Jeff Bezos plans a lavish summer wedding with Lauren Sánchez in Venice

In the summer of 2023, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the wealthiest individuals globally, proposed to Lauren Sánchez on his lavish $500 million superyacht, Koru, while they were off the coast of Italy. The engagement, which took place in May 2023, was followed by a celebratory engagement party at the same location. As the couple prepared for their wedding, they chose Venice, Italy, as their destination for a highly anticipated ceremony expected to attract attention from many in the tech and entertainment industries. Invitations to the wedding were noted to have been sent out amidst excitement and speculation about the guest list. Lauren Sánchez shared her emotional reaction to the proposal in an interview with Vogue, where she described finding the engagement ring under her pillow after a romantic dinner on the yacht. She expressed the surprise and joy she felt at the moment, as she was not expecting a proposal and had already planned to go to bed. Bezos, who is currently listed as the second richest man in the world according to Forbes, has stated that he will not be taking an active role in the wedding planning, leaving that responsibility primarily to Sánchez. The wedding itself is anticipated to be a grand event, likely to feature high-profile guests, including notable figures from technology and entertainment such as Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand. The excitement surrounding the couple's relationship has been ongoing since they began dating in January 2019, shortly after Bezos announced his divorce from his former wife, Mackenzie Scott, after 25 years of marriage. Sánchez is a mother of three, including two children with her former partner, Patrick Whitesell, and a son from a previous relationship. As preparations for the wedding continue, many speculate about how lavish the ceremony will be and what it will entail. The couple embraces their relationship and often expresses their unity as partners, emphasizing that they will function as a team moving forward. Given both their public personas and wealth, their wedding represents not only a personal milestone but also a public event that captures the interests of many in society. Planning for such a celebrated occasion points to the blending of love and the public's fascination with the personal lives of the ultra-wealthy.