In the heart of Venice, an exhilarating challenge is developing. The luxury hotels lining Venice’s Grand Canal are crackling with speculation about a possible high-profile wedding. The Belmond Hotel Cipriani, The St. Regis Venice, the Gritti Palace, the Hotel Danieli and The Grand Aman Hotel are all caught up in speculation. Each one is completely unique, but all provide sumptuous lodging that enchants the world’s most privileged travelers. Here’s why Jeff Bezos stars in this story. His $700 million superyacht takes up residence off of the coast of Italy every summer, leading some to speculate that he’s planning a luxurious wedding in Venice.
The Grand Aman Hotel, renowned for hosting George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin‘s 2014 wedding, is nearly fully booked for the last weekend of June, sparking further conjecture. This timing has caused a lot of people to wonder whether there is any connection to Bezos’s wedding plans. Bezos’s new superyacht, though, presents a huge logistical challenge. Its huge size of 3,493 gross tons far exceeds the size limits permitted in the vicinity of the Grand Canal.
To make room for every possible guest, the Venice water taxi cooperative has made advance, tentative reservations of privately owned water taxis. The “Amore” water taxi became a sensation when Clooney and Alamuddin rode it away from their wedding. Yet, it plays an enormously important role in this arrangement. Despite these preparations, the Venice gondola association has not reported an increase in June reservations, casting doubt on widespread public knowledge of any planned nuptials.
For couples who want to get married in Venice’s canals, the city requires at least a month’s notice for a marriage license. To date, there has not been a public acknowledgement of such an application by Bezos or one of his spokespeople. Harry’s Bar, the legendary meeting place for artists and intellectuals in Venice, has declined to respond. They have yet to comment publicly on any participation in the alleged wedding’s undisclosed ancillary events.
