Billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez tied the knot at a sumptuous ceremony on an island in Italy’s Venice on Friday, with several A-listers in attendance for the couple’s wedding.Amazon founder Bezos exchanged vows with Sanchez on the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, news agency AFP reported citing Italian media.Later, the bride posted a photo on Instagram under a new name – laurensanchezbezos – showing her in a long flowing white dress and the groom in black tie.Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the famous Rialto bridge.Their celebrity guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St. Regis.The celebrations are set to end on Saturday with a party likely at the Arsenale – a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the Italian city was a naval powerhouse.While Bezos was previously married to novelist MacKenzie Scott, Sanchez’s ex-husband is businessman Patrick Whitesell.However, the wedding was not without its share of controversy. Protesters wondered how long Venice can “endure” – while the billionaires party, activists say the “fragile” city is “sinking”, overrun by tourists, and is a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out.Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets – at least 95 – bringing the rich and famous to Venice, which is known for its canals and waterways, and also hosted the 2014 wedding of Hollywood star George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin.On the other hand, Italy’s tourism ministry said it expects the festivities to generate nearly one billion euros, of which about 895 million is estimated to come from the “media visibility.”The newly-married couple are donating three million euros ($3.5 million) to the city, according to Luca Zaia, the regional president of the Veneto region of which Venice is the capital.
