MW Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding to take place on 417-foot yacht-here's where they'll park it

By Kelsi Karruli

Sanchez has already purchased a wedding dress by Oscar de la Renta

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding plans have finally been revealed-and it seems the couple are set for a destination wedding in Venice, Italy, having opted to tie the knot aboard the Amazon $(AMZN)$ billionaire's $500 million superyacht rather than at one of his many mansions.

Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, who got engaged in 2023, are due to marry in a three-day-long celebration that will be held June 24-26, according to a spokesperson for the municipality of Venice, who noted that the historic locale is more than equipped to handle the over-the-top event.

Luca Zuin, a spokesperson for the mayor of Venice, revealed to CNN that the wedding will be held aboard Bezos' 417-foot yacht, Koru, which will be anchored in the Venice lagoon, because it is too large to make the trip down the city's historic Grand Canal.

News of the couple's chosen venue initially sparked concern among locals over the potential impact of such a large-scale event. Rumors initially circulated that hundreds, or even thousands, of guests could descend upon the tourist hot spot.

However, the municipality has now addressed those concerns head-on, shutting down any and all suggestions that the floating city might struggle to host such a star-studded affair.

"The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos' wedding are completely unfounded," the statement read.

"Only 200 guests will have been invited and therefore it will be easy for Venice to accommodate such an event, without any disruption whatsoever to the city, its residents and visitors.

"The [organizers] have categorically not booked large amounts of gondolas or excessive numbers of water taxis and it is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone."

It was then reported that Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and the municipality are "mutually working and supporting the organizers to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city."

According to People magazine, the guest list will include Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Eva Longoria, Kris Jenner, as well as members of Sanchez's all-female Blue Origin Space crew Katy Perry and Gayle King.

It had previously been reported that Bezos and Sanchez would wed on Dec. 28, 2024, in snowy Aspen. However, after that date came and went with no signs of a ceremony, rumors then surfaced that they were planning to head to the altar in summer 2025.

According to the insider, everything about the special day will be "big" and luxe, with the report noting that Sanchez has already purchased a wedding dress by A-list designer Oscar de la Renta, whose white gowns begin at $9,000 and were previously worn by Naomi Watts and George Clooney's wife, Amal.

"You won't miss this one when it happens," said the source, which comes as little surprise given Bezos' extraordinary wealth.

When Bezos asked Sanchez to marry him, he proposed aboard Koru, with a sparkling diamond that is estimated to measure 20 to 30 carats and is believed to be worth $2.5 million. Reports suggested the raven-haired beauty "blacked out" when she saw it.

And while they have now solidified Italy as their backdrop, the couple had many options when it came to where they should tie the knot, including one of their many properties.

Bezos' real estate holdings have always been the subject of much intrigue, largely thanks to his incredible net worth. However, interest in his properties surged in 2023, when he announced that he and Sanchez were moving their primary residence from Washington to Florida, a decision that the Amazon founder said was motivated largely by a desire to be closer to his parents.

However, in February 2024, it was revealed that Bezos enjoyed another perk as a result of his relocation: saving hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.

According to a report by CNBC, the businessman stands to save "at least $610 million" in taxes that he would have had to pay if he were still living full time in Washington state.

Prior to that move, Bezos-whose net worth is currently estimated to be $214 billion, according to Bloomberg-had been largely based at his properties in the tony enclave of Medina, a suburb of Seattle, where he had been buying up homes for many years.

Bezos launched his e-commerce company in Washington state in the mid-1990s and built an enormous compound there. However, he's since declared that Florida is his new state of choice-and he has the properties to prove it.

Bezos is one of several billionaires who own properties in the ultraexclusive Washington enclave of Medina, which is also home to Bill Gates and former Microsoft $(MSFT)$ executive Charles Simonyi.

Four years after he founded Amazon, Bezos and his wife at the time, MacKenzie Scott, bought two homes on a 5-acre plot in the town of Hunts Point for $10 million. In 2010, they reportedly spent $28 million to renovate the estate, which boasts 310 feet of private shoreline and a private boathouse.

To maximize space (and privacy), Bezos purchased an adjacent property that same year-a 24,000-square-foot mansion that was reportedly listed for $53 million. It is unclear whether the Amazon CEO paid that hefty sum or snagged a discount.

That home would ultimately serve as the business mogul's primary residence for the next decade until 2023, when he announced his move to Florida. He appears to be holding his Seattle stake-at least for now.

The billionaire also owns three pricey places on Indian Creek Island-the third he picked up for a reported $90 million in 2024. According to reports, he plans to raze the other two properties-which he picked up for a combined $147 million-and live in the most recent purchase while awaiting construction to be completed.

Indian Creek Island, which is known as "Billionaire Bunker" because of its residents' extraordinary wealth, is also home to the likes of his close friend Ivanka Trump as well as Tom Brady. Bezos is understood to be its richest inhabitant.

The neighborhood, which has just 34 homes and 40-odd residents, is guarded by its own police force, ensuring the utmost safety for its wealthy homeowners.

The owner of the storied Washington Post owns a similarly storied estate in the nation's capital, a compound that he is said to have dropped $23 million on in 2017. The D.C. property includes two large, historical buildings and a chauffeur's residence and garage, totaling nearly 27,000 square feet of interior space.

More from Realtor.com: What Homebuyers Can Learn From the 2008 Crash in 2025

The entire lot measures more than 34,000 square feet, with landscaped gardens and lawns. It had been marketed as "perfect for a school or embassy or an exceptional private home."

The Blue Origin founder also has a huge pied-à-terre in New York City. He owns a $16 million, three-bedroom apartment, purchased in 2020. That's in addition to $80 million worth of units in the building, including a three-story penthouse and two apartments on the level right below it. In 2019, building permits were filed to combine the units.

More from Realtor.com: What Trump's Tariff Moves Mean for Home Prices and Mortgage Rates

The lavish spending continued to the West Coast, where, in 2020, Bezos dropped a record $165 million for David Geffen's Los Angeles mansion, the Wall Street Journal reported. Known as the Warner Estate, the 9-acre spread was built for Jack Warner, the late former president of Warner Bros.

The parcel features "expansive terraces, sprawling gardens, several guest houses, a tennis court and its own nine-hole golf course," according to the Journal.

The Amazon founder reportedly added one more property to his cart in 2021. The billionaire and Sanchez picked up a 14-acre estate on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The cost of the off-market transaction was reported to be in the neighborhood of $78 million.

More from Realtor.com: Revealed: The Most Expensive ZIP Code in Every State

The offering is said to include a 4,500-square-foot main house, a 1,700-square-foot guesthouse, and a 700-square-foot pool. The holding encompasses seven parcels of land and a fish pond with a private, white-sand beach.

The lovebirds also hold the keys to an expansive ranch in West Texas, just north of Van Horn.

Bezos purchased the property in 2004 because it reminded him of his childhood on his grandfather's land in Cotulla, Texas.

It is unknown how much he splashed out for the 400,000-acre property.

The ranch is home to the 10,000-Year-Clock, which is designed to keep time for 10,000 years and helped Sanchez think about her future with Bezos, according to Vogue.

More from Realtor.com: Lake Property for Sale: How To Buy a Waterfront Home

Sanchez also revealed to the outlet that Bezos has a space-themed bar dubbed the Kármán Line Bar located on the West Texas ranch.

Realtor.com has reached out to Bezos and Sanchez's team for comment.

This story originally ran on Realtor.com.

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 08, 2025 05:02 ET (09:02 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.