As VIP guests began to land in Venice, Italy, billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez took a number of measures to deal with the crowd of protests, ensuring that the wedding of the century went smoothly.

VIP guests landed

Page Six reports that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez held a three-day millennial wedding at the end of June (no specific date has been determined, but according to US media it is June 26-28). The guests were packed into 200 people, including many A-list stars and powerful figures in the world. Guests began arriving at the wedding venue, the Italian city of Venice, from June 24 (local time).

One of the first guests to appear was Ivanka Trump. She was seen boarding a water taxi with her husband, businessman Jared Kushner, and their three children – Arabella Rose (13), Joseph Frederick (10) and Theodore James (8).

Ivanka Trump’s family were the earliest guests to arrive in Venice. They seem to take advantage of the Amazon billionaire’s wedding for a summer vacation. Photo: Reuters.

According to the Daily Mail , the wedding of the world’s third-richest billionaire seems to be a family event with Ivanka. Rumor has it that other members of the Trump family were also among the 200 guests.

Diane von Furstenberg landed in the ancient city on June 24. Unlike Ivanka, the 78-year-old fashion designer walked alone, not seeing the figure of her billionaire husband, Barry Diller.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan’s $115 million superyacht, M’ Brace, was spotted sailing along the Venice coast earlier this week. Pakistani-American businessman Shahid Khan also anchored the $360 million yacht Kismet nearby. Hedge fund tycoon Bill Miller landed in the city on a nearly 61 m long superyacht, Ariance…

As the VIP guests began to land, security became the most important issue, especially in the context of the tense protest against the Amazon boss. People even threatened to sabotage the wedding, making the bride and groom “choke to death because of the wedding cake”.

Local media reported that the original plan was to hold a big party at the 14th-century Scuola Grande della Misericordia building on the evening of June 28.

However, after protest groups such as No Spare for Bezos and Greenpeace threatened to block the entrance, the couple reportedly switched to another location in the Arsenal area. This is an old shipyard, with a large area, surrounded by water and can only be entered by passing through connecting bridges (which cannot be accessed if the bridge is raised). This isolated area helps wedding attendees to be less worried about being attacked unexpectedly.

Anti-Amazon billionaire posters are plastered all over Venice. Photo: Zumpress.

Meanwhile, Page Six’s exclusive source revealed that Mr. Bezos and his future wife booked at various locations on different days in case of uncertainties.

“They deliberately leave many options open, booking many locations in advance for many different days. This strategy is both to distract paparazzi and protesters, and to ensure a contingency plan in case of last-minute logistical incidents,” the source said.

In addition, according to CNN , guests were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Responding to the American billionaire’s change, Tommaso Cacciari, who leads the No Spare for Bezos campaign, stated: “The news of Bezos’ escape from Misericordia is a big victory for us.”

The group plans to hold more protests on June 28 in Venice’s canals, bridges and narrow streets, pledging to make the wedding a “nightmare” for Bezos and his guests.

Despite the threat, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez appeared unfazed. They were seen holding a soap bubble party on the 500 million-dollar superyacht, named Koru, off the coast of Europe on June 22. Sánchez wore a sexy bikini, and Mr. Bezos was naked and playing with other guests. They were also photographed embracing the moment of love.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez frolic at a soap bubble party on a superyacht. Photo: SplashNews.com.

Venice is disturbed

On April 23, Koru arrived in Italy. According to European and American media, the superyacht can only be moored outside, not allowed to enter the city of Venice because its size exceeds the allowable size.

Page Six said Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez were staying at the Aman Venice Hotel. Before they checked in, about 10-12 security guards conducted checks throughout the luxury estate on June 24, creating a chaotic scene in the lobby.

An insider said guests who booked on June 25 long ago were “kicked out” after Mr. Bezos covered the hotel a few months ago.

“Those guests were transferred to other hotels, including the St. Regis. Aman pays for their room, plus a free one-night stay and room upgrade offer. Some guests complained because they had to repack their belongings, move to another place and then unload their luggage again,” the source said.

Hotel staff are also said to be busier than usual because they have to prepare for a series of jobs arising from difficult A-list guests.

The source revealed that the area reserved for celebrities in the hotel, away from the eyes of the paparazzi. Kylie Jenner is one of those arranged in that area.

Mr. Bezos and his fiancée stayed at the Aman Venice Hotel. Photo: Getty Images.

Security has also been beefed up in other places. Seven Italian police officers were discovered inside the St. Regis Venice hotel on the afternoon of June 24.

Ordinary tourists are required to wait outside to serve VIP guests first.

“The hotel keeps people at the door and there are police on duty outside. It seems that someone important is checking in,” the source described.

The police presence at the hotel is considered “unusual”.

Those who booked lunch at Gio’s restaurant also had to wait longer than usual. No celebrities appeared, but two unnamed men were taken to tour the bar and the first-floor area.

Locals said they were surprised to see boats full of police on the water.