Storm Disrupts Pre-Wedding Celebration in Venice

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s celebrity wedding guests experienced unexpected weather when a heavy thunderstorm forced an early conclusion to their welcome party in Venice, Italy, on Thursday evening. The bride was seen hurriedly leaving Madonna dell’Orto church to a water taxi, with staff shielding her from the rain with umbrellas as she made her way.

The rainstorm even prompted guests like Kim and Khloé Kardashian to swiftly exit, with Khloé sharing a photo of her waterlogged water taxi on her Instagram Stories. Kendall Jenner and other attendees, including Oprah Winfrey, Ivanka Trump, and Orlando Bloom, hurriedly left the event, some shielding themselves with umbrellas or carrying others’ bags to stay dry. Kris Jenner was observed trying to stay dry as staff members helped her navigate through the downpour, and Jared Kushner was seen holding an umbrella over Ivanka Trump.

The festivities, held at Madonna dell’Orto church, were meant to mark the start of a three-day wedding celebration for the couple, which has already faced some backlash and protests. The celebration included notable celebrities departing their hotels for the event and sharing quick glimpses of their drenched state after the rain interrupted their plans. Despite the weather, the event was notable for the passionate kiss shared by Bezos and Sánchez aboard their water taxi en route to the celebration.

The rainstorm led to the assembly of water taxis just 45 minutes before the scheduled midnight end time, with guests like Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, and Kendall Jenner making hasty departures. The event highlighted that even immense wealth can’t control the weather, as one onlooker noted, joking that “a wet bride is a lucky bride.”

The celebration is part of the couple’s wedding weekend, which has been shrouded in secrecy, with guests reportedly kept in the dark about specific locations and details of the festivities.