Billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos has reportedly altered the location of his upcoming wedding reception in Venice due to significant backlash from local residents. The founder of Amazon is set to tie the knot with his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, this weekend, but the planned celebration has not been without controversy. Local activists have expressed their outrage, claiming that the historic UNESCO city should not be treated as a playground for billionaires.

Lauren Sánchez, a respected journalist aged 55, and Bezos, who is 61, became engaged in 2023. This union marks Bezos's second marriage following his divorce from MacKenzie Scott in 2019, with whom he shared a 25-year relationship. As the couple prepares to celebrate their love, they are expected to host around 200 high-profile guests, many of whom have already begun arriving in Venice aboard lavish super yachts.

Originally, the ceremony was scheduled to take place at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a stunning 16th-century building located in the city’s heart. However, reports indicate that the event has been relocated, possibly to the Arsenale, an expansive shipyard complex that has historical significance dating back to Venice’s days as a naval force.

In the lead-up to the wedding, Venice has witnessed a series of protests organized by a group called No Space for Bezos. This campaign has garnered attention for its radical proposals, such as threatening to fill the city’s iconic canals with inflatable crocodiles to disrupt access for wedding guests. The group's actions highlight growing tensions between local residents and wealthy visitors who are perceived to be encroaching upon the city’s cultural heritage.

Despite the protests, the festivities are expected to be extravagant, with reports suggesting that the couple has reserved the best hotels in the city for their esteemed guest list. Among those anticipated to attend are celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, and Ivanka Trump. As the wedding day approaches, the couple and their guests are likely to experience not just a lavish celebration but also the palpable tension of a city divided on the issue of wealth and tourism.