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Even nature didn’t seem too pleased with Jeff Bezos’ extravagant $50 million wedding celebrations in Venice, Italy. During the welcome party, a heavy downpour interrupted the festivities, leaving guests scrambling for cover and onlookers raising eyebrows.
What went wrong with Jeff Bezos’ wedding celebrations
According to reports, Bezos’ team allegedly made several hotel guests vacate their accommodations to make room for the high-profile wedding party. This move, along with the takeover of certain public areas, has led some to feel that the billionaire was trying to turn the historic city into his own private venue, one that only the rich and famous were allowed to enjoy.
Locals in Venice weren’t thrilled. While the city is often romanticised as a picture-perfect destination, it’s also home to real people with everyday routines. Residents reportedly faced restrictions on public transport, like ferries, which were repurposed or limited due to the event. Critics compared the situation to the city being temporarily converted into an Amazon warehouse, serving only the interests of its wealthiest visitor.
Although Bezos may have the resources to reshape entire spaces, he couldn’t control the weather. A spectator dryly remarked, “It just shows, no matter how rich you are, you can’t stop the rain.”
Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, has been a key figure in his increasingly public lifestyle. Their wedding week was supposed to include glamorous boat tours and designer gowns floating through Venice’s canals, but the rain changed those plans. Not even celebrity guests like Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, or Leonardo DiCaprio could escape the stormy skies.
Online reactions were mixed but mostly critical. Many people questioned the tone-deaf nature of the event, especially during a time when ordinary people are struggling with inflation, economic uncertainty, and climate anxiety. Critics pointed out the contrast between lavish celebrity lifestyles and the environmental and ethical concerns raised by billionaires’ choices, especially given Bezos’ history with Amazon’s controversial labour practices and carbon footprint.
The wedding was rumoured to mimic the grandeur of royal events, massive in scale, global in visibility, but unlike royal weddings that celebrate cultural or national heritage, many questioned what exactly Bezos symbolises. “Tax avoidance?” some sceptics asked. Others felt it was simply another extravagant display disconnected from the reality most people face daily.
Still, there’s an old Italian saying: “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata,” a wet bride is a lucky bride. Perhaps that sentiment brought a little comfort to the couple, even if the weather and the public response didn’t go exactly as planned.
As one online critic joked, “If Bezos could pay off the clouds, he probably would.” Whether the rain was a coincidence or a sign, the event has certainly sparked a conversation, just not the kind Bezos may have hoped for.