As Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ lavish three-day Venetian wedding nears the end, all the secrets behind the Amazon founder and his journalist wife’s big day have emerged
Lauren Sanchez revealed some of the secrets behind her wedding to one of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos. Former journalist Lauren, 55, admitted she and Jeff didn’t stick to many of the normal wedding traditions – and her something blue is out of this world.
The Amazon founder, 61, proposed to his new wife in May 2023, by leaving an engagement ring under her pillow aboard his superyacht, Koru. The $2.5 million ring was presented to Lauren by Jeff after the couple had a dreamy starlit dinner aboard his boat while docked near the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
But that was just the start of their nuptials, with their wedding celebration totting up to an estimated $50 million (£36.5 million). The Venetian event has sparked controversy with anti-capitalists and locals alike, who opposed the over-consumption of the whole affair.
Lauren wore a stunning bespoke Dolce & Gabbana dress for her big day. The long-sleeved gown had a corseted waist and turtle-neck design, with a mermaid-style skirt.
The sophisticated dress boasted 180 hand-finished buttons, covered in silk chiffon, which trailed all the way down the train of the gown. While the handmade dress was presumably one of many items that were new, her “something borrowed” was a pair of Dolce earrings.
Her “something blue” comes in the form of a secret souvenir from her flight into space aboard her husband’s Blue Origin trip. Lauren told Vogue: “We don’t have a lot of traditions that we’re keeping. I mean, I love traditions, but for a 55-year-old woman, it’s a little different.”
Asked about her “something blue”, Lauren explained: “Well, Blue Origin. It’s something from my space flight.”
Lauren said the trip was especially meaningful for her, “because it was literally one of the most profound experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Seeing Earth from space, I came down and I couldn’t describe it.
“It was the greatest experience I’ve ever had. Jeff said, ‘It’s gonna change you more than you think,’ and it completely has, visually, spiritually.”
But one tradition the billionaire couple stuck to was that they kept the gown a secret before she walked down the aisle. Despite Jeff asked to see it, she stayed strong and made sure the first time he saw it was on at the end of the aisle just before exchanging vows.
Lauren admitted: “I almost gave in. But I want it to be a surprise. As you get a little older, not many things surprise you. I can’t wait to see his face.” Her groom was said to have “gasped” when he first saw her in her wedding dress.
Sharing a photo on Instagram, Lauren wrote: “Not just a gown, a piece of poetry. Thank you @dolcegabbana for the magic you made.”
The star-studded 25-minute wedding ceremony saw the pair exchange vows in front of 200 guests, with a number of high-profile celebrities in attendance. The Kardashian-Jenners, Orlando Bloom and Oprah Winfrey all travelled for the wedding, as did Ivanka Trump and her family.
Rania Al Abdullah, the Queen of Jordan also watched on, as did supermodels, actors and business-people. Guests were welcomed by a gospel choir, with the singers performing a rendition of Whitney Houston’s Higher Love as the bride and groom entered.
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