Alert – Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to celebrate $20 million Venetian wedding TODAY as A-list guests are forced to cut short final party before lavish ceremony: Live updates

Queen Rania of Jordan is bringing royalty to the so-called ‘wedding of the century’ as she joins star-studded guests celebrating Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’s wedding.

Rania – who is married to King Abdullah – stepped out in Venice last night in a stunning ballgown as she hopped into a water taxi to attend a pre-wedding party.

Rania’s relationship with Bezos has spanned almost a decade and she first met the tech founder alongside her husband at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman in 2016.

Rania was also present at Lauren and Jeff’s engagement party onboard their $500 million yacht Koru.

Her son Crown Prince Hussein, 30, was also in attendance alongside his wife Princess Rajwa and their baby daughter, Princess Iman, who is less than a year old.

Queen Rania of Jordan makes a regal appearance in Venice

Princess Rajwa, Crown Prince of Jordan, Hussein bin Abdullah and their daughter Iman

A camera crew and tourists have been following the wrong Jeff Bezos in Venice.

As the billionaire gears up to wed his 55-year-old bride, Lauren Sanchez, in Venice today, holidaymakers in the popular destination are keeping their eyes peeled for celebrity sightings.

One group thought they lucked out by seeing the Amazon boss, 61, in the flesh while roaming the streets of Venice yesterday.

Tourists and camera crew followed the man who shares a similar appearance to Jeff, thanks to his shaved head and comparable figure.

A man from Denmark, who goes by @danishtransporter on TikTok, shared the ‘sighting’ to social media with the caption, ‘Jeff Bezos Venice wedding.’

However, it’s been revealed that the man is Cagdas Halicilar, a known look-alike who last year quit his job to pursue a career as a Bezos doppelgänger – and has since secured a role in a Netflix show.

Watch the footage below:

Sydney Sweeney has become the latest celebrity spotted in Venice hours before the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

Sweeney was earlier pictured walking around in the city in a black coloured dress and matching bag.

Last night she looked looked effortlessly stylish as she put on a busty display in a plunging pink and green floral dress featuring a sweeping frilled skirt.

Lauren Sanchez reportedly told the Kardashians she was ‘living a fairytale’ the night before her wedding to Jeff Bezos.

According to La Repubblica, Sanchez was in a conversation with Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner at the Madonna dell’Orto last night.

Whilst holding a glass of champagne, she was overheard telling the family:

Girls, I’m living a fairytale. I’m on cloud nine in a wonderful city, with the man I love. I couldn’t be happier.

An excitable Orlando Bloom has enjoyed brunch after he was spotted embracing a young woman in the back of a Venetian water taxi on the eve of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding.

The British actor, 48, is among a number of the world’s most eligible bachelors in Venice for the VIP nuptials, having just split from fiancée Katy Perry.

Orlando was pictured smiling in workout clothes and cap on the terrace of the Gritti Palace Hotel – one of five of the city’s most luxurious hotels booked out by the Amazon billionaire to host his 250 influential guests.

The star, whose former partner is putting on a brave face while touring with their daughter Daisy, four, spoke to guests as he ate a late breakfast and drank cappuccinos in the Veneto sunshine.

Orlando also laughed wildly while speaking to an immaculately dressed waiter and drank his coffee while looking out on one of the city’s canals. He then left the hotel for a walk ahead of the wedding later today.

can reveal that one of the mystery women spotted with Orlando in Italy last night for the wedding of the decade was Roman Abramovich’s Russian-American ex-wife.

In a set of pictures described as heartbreaking for his Katy Perry’s heart, newly-single Orlando was all smiles as left Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s lavish pre-wedding celebration with Dasha Zhukova.

• Read the full story by 's Chief Reporter Martin Robinson here

Venice city council and the surrounding region issued a red alert for extreme weather in the area for the next two days.

Temperatures are expected to hit almost 40c with a humidity level of around 70 percent which may make it uncomfortable for wedding guests later today.

