Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sánchez’s Wedding Instructions Revealed Amid Venice Backlash

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez may have predicted the ongoing protests of Venice locals.

The famous couple set to tie the knot somewhere in the tourist hotspot found themselves in a bit of a pickle when residents became angered by their upcoming wedding. Although the pair has yet to address the criticisms, their wedding planners have spoken out in their defense.

Event planners Lanza & Baucina Limited recently revealed that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez gave them strict instructions to ensure that Venice locals were not inconvenienced by their wedding. Unfortunately, their preparations were insufficient to prevent the backlash.

According to the event planners, the anger towards Bezos and Sánchez was misplaced because the duo had always been on the side of Venice residents. They claimed the couple ensured their three-day wedding ceremony would not affect the local community, saying:

"From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions, and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events."

Lanza & Baucina, founded by Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza, stated that they had been working under the instructions of Bezos and Sánchez to minimize disturbances to the locals.

They stressed that their efforts started months before the recent protests, telling Page Six that they understood the public's arguments.

The event planners claimed they "have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city's future." They noted that Bezos and Sánchez also understood the locals' frustrations and showcased their support "through non-profit organizations and associated projects."

Lanza & Baucina's defense of Bezos and Sánchez's wedding ceremony continued with rebuttals regarding the couple's impact on the city's water transportation. "Rumours of 'taking over' the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality," the event planners argued.

They stressed that Bezos and Sánchez did not overbook water taxis or gondolas. Instead, the number of transportation vessels they reserved was proportionate to the number of guests.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro also shut down the rumors in a statement, noting he and his team were working with organizers to ensure no harm comes to the city.

Despite Bezos and Sánchez's attempts to minimize damage to Venice locals, their efforts did not sway residents from protesting against their wedding. The Blast covered the drama, reporting that several "No Space For Bezos" posters had been plastered around town.

Venice locals did not stop there, as someone hung a massive banner with a red X over the billionaire businessman's man at the famous bell tower of Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore Church. One of the protesters claimed the anti-wedding campaign wasn't personal but linked to a deeper problem.

The source explained that locals were protesting against the chaos that Bezos' wedding would bring to the city, which tourists had already overrun. Before the demonstrations against the couple's big day began, reports claimed they had scaled down their wedding to a more modest ceremony.

An insider shed more light on Bezos and Sánchez's upcoming wedding ceremony, claiming the couple did not hold back in gifting their guests lavish souvenirs. The source claimed each attendee would go home with handcrafted glassware.

The glassware, made by the local artisan brand Laguna B, reportedly featured an array of colors, motifs, and designs. The insider added that guests would receive other "opulent" gifts; however, it was unclear what these items would be.

Bezos and Sánchez have been keeping the details of their wedding under wraps as much as possible, including the date of their ceremony. It was widely believed their three-day festivities would fall between June 24 to June 29, with the location presumably at the prestigious island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

Venice locals weren't the only ones displeased by Bezos and Sánchez's upcoming nuptials, with new reports claiming yacht owners were unhappy. TMZ reported that sources representing some of these billionaire yacht owners spilled the tea about their reaction to the couple's wedding.

These non-celebrity yacht owners were forced to postpone their plans to sail around the Mediterranean from July to August because they feared the crowd Bezos and Sánchez's wedding would attract. "Venice is gonna be a sh-t show with all the yachts!" an insider lamented.

They explained that there was a group comprised mostly of celebrities and tech billionaires who loved to compete and show off their yachts. However, others, like non-celebrity yacht owners, preferred the comfort of their water vessels and did not want to be involved in the other group's drama.