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Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez encounter a serious setback just hours before their lavish Venice wedding

The pair are due to marry and celebrate over the upcoming weekend.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez encounter a serious setback just hours before their lavish Venice wedding
Actualizado

Days before celebrating their extravagant $20 million, three-day wedding in Venice, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are facing an unforeseen complication as the iconic 15th-century Madonna dell'Orto Church is currently shrouded in scaffolding.

The building in the in the Cannaregio district of the Italian city is due to host one of the Amazon billionaire's wedding receptions, prompting widespread speculation and local frustration.

This problem surfaces just hours before the wedding, slated to include a lavish party in the church's adjacent cloister tomorrow evening, and now presents guests with a less-than-picture-perfect view upon arrival.

Security personnel have sealed off all entrances to the cloister, but the bell tower of the historic church remains visibly under repair. Some locals have questioned whether the couple selected the venue based on outdated images, unaware that renovation work was in progress.

This revelation follows an earlier incident in which a wedding planner was photographed carrying a printed VIP guest list, inadvertently leaking sensitive details of the event to the media in the run up to the controversial ceremony.

With heritage preservation at the heart of Venice's identity, the prospect of hosting such a grand wedding in a culturally significant space has ignited fury among locals, which have even reverberated into the Italian parliament.

The closure spans the Brazzo and Dei Muti canals and will persist from 6 pm tonight until midnight tomorrow, coinciding with the wedding's cornerstone event-a pyjama party held at a confidential location the night before the main celebration.

To amplify the party atmosphere, electrical cables are being laid across the cobblestone paths, powered by a generator boat moored in the canal. The noise generated has already been noted as a disturbance by residents and preservationists alike.

Security ramped up ahead of Bezos wedding

In the lead-up to the wedding, Italian police have deployed additional forces, and local officials have convened daily meetings to coordinate logistics, processions, and secure the area for approximately 200 VIP attendees.

The city has agreed to pay overtime to officers involved in the operation, but parliamentary complaints have spotlighted both the financial burden and the social implications. For example Angelo Bonelli of the Green and Left Alliance questioned the use of taxpayer funds to disrupt daily life in Venice.

Bonelli emphasized that Amazon profits stem from worker exploitation, a far-left-wing opinion, yet Bezos can effectively rent an entire city for private celebration as he prepares to take his second wife.

Members of opposition parties have also voiced strong objections and the local Venetian government officials have acted swiftly, closing off a 200-meter section of canal in front of the church.

Amid growing public backlash, the campaign group No Space For Bezos has vowed to disrupt the festivities. Protesters are planning to obstruct canals using inflatable crocodiles and snorkelling gear, aiming to slow down water taxis and highlight the conversation around Venice's accessibility and preservation.

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