A message on the Venice Council website read: ‘Rising temperatures: intense physical discomfort in coastal areas until June 28.’

Venice was one of 13 Italian cities were elevated temperatures were predicted and experts warned people to seek shade, drink water and stay out of direct sunlight in the hottest part of the day.

A violent thunderstorm last night that curtailed the first event of the wedding did bring a brief respite.

Air conditioning units were brought in by barge for the party last night and there are also units on standy in the warehouse venue at Arsenale.

Tourists protect themselves from the sun today during a Venice gondola ride

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are expected to leave Venice on Sunday night, we can reveal.

Before they depart, the couple will have lunch on the island of Torcello where there is only one luxury villa.

Torcello is a sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon.

The only villa on the Venetian isle of Torcello, includes a pool and huge garden with the ruins of the ancient Romanesque church of San Giovanni.

They are expected to have a last intimate lunch with their closest friends and family.

During their trip they will also be visiting the island of Murano which is renowned for its long tradition of glass-making and has provided the glasswear for their celebrations.

The villa on Torcello has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and large outdoor pool with a diving board.

It also comes with a butler on request and costs around £250,000 to rent for a week.

Lady Gaga and Elton are expected to duet at the finale party on Saturday night for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding.

A source close to the planners said:‘It’s going to be a really special duet and will be a moment to treasure for the happy couple and their guests.’

Local media in Venice said the duo would be paid one million Euro each for their performance.

Two grand pianos were spotted arriving in Venice by gondola earlier this week.

The Rocket Man singer, 78, owns an apartment in Giudecca in Venice, just a short boat ride away from the Bezos wedding events across the cities.

Elton and Gaga do already have a close friendship – she is godmother to his children – and Jeff and Lauren were said to have personally requested the both of them, says a well-placed source.

The pair have a couple of songs already which they have collaborated together on including Hello Hello and Sine From Above.

Elton John performing with Lady Gaga on LA's Sunset Strip in 2016

Katy Perry has today shared more snaps of where she is currently touring as her friend Lauren Sanchez said she would be missed at ther wedding

The pop star posted a picture of herself with a Quokka this morning.

Perry is in on her Lifetimes tour which has forced her to miss her friend’s wedding in Venice as bride-to-be Lauren Sanchez wrote ‘We miss you Katy’.

Her ex Orlando Bloom did travel to Italy where he has been seen hanging out with fellow eligible bachelor Tom Brady.

Campaigners No Space For Bezos have planned a flash mob protest during the next two days while a march is scheduled for tomorrow at the main Santa Lucia Railway station.

Originally the plan had been to ask people to turn up at the Scuola Della Misericordia in swimming gear and carrying inflatable toys so they could disrupt water taxis ferrying guests.

This led to the last minute switch of venue to the Arsenale which was hailed as a ‘victory’ by No Space For Bezos leader Tommaso Cacciari.

He told :

We are not psychopaths we are not against people getting married but what we are against is this extravagant waste of money by the elite.

These billionaires and millionaires are flaunting their wealth and parking their yachts just feet away from where some are finding it a real struggle to make ends meet.

The change of venue was a victory for us and we will continue to protest until the event is over, Venice is not a theme park or play toy that can be hired at the whim of an oligarch.

Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner have been pictured enjoying the sights of Venice as they prepare to celebrate the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

The mother and daughter were seen shopping in Chanel on what is Khloe’s 41st birthday.

Kim was nowhere to be seen as the pair were snapped this morning as crowds followed them on a busy shopping street.

• Read more here

Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner shopping in Venice – Credit: Michelle Cresswell

Friends Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King have been pictured having breakfast together at Venice’s Gritti Hotel.

Both dressed in blue, the pair were seen arriving together in the Italian city on Thursday.

King, a CBS Mornings host, cemented her friendship with Sanchez in May when the duo jetted off to space on Jeff’s Blue Origin rocket for 11 minutes, along with Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, Aisha Bowe, and Amanda Nguyễn.

