner were also spotted on their way to the final evening event, adding to the spectacle that consumed the historic city.

Adding to the intrigue, some guests embraced an unusual dress code for the final night—reportedly lingerie- and pajama-inspired attire, with photos showing singer Usher dressed accordingly.

Before Friday’s ceremony, Sánchez had channeled old Hollywood glamor with a nod to Audrey Hepburn, arriving at San Giorgio Maggiore in a tailored white Dior suit, a printed silk scarf tied around her hair, Jimmy Choo heels, and an Hermès Kelly bag. The ensemble further emphasized the weekend’s blend of luxury and nostalgic elegance.

Though performers for the wedding were not officially confirmed, local media reported that Matteo Bocelli, son of Andrea Bocelli, serenaded the couple with Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” adding a romantic flourish to the evening’s events.

A Social Media Blackout—and a Digital Reveal

Unlike many celebrity weddings where images are splashed across social media in real time, Bezos and Sánchez enforced a strict no-posting policy throughout the weekend. Instead, they chose to unveil key moments through Vogue, maintaining an element of mystique while also commanding the narrative around their event.

This strategy may reflect the couple’s larger media philosophy: curate rather than share, control rather than expose. For a man whose company has shaped the way the world shops—and a woman known for her on-air poise—it was a masterclass in modern image-making.

Legacy of a Billionaire Bash

Whether viewed as a romantic fairy tale or a flashpoint in the debate about wealth and privilege, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding was undeniably an event that captured the global spotlight. From its designer gowns and A-list guests to its calculated secrecy and social implications, the Venetian affair marks yet another high-profile chapter in the life of the world’s third-richest man.

For better or worse, this wasn’t just a wedding. It was a cultural moment. And in true Bezos fashion, it was big, bold, and unforgettable.