Off-limits hotels, hidden entrances, and fenced-off areas: Disappointing photos show how locked down Jeff Bezos' wedding was

Boats traveling between San Giorgio Maggiore and the main island.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIThe Bezos-Sánchez wedding was the talk of Venice, but good luck getting a glimpse of it.If you weren't on the guest list, you weren't getting anywhere near the celebration.Follow along on my journey of trying to get a glimpse of the billionaire nuptials.The Bezos-Sánchez wedding was in town, but for those hoping to see a slice of the action, security was there to remind you you weren't invited.The details of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding were kept tightly under wraps, with many people involved in the planning and preparation bound by NDAs.Even after the locations of the hotels and party venues leaked, swarms of paparazzi and journalists — myself included — were left squinting through fences, peeking over security guards, and kept away by boat-only entrances hidden from public view.Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding brought an A-list crowd to Venice.Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez got married in Venice in June 2025.AP Photo/Luca BrunoAmong the Hollywood power players in Venice during the last weekend of June for the wedding were Oprah, Orlando Bloom, and members of the Kardashian-Jenner family.Several titans of business were in attendance too, including Bill Gates, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.Starting Thursday, paparazzi crowded into Venice's narrow alleyways and docks, aiming long lenses at luxury hotels rumored to be hosting celebrity guests.Paparazzi looking at the Aman hotel.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIFive properties were said to be hosting wedding guests.But getting anywhere near them, let alone inside, was nearly impossible thanks to heightened security.If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that if you don't ask, you don't get.Some A-list guests stayed at Gritti Palace.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIAnd in Venice on the weekend of Bezos and Sánchez's wedding, even if you do ask, you sometimes get a door to a five-star hotel closed on you slowly and told, "Not a chance."That's what happened to me when I tried to enter the Gritti Palace Hotel. The Gritti Palace Hotel has hosted big names over the years: Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Winston Churchill. This weekend, it was one of several hotels believed to be hosting celebrity guests.I walked tentatively into the hotel's vestibule, flashed my press pass at a manager and a bellboy, and asked if I could have a look around or interview the manager. I expected a "no," and, sure enough, I got one."Not possible," said the smiling manager. "No, sorry. Not a chance." I was gently ushered out. The door closed politely, but firmly, behind me.I had a similar experience at four other luxury hotels.At the Hotel Danieli, which was originally a palace, I didn't even make it through the door.Hotel Danieli in Venice.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIThe revolving doors at the front were locked, and as I tried to enter a side door, also locked, hotel staff inside watched as I jiggled the handles. When I waved to get their attention, they turned away.When I arrived at the St. Regis, I found two security guards outside, along with a sharply dressed doorman.St. Regis Venice.Pierfrancesco Celada for BI"Could I have a quick look around?" I asked. A firm "No.""Is the hotel fully booked?" A firm "Yes.""For a wedding?" I asked, trying my luck. I got a polite smile and no response.I tried the dock nearby, hoping to get a glimpse of the hotel's grand water entrance, but a security guard told me to leave. These luxury hotels are most fashionably entered by water taxi, not on foot.Later, I took a public waterbus to the Belmond Cipriani hotel on the island of Giudecca, which is slightly removed from the city center.Hotel Capriani private dock.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIThe Belmond Cipriani is best known as the birthplace of the Bellini — the peach-and-Prosecco cocktail invented at the iconic Harry's Bar.I had the most luck here. I confidently strode down a long passageway, past a security guard, and for a moment thought I was in. Then I hit a locked gate requiring a keycard.I knew it was a long shot. On a normal weekend, without a celebrity wedding, getting into these hotels without a keycard would likely be no easy feat. But this weekend, with heightened security, a city under NDAs, and billions of dollars' worth of guests staying, I stood less chance than ever.I ended my attempts by visiting the Aman Hotel, where Bezos and Sanchez stayed.Hotel Aman on the Grand Canal.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIThe main entrance is by the water, and with police patrols and high security, it was a non-starter.Even seeing the guests leave the hotel was a difficult task. A gazebo was set up, in advance of the wedding, presumably to prevent the guests from being photographed.In a final effort to get into the hotel, I found a back entrance — a fenced-off garden area guarded by two security guards.Paparazzi looking at the Aman hotel.Pierfrancesco Celada for BII peeked through the fence and politely tried to get their attention. I asked one of them I could go inside."Impossible," he said. "No."On the first night of the wedding celebrations, held at the Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto, police blocked access to the venue.Police presence outside one of the party venues.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIPaparazzi and journalists were left scrambling for vantage points, and tourists also raised their phones high, hoping to see what was going on.From a distance, with camera lenses zoomed in, you could just make out some guests arriving, including Bezos and Sánchez.Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez flanked by security.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIThat fleeting glimpse came with layers of distance and security.On the second day of celebrations, held at San Giorgio Maggiore, getting a look inside was even harder.Security checkpoint.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIJournalists and members of the public could reach a workers' entrance, where security stood watch by a fence, checking lanyards and allowing through only those with authorized access.It was impossible to see, hear, or get any real sense of what was being prepared for the ceremony and party.As celebrities left their hotels en route to San Giorgio Maggiore, press and tourists waited on the island, hoping to catch a glimpse of the A-list arrivals.Boats traveling between San Giorgio Maggiore and the main island.Pierfrancesco Celada for BIEveryone was left disappointed. Wedding guests entered through a hidden entrance on the far side of the island, shielded by security and completely out of view from where anyone else could stand.Aside from a handful of distant celebrity sightings, all that could be seen were security patrols and paparazzi zipping by in boats.I came to Venice for the wedding of the century — but mostly, I saw security guards, fences, and hotel doors closing in my face.Read the original article on Business Insider

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