Here’s ‘s UK Associate Showbusiness Editor Laura Fox with five things we can expect from the wedding

New pictures show US actress Sydney Sweeney leaving a pre-night wedding party for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

The White Lotus star was captured being helped into a water taxi after departing from the Madonna dell’Orto, where a reception was held.

Countless celebrities have been spotted out and about on Venice’s streets and canals this week as A-listers descend on the city for the ‘wedding of the century’.

The Kardashians, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo di Caprio are just some of the dazzling stars in town.

Ahead of the wedding ceremony today followed by further celebrations planned over the weekend, here’s FEMAIL’s take on best and worst dressed guests:

Eagle-eyed Kylie Jenner fans have convinced themselves that boyfriend Timothée Chalamet has given her son a very special cuddly toy.

The 27-year-old lip kit mogul was spotted arriving in Venice, Italy, for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding with her two children – Stormi, seven, and Aire, three – on Thursday afternoon.

With her older sisters Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian photographed in the northern city earlier in the day, Kylie was seen making her own way to the merriment after landing at Marco Polo airport.

In pictures shared far and wide online, she held onto her children’s hands as they walked down the jetty and prepared to board a small water taxi.

Crucially, Aire was seen clutching onto a stuffed monkey toy, which instantly sent the internet into meltdown.

Fans have been busy pouring over every little detail of the photos, with many speculating that the cuddly toy in Aire’s hands could be the Baby Milo bag that Timothée wore on the red carpet for A Complete Unknown in Tokyo, Japan, in February.

• Read the full story by Cydney Yeates here

One of the hawks used at Hotel Cipriani

Jeff Bezos has hired hawks from Hotel Cipriani to prevent any seagulls and pigeons from disrupting his wedding.

The five-star hotel, which is currently hosting around 30 of Bezos’s guests, has five hawks on the property, to stop birds from pestering guests.

San Giorgio island, where Bezos is getting married today, has a slight problem with both seagulls and pigeons, with many bothering tourists and even nipping food out of hands and from tables.

A source told the Mail: ‘It’s the best way to deal with them. They won’t come anywhere near when a hawk is here.’

The famous £2,700 a night Hotel Cipriani, is the only hotel in Venice Brad Pitt will stay in when he visits the city.

The luxury Hotel Cipriani will be a home away from home for the Bezos guests with the biggest swimming pool in Venice, Michelin star restaurants and a terrace overlooking today’s wedding venue.

Staff of Bezos visited the five-star, private hotel at the beginning of the week, to check security measures as well as fly a drone over the opposite island San Giorgio, where one of the wedding events is going to be held.

The city of Venice has previously had to implement measures to deal with the population of seagulls and pigeons.

These have included banning pigeon feeding, using water pistols, and falconry.

Angelo Bonelli wants to know if taxpayer money will be used for security

According to local media reports, the city will pay overtime to an unspecified number of police officers involved in security for the wedding organisers.

It has prompted questions in parliament from furious MPs – mostly from opposition centre left and environmental parties – wanting to know just how much Italian taxpayers’ money is being spent.

Angelo Bonelli, an MP with the Italian Green and Left Alliance, angrily demanded that Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi from the ruling Brothers of Italy right-wing party provide cost details.

Mr Bonelli said:

We need information because from Wednesday until Saturday night the city of Venice will be in a virtual lockdown to allow the Amazon magnate’s wedding to go ahead.

It will be locked down, but it will also be a city bought for three days in a sort of unbridled celebration of luxury that will limit the movement of citizens. I am here to ask the Ministry of the Interior to guarantee the freedom to express dissent. How is it possible to buy a city for three days creating a series of inconveniences?

He added:

I remember that Amazon is under investigation for the exploitation of workers, Bezos’ wealth comes from this. If they can buy Venice for three days, these super rich can pay taxes.

