Pierfrancesco Celada for BI
Antonia Rosa Salva, the owner of one of Venice‘s oldest patisseries, was approached two months ago to help create gift bags for a wedding in the city this weekend.
Two weeks ago, he discovered who it was for. He told Business Insider he signed some documents stopping him from sharing who the couple is.
But he’s keenly aware of the controversy surrounding Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding, which is taking place in Venice this weekend. The A-list event, which will reportedly welcome 200 guests, including Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian, has drawn ire from anti-Bezos protesters and Venetians who are concerned the wedding will contribute to overtourism.
Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images
Despite the protests, Salva said that he believes the wedding is good not just for his own business — which opened in 1870 and has been in his family for six generations — but for Venice as a whole.
He said that the city’s large number of hotels makes it a good location for large-scale events, which his business often caters to.
Just two weeks ago, he worked on an event with 400 guests — double Bezos’ guestlist. “Nobody protested about that,” he said.
Salva said that anyone should be allowed to host their wedding in the city.
“Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I think everyone has the right to get married, to come to Venice, or to have a party or stay in Venice,” he said.
As for the mystery event, he said he was proud that his business was chosen by its organizers.
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