It’s Day 2 of the three-day wedding celebration of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, former broadcast journalist Lauren Sánchez.
Taking place in Venice, CNBC reported on what will be happening during the three-day event.
Celebrations first began on Thursday, with a pre-wedding reception that was held in a medieval church, the cloisters of Madonna dell’Orto, in the central area of Cannaregio.
On Friday, the couple are exchanging vows, away from public access, at a black-tie ceremony on the private island of San Giorgio.
Rounding out the festivities, on Saturday, the main wedding reception — after a last-minute change due to security concerns — will take place on the eastern side of the city, in a historic complex surrounded by fortified walls known as the Arsenale.
CNBC also reported that there would be various other side events, including a foam party and a “Great Gatsby”-themed soiree.
Here’s a look at the stars attending, as well as the cost and the protests surrounding the Bezos-Sánchez wedding.
Who is attending the Bezos-Sánchez wedding?
Bezos and Sánchez have invited around 200 guests to their celebrations in the Italian city, reported CBS News.
According to The Associated Press, Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia told reporters that 90 private jets brought the guests to the Treviso and Venice airports. Zaia stated that the celebrity guests would “bring visibility and promotion” to the city that was worth more than five American Super Bowls.
Among the guests are President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner and their three children, according to the AP.
Other celebrities in attendance include Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Usher, Mick Jagger, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and her husband, along with the Kardashian sisters, Kris Jenner and Orlando Bloom, per AP.
During Friday’s celebrations, the son of opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, will also be in attendance as he is set to perform, according to Forbes.
How much does the Bezos-Sánchez wedding cost?
When it comes to the bill of this lavish event, Zaia was the first to tell reporters the estimated price, stating that the most recent total was between 40 million and 48 million euros ($47 million and $56 million), according to AP.
USA Today calculated that this would cover about 1,515 weddings with an average cost of $33,000.
CBS News reported that 80% of the wedding provisions are coming from Venetian vendors, including locally made pastries and hand-blown glass from the island of Murano, which is known for its long history of glassmaking.
While Bezos’ team has kept the details of what the millions are being used for close to the chest, there are a few other expenses that we do know.
Sánchez’s engagement ring, estimated to be about 30 carats, cost about $5 million, which could cover the cost of about 962 engagement rings with an average cost of $5,200, USA Today stated.
Additionally, AP stated that Bezos has donated 1 million euros each to three environmental research organizations that are working to preserve the city of Venice.
Protests in Venice
While Bezos and Sánchez unite their families, their wedding celebrations have left Venice divided.
As young activists protest, AP highlighted how residents are suffering from overtourism, increased housing costs and the continual threat of climate-induced flooding.
“Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there,” Stella Faye, a researcher at a university from Venice, told AP on Friday.
On the other hand, the city’s administration continues to defend the nuptials, holding on to the tradition of keeping Venice an open city.
“We will always respect the right to speak out, but we reject every form of intolerance and prejudice,” Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in Thursday’s edition of Italian newspaper Il Foglio Quotidiano, according to AP. “No one in Venice can claim the right of deciding who can enter, who can love, who can celebrate.”