The mystery has been unveiled. None of the 200 guests, including 70 family members, were allowed to carry a mobile phone or use drones at the wedding of Jeff Bezos (61) and Lauren Sánchez (55). It was they who, after getting married this Friday at the Teatro Verde on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, in front of St. Mark's Square in Venice, revealed to the world the best-kept secret, the wedding dress.
After saying "I do," the official cover of Vogue was revealed, where the journalist wore an exclusive design by Dolce & Gabbana. They also distributed a spontaneous image of a very happy newlywed couple walking down the aisle flanked on both sides by applauding attendees.
For the dress, 900 hours of artisan work were invested over the past year and a half, planned while dining at the New York apartment of Domenico Dolce and his boyfriend, Guti Siquiera. They were inspired by the movie Cintia (1958) in a scene where Cary Grant is next to Sophia Loren wearing a high-neck lace dress.
The haute couture masters got to work. It is a white Italian lace dress with a high neck, mermaid cut, sweetheart neckline, and the most notable feature being the 180 priest buttons covered in silk chiffon that run along the entire front and back, from which a four-meter train emerges. Obviously, the veil could not be missing. "I looked for photos of brides from the 50s. I wanted to reflect on the past, and I saw Sophia Loren, and her hands were like this" (the actress imitates a praying gesture), Sánchez revealed to Vogue, so she said, "Since she wore high lace, up to the neck, I commented: 'That's it. That's the dress'."
Out of the 27 dresses worn during the three days of celebration, the bride's dress is the first formal one that covers the entire chest. "It deviates from what people expect", she confesses to the American media, and adds: "Also from what I expect, but it is very much me."
To delight all the guests and family, a menu was created in the style of southern Italy by chef Fabrizio Mellino, 25, from the restaurant Quattro Passi de Nerano (Sorrento) with three Michelin stars. The exquisite Nerano spaghetti was served, made with fried zucchini and Monaco provolone, a recipe passed down through generations in the Mellino family. Then came the gourmet pizzas made by the Ciro Oliva pizzeria in Naples.
The desserts were provided by Sal De Riso, a pastry shop known for its delicious creations that capture the essence of the Amalfi Coast. 1,000 portions of mini lemon delights with ricotta and pear were distributed, and finally, a sculpture cake from the respected Parisian pastry chef Cédric Grolet.
All of this was accompanied by the music of tenor Matteo Bocelli (27) - son of the also lyrical tenor Andrea Bocelli - who sang a very special song by Elvis Presley, Can't Help Falling in Love. The climax was a dance floor designed to float on the water. For the party, Lauren changed into another dress and opted for an Óscar de la Renta with 175,000 crystals and 550 meters of hand-sewn chain. She wore two huge diamonds on each hand at all times, one of them being the spectacular 30-carat engagement ring worth 5 million euros.
The Kardashian clan had a great time, Leonardo DiCaprio wandered like a ghost, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were guarded by strong security measures, Oprah Winfrey exuberantly showed off her new slim figure thanks to Ozempic, Orlando Bloom looked very elegant in his tuxedo after showing off his muscular legs during a walk before the festivities, Queen Rania of Jordan was the most envied of the evening for her elegance, Bill Gates was immaculate in his tuxedo, no trace of Jacklyn Gise, Bezos' mother, who also wore a custom-made tuxedo that made her feel a bit strange.
With so much luxury exposure and a lack of glamour, criticism was not lacking. One of the most surprising came from Stefano Visintin, the abbot of San Giorgio Maggiore, who told Corriere della Sera that the wedding was of an "excessive worldliness". The couple turned the chosen place into "a postcard for the rich", according to the abbot, who emphasized: "It is not forbidden, there are many events here, but done like this, in this way, it can be a bit shocking because it is ostentatious frivolity that clashes with the nature of the island, more cultural and spiritual."