Lisa Hilton, a bestselling author and historian, moved to Venice seven years ago

Writing in The Daily Mail, she describes how the billionaire circus that is Jeff Bezos’s wedding to Lauren Sanchez has fixed the eyes of the world not only on Venice, but on the anger felt by residents at the destruction of their way of life.

Here’s an extract of her view from Venice:

Today, the atmosphere in the world’s most beautiful city is distinctly ugly.In my neighbourhood, Zattere, behind the Salute Church on the Grand Canal, the canals and alleyways are eerily quiet.

Aside from an unusual number of mega-yachts – with smartly dressed crew bustling about the decks and heavies guarding the gangways – there’s almost no one about.

Only the thump-thump of the helicopters ferrying guests from the airport on the mainland suggests anything unusual. Frankly, it feels menacing.

• Read the full piece here

Campaign group No Space For Bezos have already said they plan to disrupt the wedding by blocking canals and have asked activists to ‘turn up with snorkels and masks’,

They have also been encouraged to bring inflatable crocodiles or other toys to scatter along the canals to impede the dozens of water taxis hired to ferry guests between venues.

‘If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,’ one gigantic banner read in St. Mark’s Square.

Greenpeace and the UK-based collective Everyone Hates Elon have also joined demonstrations in Venice

‘Jeff Bezos is the second-richest man in the world yet is reported to pay a 1.1 percent true tax rate,’ the two groups said in a joint statement. ‘The multi-million-dollar wedding is reportedly happening over three days, with the wedding ring alone worth as much as $5million.’

A spokesperson from Everyone Hates Elon said: ‘As governments talk about hard choices and struggle to fund public services, Jeff Bezos can afford to shut down half a city for days on end just to get married.’

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and bride to be Lauren Sanchez’s have been forced to change one of the venues for their $48 million Venice wedding because of ‘rising global tensions’, it was reported earlier this week

Bezos and Sanchez nuptials has already attracted huge controversy with protests planned by locals angry at the couple for ‘taking over the city’ for the planned three day festivities.

The original plan was for a huge party at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia on Saturday night but it has now been moved to another venue in the Arsenale area of the city, according to local media.

Il Gazzettino said the days leading to wedding would be ‘tension filled’ and the move to the venue was due to it being ‘easier to control’ as large scale protests are expected.

• Read the full story by Nick Pisa here

In San Giorgio Maggiore, it’s still pretty quiet but there a few preparations underway ahead of the wedding ceremony later today.

Security are surrounding the island with one man every few metres and cameramen are now also here.

A private jetty has been built and is manned with security, opposite luxury hotel Cipriani, where around 30 Bezos guests are staying.

The usual entrance to the private gardens has been blocked off and a huge lime green marquee has been erected at the back of the island in the private gardens which is able to see the roof.

Preparations continued at the Arsenale on the north of Venice for the gala finale of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding on Saturday night.

The complex, which consists of former shipyards and warehouses, was the bedrock of Venice’s naval history is now a trendy exhibition and party venue.

When stopped by to look in warehouse 91 where the Venetian masked ball gala will take place security guards quickly ushered us away.

One said:’You can’t come any further. It’s a private function for Jeff Bezos.

Two large lorries were parked outside and there was a constant procession of staff carrying equipment inside the warehouse while another used a forklift truck.

Glancing through an open window crates of glasses, crockery and dozens of bottles of water could be seen in what looked like a staff canteen area.

Croissants were also piled high and there was coffee and fresh fruit available as it appeared work had been going through the night.

An innocuous-seeming paparazzi photograph may have inadvertently revealed details about Lauren Sanchez’s fiercely-guarded bridal look, as the former journalist prepares to say ‘I do’ to Jeff Bezos this week.

A tour guide hired to welcome guests as they arrived in Venice for the $20 million wedding of the Amazon founder Bezos, 61, and Lauren, 55, was snapped holding a clipboard of names.

Prominent among Beatrice Bavato’s list – that included names, flight numbers, and hotel destinations – were members of Lauren’s ‘glam squad’.

