Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding organizers have come out in defense of the couple amidst backlash, saying that the high-profile pair explicitly instructed them from the onset of planning to be respectful of Venice, Italy, and its citizens.
Event planners Lanza & Baucina Limited — who produced weddings in Venice for George and Amal Clooney in 2014 and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault in 2009 — said in a statement that the Amazon billionaire and the journalist personally instructed them to minimize any disruption during their three-day wedding festivities in the floating city.
“From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimising of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events,” Lanza & Baucina Limited said in a statement.
Bezos and Sánchez plan to wed with three days of events and a guest list that includes Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Bill Gates, Barbara Streisand and Ivanka Trump.
Italian protesters under the banner “No space for Bezos” have been plastering posters all over the city with slogans like, “Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch.” They are also gearing up to block the canals and streets to disrupt the wedding for various reasons tied to ongoing issues such as over-tourism and anti-capitalism.
Meanwhile, Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and others believe it will have a “multi-million dollar” impact on the city’s economy.
Lanza & Baucina, founded by Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza, say in the statement that they have been actively working to avoid any negative impacts since the onset of planning, months before recent protests.
“Before the recent news of protests arose, we had worked for there to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city’s visitors,” Lanza & Baucina Limited said. “We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city’s future, and from the outset our client has been honoured to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organisations and associated projects.”
Page Six exclusively reported that Bezos and Sánchez quietly donated to local Venetian charities in April as part of wedding planning. They also made donations in honor of their guests as a gift.
According to the AP, the power couple is also sourcing 80% of their wedding provisions from Venetian vendors, including pastry maker Rosa Salva and Murano glass blower Laguna B.
The planners also shut down reports in the statement, which went out to the local press on June 19, that the couple had booked the city’s entire fleet of water transportation.
“Rumours of ‘taking over’ the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality,” they said. “No exaggerated quantity of water taxis or gondolas have ever been booked, the number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests.”
Getty Images for amfAR
Venice authorities also shut down the rumors, saying the couple “have categorically not booked large amounts of gondolas or excessive numbers of water taxis.”
Mayor Brugnaro publicly said he is working with the organizers to ensure things run smoothly.
“We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” Brugnaro said. “For this reason, we will work together for the best result. Whoever loves Venice will always be welcome.”
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