As the city of Venice confirmed it is gearing up to host the wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez this summer, the local mayor attempted to reassure residents amid the ongoing battle with overtourism.
In a statement on Saturday, the city of Venice said the billionaire and his bride-to-be’s upcoming nuptials would not cause disruption to residents or visitors and that the priority would be to make sure the city — long a tourist hotspot — “functions as normal.”
The statement said that 200 guests are due to attend the Venetian ceremony, but it stressed that the city was accustomed to handling large international events.
It also denied reports that large numbers of gondolas or “excessive” numbers of water taxis had been booked for the occasion.
“The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos’ wedding are completely unfounded,” the statement continued.
Luigi Brugnaro, Venice’s mayor, added: “We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city. For this reason, we will work together for best result. Whoever loves Venice will always be welcome.”
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The city did not disclose the date for Bezos and Sanchez’s destination wedding, and representatives for the Blue Origin founder did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular working hours.
However, a spokesperson for the mayor of Venice told CNN that the celebrations are due to take place from June 24 to June 26.
Bezos and Sánchez, a former broadcast journalist, became engaged in May 2023. The Washington Post owner was previously married to MacKenzie Scott, with whom he has four children.
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It’s not the first time the “floating city” has played host to a high-profile wedding.
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In 2014, George and Amal Clooney tied the knot at the exclusive Aman Canal Grande Hotel, which faces onto the iconic Grand Canal.
But in recent years, the city — famed for its maze of picturesque canals and stunning architecture — has garnered increasing attention for its attempts to push back on overtourism.
With a population of around just 50,000, the island city of Venice welcomes around 20 million visitors a year — and many of its outnumbered residents are fed up.
Several measures have been introduced to try to tackle the issue, including limiting tourist groups to 25 people, banning large cruise ships from entering the Venice Lagoon, and charging a daily 5-euro (around $5.40) fee to day-trippers.
