Lauren Sánchez is stepping into a new chapter after officially tying the knot with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Following their lavish, multi-day wedding celebration in Venice, Italy, Sánchez has made swift, notable shifts, particularly in her public digital presence, signaling her new status.
The highly anticipated nuptials culminated in a star-studded ceremony on Friday, June 27, held on the picturesque island of San Giorgio Maggiore. While the elaborate Venetian event is reportedly not legally binding under Italian law (suggesting a potential prior legal marriage in the U.S. to streamline matters), Sánchez quickly cemented her new identity in the digital realm.
Embracing the New Name: Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Hours after being photographed heading to the ceremony from the luxurious Aman hotel, Sánchez updated her display name on social media platforms to “Lauren Sánchez Bezos.” Her Instagram handle also transitioned to @laurensanchezbezos, making the change official for her millions of followers. This move is more than just a formality; observers and commentators view it as a deliberate public step, positioning her not just as a spouse but as an active partner alongside Bezos, particularly as she takes on more prominent roles in their shared ventures, including space and philanthropy. Some speculated about this impending change even before the wedding, noting subtle hints like a personalized bracelet bearing the initials “LB.”
A Curated Online Presence Reflecting a New Phase
Beyond the name change, eagle-eyed fans and media quickly spotted another significant shift on Sánchez’s Instagram feed. As of the wedding day, her profile featured a significantly reduced number of photos – leaving only a carefully curated selection. This isn’t merely a simple deletion; it represents a clear “social media clean-up,” removing older content such as red carpet appearances, behind-the-scenes media glimpses, and photos from her “pre-Bezos era.” This strategic curation of her online gallery further underscores the beginning of a new public phase, presenting a refined image aligned with her married life.
Inside the Lavish Venice Wedding
The wedding itself was the culmination of a romance that first came to public light in early 2019, evolving from a working relationship. The couple became engaged in May 2023 on Bezos’s superyacht, Koru, in the South of France, reportedly “on cloud nine.”
The Venetian celebration kicked off with a welcome party on Thursday, June 26, held in a cloister near the Madonna dell’Orto church. Guests enjoyed exquisite food prepared by a famous Neapolitan chef, including onsite pizza, fried zucchini flowers, and seafood. For this event, Sánchez wore a striking golden Schiaparelli haute couture gown.
On the wedding day, Sánchez chose a custom Dolce & Gabbana silhouette dress, a design she collaborated on with Domenico Dolce for a year. The elegant gown featured a high neck, sheer lace sleeves, a corseted bodice, a mermaid silhouette with a short train, and was adorned with 180 silk chiffon-covered priest buttons. Her tulle-and-lace veil was reportedly inspired by the one worn by iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren in the 1958 film “Houseboat.” Sánchez described the dress as a departure from expectations, even her own, yet felt “very much me,” aiming for grace over “flashy or bling.” She expressed anticipation for Bezos’s reaction, keeping the dress a surprise.
Despite the global attention, Sánchez emphasized the intimate nature of the wedding, noting that 70 of the roughly 200 guests were family members. As a mature bride at 55, she mentioned skipping many traditional wedding customs, finding it “a little different.” However, she incorporated meaningful personal touches: her “something blue” was a nod to Blue Origin, Bezos’s aerospace company, referencing her own space flight experience. She even gifted Bezos a secret souvenir from that profound journey. Her children from her previous marriage also played pivotal roles, with her sons walking her down the aisle and her daughter serving as maid of honor and giving a reading; all three wore custom Dolce & Gabbana outfits.
The guest list for the main event was a who’s who of celebrities and influential figures. Among those spotted arriving via water taxi were members of the Kardashian-Jenner family (Kim, Khloe, Kendall, Kylie, Kris), R&B superstar Usher, media mogul Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, actor Leonardo DiCaprio with Vittoria Ceretti, model Brooks Nader, fellow billionaire Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, Karlie Kloss, and Tom Brady. Pink appeared to be a popular color choice among several female guests.
While a joyful occasion for the couple, the high-profile, multimillion-dollar affair in Venice also drew criticism and sparked protests in the region, reflecting broader global discussions about wealth inequality and calls for increased taxes on billionaires like Bezos.
In changing her name publicly and curating her digital footprint, Lauren Sánchez has clearly embarked on a new personal and public trajectory, officially stepping into the role of Lauren Sánchez Bezos as she and Jeff Bezos navigate their married life and shared ventures.
