Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are giving back to the City of Water.
A source tells Page Six that the power couple — set to tie the knot this coming week in Venice, Italy — discreetly donated to local charities back in April as part of their wedding planning.
They are also involving their wedding guests — which include 200 A-list names like Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, Barbara Streisand and Ivanka Trump — in on their philanthropic efforts, making donations in their name as a gift.
Guests were notified in May, we hear, that in lieu of gifts, the couple was making contributions in honor of attendees so that “Venice will continue to inspire wonder for generations to come,” say sources.
The festivities surrounding the wedding are set to take place over three days, with speculation that events could happen on Koru, Bezos’ $500 million superyacht, the island of San Giorgio and Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a large exhibition space.
According to the AP, the Amazon billionaire and the journalist are sourcing 80% of their wedding goods from Venetian vendors, including the city’s oldest pastry maker, Rosa Salva, and Murano glass blower Laguna B.
There are also reports that guests will receive a keepsake from Laguna B, which is known for colorful cups called goti de fornasa.
The romantic floating city is divided on its reaction to the couple’s upcoming nuptials.
Italian protesters under the banner “No space for Bezos” are gearing up to block the canals and streets in order to disrupt wedding festivities for various reasons tied to ongoing issues like over-tourism and anti-capitalism.
Activist Marta Sottoriva told EuroNews, “We are not protesting the wedding per se, but a vision of Venice … as a city that people come and consume.”
However, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has welcomed the wedding, saying it will have a “million-dollar” economic impact on local businesses.
The post Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez quietly donated to Venetian charities months ago as part of wedding planning appeared first on Page Six.