The most intriguing of the ancillary guests is Samuel Horowitz, a sales executive at Dolce & Gabbana.

Could the young Milan-based associate’s presence be confirmation that Lauren has opted to wear one of their creations for her wedding ceremony?

Read the full story here:

At 61 years old, most people may look back at their twenty-something-year-old selves with envy – but it couldn’t be less true for Jeff Bezos.

His appearance today is a far cry from the meek 'nerd' with a receding hairline who worked at a McDonald’s as a young man

He now boasts a sculpted body – the result of a strict diet and training regimen – and tanned complexion; in contrast to the wan posture and thinning locks he held just years ago.

His transformation was believed to have been sparked by Amazon’s 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods – the health-conscious grocer – for nearly $14 billion, but he had reportedly started hitting the gym as early as 2013.

In an interview with Vogue in December 2023, Sanchez revealed she and Jeff work out together, but couldn’t do the same exercises, with his fiancée noting: ‘He’s on a whole different level than I am. He is a monster in the gym.’

He also appears to be dedicated to getting his beauty sleep, with the couple sharing in the same interview, they go to bed at 9.30pm. after watching some television.

She’s set to walk down the aisle and wed billionaire Jeff Bezos today in Venice, but it’s not the first time Lauren Sánchez has said ‘I Do’ or come close to exchanging vows with the love of her life.

The soon-to-be Mrs Bezos, 55, has had a roller-coaster quest to find love, filled with a divorce, cheating scandals and three failed engagements.

Lauren has gone through a string of famous romances to finally find her one, with her star-studded list of exes including two NFL players, an actor and a Hollywood movie executive.

But it wasn’t until she cheated on her most recent ex-husband Patrick Whitesell, 60, with the Amazon founder, 61, that she propelled into mega-stardom.

As she prepares to tie the knot with the billionaire in a very star-studded wedding, we have recapped her famous past loves.

When Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez tie the knot today, their families will officially become blended.

The Amazon founder, whose net worth is estimated at around $215 billion, welcomed four children with his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott, whom he married in 1993.

The couple met while they working for the same investment management firm, D. E. Shaw & Co, and tied to knot a year before Bezos launched Amazon.

There is little known about Jeff and MacKenzie’s four kids – three biological sons and a daughter they adopted from China – with all of them keeping a quiet profile despite their father’s fame and fortune.

Sanchez, 55, on the other hand, welcomed a son, named Nikko Gonzalez, with footballer Tony Gonzalez in 2002 before splitting.

She then walked down the aisle with Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell in 2005, and together, they had a son, named Evan Whitesell, in 2006 and a daughter, named Eleanor Whitesell, in 2008.

Here's all we know about the children:

In May 2023, the Daily Mail exclusively revealed the couple's engagement after the Amazon boss popped the question to his journalist girlfriend on board his $500million superyacht.

Pictures obtained by the Mail showed the couple kissing and canoodling on board ‘Koru’ as Sanchez struggled to conceal the rock the size of a Balearic Island that glinted on her ring finger.

The 30-carat diamond ring is estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million.

The pair were pictured off the coast of Cannes, where they were enjoying a Mediterranean odyssey and the inaugural voyage of Bezos’s superyacht

Speaking with Vogue in November 2023, Sánchez revealed she and Bezos had enjoyed dinner before the proposal with him hiding the ring under her pillow

‘When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit,’ Sánchez told the magazine.

Jeff Bezos was introduced to Lauren Sanchez in 2016 by his friend and her ex-husband Patrick Whitesell.

As couples Bezos and his ex Mackenzie Scott and Sanchez and Whitesell socialised together, with the unwitting spouses each considering the other’s a friend.

But in 2018, Bezos and Sanchez embarked on what would become an eight-month affair which was eventually exposed by the National Enquirer in a flurry of scandal that ended both their marriages.

The story was published on January 9, 2019. Earlier that same day Bezos and his then wife, Mackenzie Tuttle, 53, published an announcement on Twitter that they were separating and that the split after 25 years of marriage was ‘amicable.’

