Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's pre-wedding party hit by heavy rain, thunderstorm, star-studded event cut short

The world's third-richest man, tech billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is all set to marry former journalist Lauren Sanchez on Friday in what is being described as a star-studded wedding. The couple kicked off their wedding celebrations in Venice with a star-studded party, but the star-studded event was cut short due to heavy rain and a thunderstorm. They got drenched during their Italian rehearsal dinner bash when a sudden downpour hit. 

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez caught in rain, thunderstorm at pre-wedding party 

The billionaire shielded his bride-to-be, who wore a Schiaparelli haute couture gown, with one hand and held an umbrella with the other as they rushed to a water taxi for cover. Guests, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Oprah, Kylie Jenner, Gayle King, and Orlando Bloom, were also seen scrambling for cover as the weather turned ugly. Reportedly, water taxis arrived early to help guests escape the downpour. The pre-wedding celebration, which was supposed to wrap up at midnight, ended prematurely. Despite the abrupt ending, the luxurious bash was attended by many A-list celebrities. 

Jeff Bezos set to marry Lauren Sanchez in lavish Venice wedding today

The extravagant celebration, hosted in Venice, Italy, is expected to cost approximately Rs 430 crore, according to Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto region, which includes the iconic city of canals. The three-day affair, which began on June 26 and will end on June 28 with a celebrity-studded reception after the wedding on Friday, has turned Venice into a temporary fortress, with heightened security and restricted access to ensure privacy for the high-profile couple and their VIP guests. Star power has lit up the Venetian canals, with celebrities, politicians, royalty and other dignitaries arriving steadily throughout the week.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's high-profile wedding guests

Recent sightings include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, actor Orlando Bloom, and Queen Rania of Jordan. They join an already glittering list of attendees that reportedly includes Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Hollywood power couple Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who were spotted enjoying pre-wedding festivities in the city. While the high-profile guest list has drawn admiration, the wedding invitation itself has attracted widespread ridicule online.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's love story

Bezos, one of the world’s richest individuals with a net worth of $231 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, began dating Sanchez, a former news anchor. The couple got engaged in 2023. Though Venice has played host to numerous celebrity weddings — including George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in 2014 and Indian billionaires Vinita Agarwal and Muqit Teja in 2011 — none have stirred the kind of global attention or controversy that Bezos and Sanchez's nuptials have garnered. As the celebrations reach their peak, Venice remains under the spotlight, balancing glamour, criticism, and the gaze of the world.

(With inputs from IANS)