Journalist, Lauren Sanchez, left her luxury hotel in Venice on Friday (June 27) to attend her lavish wedding gala on the island of San Giorgio, where she will exchange wedding vows with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Sanchez departed the Aman Venice hotel, a 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal, en route to the small island opposite St. Mark’s Square, known for its historic monastery, manicured gardens, and views of the city’s iconic skyline.

Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, are expected to exchange vows in a symbolic ceremony at the Island, home to the Cini Foundation, a prestigious cultural venue housed in a former monastery dating back to the year 1000, complete with a Renaissance cloister and garden maze.

Notable guests include Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Kim and Khloe Kardashian. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who arrived earlier in the week, were seen shopping and sightseeing around Venice.

The multi-day celebration, estimated to cost $50 million, has sparked debate in the city, with critics calling it a symbol of Venice’s increasing exclusivity. On Thursday, a protester scaled a flagpole in St. Mark’s Square to unfurl a banner reading, “The 1% ruins the world.”

Festivities are expected to conclude on Saturday (June 28) with a final party at the Arsenale, a vast medieval shipyard turned cultural venue.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. VARIOUS OF JOURNALIST, LAUREN SANCHEZ, LEAVING HOTEL / GETTING ON BOAT

2. SANCHEZ ON BOAT / SANCHEZ BLOWING A KISS

3. VARIOUS OF BOATS HEADING TOWARDS THE ISLAND OF SAN GIORGIO

4. SANCHEZ GETTING OFF THE BOAT AND WALKING ON THE FOOTBRIDGE TO THE ISLAND OF SAN GIORGIO