Around that same time, Sanchez told her then husband, Patrick Whitesell, 58, the truth of her affair.

Bezos and Sanchez appaearing at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in March

A-listers who have flocked to Venice are appearing to revel at the opportunity to parade their slimmer bodies amid the Ozempic trend sweeping Hollywood.

Oprah Winfrey – who has lost nearly 50 pounds with the aid of one of the newly popular weight-loss drugs – lead the pack of celebrities flaunting much smaller waistlines, alongside her best friend Gayle King, who has also dropped the pounds.

The former talk show host has showed off her slimmer figure in recent months – such as when she made an appearance at the 2025 Tony Awards earlier this month in NYC.

Back in 2023, the star admitted to taking weight loss medication and at the time she told People, ‘I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yoing.

While Leonardo DiCaprio looked considerably thinner as he arrived for the celebrations, although his method for transforming from tubby to trim remains a mystery.

• Read more here

Tom Brady and Orlando Bloom will no doubt be two of the most sought-after for a chat from single women during the festivities.

The two eligible bachelors shared a water taxi yesterday as they set out to prove that teamwork makes the dream work.

Former husband of Gisele Bundchen, Tom, donned a white dress shirt with the top few buttons undone.

He flashed his signature pearly whites as he also donned a pair of black designer shades.

While Orlando matched his buddy Tom in a crisp white dress shirt as his short locks were elegantly disheveled.

It was claimed on Wednesday that Orlando and fiancee Katy Perry had called it quits following weeks of escalating tension after nearly a decade of their on–off relationship, six years of being engaged and one child together.

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner enjoyed a spot of sightseeing yesterday as they were among the first wave of A-list arrivals in Venice.

The First Daughter, 43, looked stunning in a green dress and canvas sunhat as she arrived by boat – ahead of a three-day extravaganza thought to cost a whopping $20million – after doing a spot of sightseeing along the famous canals.

The couple are joined in the city by their three children, Arabella Rose, 13, Joseph Frederick, 10, and Theodore James, eight.

Ivanka took to Instagram to post pictures from their day in Venice. ‘Da Venezia con amore’ (‘From Venice with love’), she captioned the post.

Watch the moment Ivanka and Jared arrived in Venice on Wednesday:

Today may be Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ big day.

But the Kardashians ensured all eyes would be on them as they arrived in Venice yesterday ahead of the $20 million wedding.

Kim – who recently spent time in Paris with Lauren on her hen do – looked incredible in a tiny Balenciaga bandeau top, which also featured a ribbed maxi skirt.

She teamed the garment with snakeskin boots and oversized shades while she shrugged a black hoodie off her shoulders.

By her side was Khloe, who exuded glamour in a skintight leopard print catsuit from her sister Kim’s SKIMS collab with Dolce & Gabbana, that showcased her famous curves.

The siblings were joined by mother Kris Jenner on the outing, who was also dressed in black, showcasing her figure in a low-cut dress.

The official wedding guest list is believed to have under 200 people in what is likely to be a mix of A-list celebrities and the wealthy elite.

So which of Jeff and Lauren’s celebrity pals scored an invite to what is expected to be the wedding of the century?

Ahead of their nuptials, FEMAIL has compiled a list of celebrities who have made their way into Jeff and Lauren’s inner circle:

• Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, 44, has been a steadfast presence in Lauren’s inner circle for years, offering consistent support through DMs and lavish joint outings including Lauren’s recent Bachelorette party in Paris where Kim gave evidence in her high-profile robbery trial.

• Kris Jenner

Lauren and the Kardashian matriarch, Kris Jenner, 69, have also cultivated a family-like friendship. The pair grew close when Kris joined Kim and Lauren at one of Beyoncé’s concerts on the Renaissance tour in 2023.

• Ivanka Trump

The First Daughter, 43, has travelled to Venice with her husband Jared Kushner and their three children. Ivanka’s brother Donald Trump Jr is also set to attend today’s ceremony.

• Oprah Winfrey

Oprah, 71, will be among the guests in Venice and was pictured arriving yesterday. Oprah recently supported Lauren following her Blue Origin spaceflight in May as she watched the launch in Texas.

• Orlando Bloom

The newly single actor arrived in Venice on Thursday amid reports of a recent split with pop star Katy Perry

• Leonardo di Caprio

The Academy Award-winning actor, 50, will attend alongside his 27-year-old Italian girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, according to People magazine. Di Caprio attended the couple’s engagement party in 2023 at the Beverly Hills home of Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg.

Last night, a source closely connected to the organisation of the week’s events revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are already legally married.

‘They have been married for at least a month, more than a month. The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law,’ the insider revealed.

They added: ‘When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married.

‘There is no application for a wedding license from the couple because it was not required.

‘Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding. Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning.’

The source also claimed that Jeff had personally confirmed that he and Lauren are already legally married, and that they had also signed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect his $244 billion fortune.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez pictured yesterday in Venice

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ A-list guests like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were forced to take cover on Thursday as the couple’s pre-wedding party was hit by a huge freak thunderstorm.

The lavish event held at the Madonna dell Orto cloisters marked the start of the billionaire couple’s lavish three-day wedding in Venice, Italy, which will come to a close on Saturday.

However, Thursday night’s star-studded soiree was brought to an early end due to the intense downpour.

Guests dived for cover under the vaulted cloisters as lightening bolts flashed across the sky and thunder rumbled overhead at the end of what was a torridly humid day with temperatures nudging 96.8° Fahrenheit.

Torrential downpours and a strong wind left guests soaked as they then dashed for water taxis which had been scrambled a good 45 minutes ahead of the midnight finish time.

One onlooker said: ‘It just goes to show you can have all the money in the world but you cant control the weather – although an Italian saying says a wet bride is a happy and lucky bride.’

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore will be the backdrop to today’s wedding ceremony between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez

On the island there are 11 small chapels enclosed in private gardens which have been closed for several days and have previously been hired out by the super-rich.

Incredibly rich in history, the gardens include a 128-metre private library and also a maze which are both usually buzzing with tourists this time of year.

Gardeners, builders and electricians have been working to make sure all of the final details are complete ahead of the bride and groom’s arrival later today.

Around 30 ex-marine security men also patrolled the island, in what appeared to be them preparing for the arrival of the 200 guests.

Not a private members club in the traditional sense, the island is home to a sailing company that has private facilities on the island like a clubhouse which can also be used for events like weddings and gatherings.

However the private events are usually arranged with the money to then be donated to the islands charity, Fondazione Giorgio Cini.

One local told me:

The problem is with the Bezos wedding is we don’t know where that money is going. That’s been difficult and the thing we are upset about.

The ceremony will take place on San Giorgio Maggiore island

This is the moment Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice ahead of their blockbuster wedding today.

The multi-billionaire Amazon founder, 61, was seen stepping off a boat alongside his glamorous girlfriend, 55, at the luxury Aman Hotel on Wednesday.

After being dropped off by water taxi to the hotel’s private jetty, the couple were also joined by around 50 other of their closest guests and friends.

The couple chose Italy to host their wedding following a two-year engagement.

Watch the video below:

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice.

The Amazon founder and one of the world’s richest men and the former TV journalist today host a lavish ceremony during their three-day celebration in the Italian city costing an estimated $20 million.

Hollywood A-listers and super-rich guests have made their way to San Giorgio Maggiore island in the Venetian Lagoon for what has been dubbed the ‘wedding of the century’.

But the nuptials have caused anger in Venice with protest banners, posters and graffitis plastered in recent days with activists planning to disrupt the celebrations.

Stick with us for the latest updates with our correspondents Nick Pisa and Molly Clayton reporting from Venice plus our reporters in London and New York.