It’s a tale of one city and two weddings with a decade in between and an even wider gulf in terms of style and dignity.
As Venice recovers from the extravagant $20 million Bezos/Sanchez wedding, accompanied by anti-capitalist protests, erratic weather, and the omnipresent Kardashian fashion choices, I recall a time when the Floating City was the backdrop for a more refined celebrity celebration.
Back in 2014, George and Amal Clooney set the standard for Italian elite gatherings at the elegant Aman Grand Canal Hotel with a display of classic romance worthy of Venice’s historic grandeur.
With a relatively modest $4.6 million budget, the couple, who had met in Italy a year prior, wed in front of merely 60 guests. This gathering included a select few VIPs such as Anna Wintour and Cindy Crawford, who were stylishly, rather than provocatively, attired—quite unlike Kim, Khloe, Kylie, and Kendall, among other ‘stars’ who made bold fashion statements at the Bezos event.
George smouldered in a custom-made cashmere Armani suit, while Lebanese British Human Rights lawyer, Amal, was elegance personified in a demure, lace Oscar de la Renta wedding gown.
In short, the photogenic Clooneys were ready for their close-up without appearing to be especially desperate for it, which can’t be said for rictus grin poseurs, Jeff and Lauren.
As Venice recovers from the trashy takeover of the $20 million Bezos/Sanchez nuptials, complete with its anti-capitalist protests, freak storms and ubiquitous Kardashian cleavage, remember the time the Floating City hosted an altogether classier A-lister’s big day?
Yes, the 61-year-old Amazon founder and 55-year-old occasional astronaut may have stayed at the same hotel and even used the same London-based event planners, Lanza & Baucina, as the A-list couple but the results could not have been more different.
Because this wedding’s overall vibe, across three days of celebration, was more reality TV than old Hollywood.
Even in a classic tux and sporting a buff rebuild, Jeff looked more like a conference-bound salesman than a tech titan.
Let’s face it, the tone was set when the ‘lovebirds’ (combined age 111) kicked off proceedings with a foam party on the deck of their $500 million yacht.
The pair seem to have a gift for making eyewatering expenditure look spectacularly cheap.
Why settle for merely taking over a hotel when you can rent an entire island? (San Giorgio Maggiore in this case for the actual ceremony).
Why miss the chance to upgrade your $3 million, 30 carat, pink diamond engagement ring to an egg-sized 35 carat, diamond rock? Both of which resemble gauche costume pieces, when set next to Amal’s classic and ethically mined $500,000, seven carat, dazzler.
And while Amal wowed in three iconic looks – a cream silk, navy trim, Stella McCartney pantsuit for the civil ceremony at Ca’ Farsetti Palace, an ivory Oscar de la Renta gown for the wedding and a silver one for the reception – Sanchez opted for an exhaustive whirl of costume changes.
Back in 2014, George and Amal Clooney set the Dolce Vita blueprint for Italian high society at the chic seven-star Aman Grand Canal Hotel with a masterclass in leading man and lady classic romance befitting of the ancient City of Love.
Amal wowed in three iconic looks: a cream silk, navy trim, Stella McCartney pantsuit for the civil ceremony at Ca’ Farsetti Palace, an ivory Oscar de la Renta gown for the wedding and a silver one for the reception
‘Highlights’ included an eye-wateringly tight – and, at $100,000, expensive – Schiaparelli corset dress which she wore to the welcome dinner Thursday night, looking for all the world like a server at Medieval Times.
Then came full blown dress-up, as she donned an Hermes headscarf and cream Dior suit the following day. If this was intended to be an homage to Italian icon Sophia Loren, it fell flat, looking more like parody than a true echo of the star’s effortless chic.
In fact, Sanchez’s actual bridal gown – high-necked and made from hand-appliquéd Italian lace – marked a rare moment of understated restraint.
Of course, the real way to ram your 0.0001 per cent credentials down everyone’s throats is with heavy-handed security.
From eye-sore scaffolding and street closures to monopolising water taxis, it was hard pecorino to the great unwashed trying to go about their business in Venice last week.
It’s pretty clear why many Venetians were riled, rather than charmed, by this love story. The Clooneys’ comparatively modest celebrations caused barely a ripple in the city’s waterways.
Yes, the 61-year-old Amazon founder and 55-year-old occasional astronaut may have stayed at the same hotel and even used the same London-based event planners, Lanza & Baucina, as the A-list couple but the results could not have been more different.
Even in a classic tux and sporting a buff rebuild, Jeff looked more like a conference-bound salesman than a tech titan. Meanwhile Sanchez’s actual bridal gown – high-necked and made from hand-appliquéd Italian lace – marked a rare moment of understated restraint.
The attendees, including Kim Kardashian, let it all hang out at the Bezos’ celebrations. At the Clooney’s wedding in comparison, the 60 guests, including a smattering of VIPs including Anna Wintour and Cindy Crawford, were impeccably dressed
Meanwhile, sick of the roar of all those private jets overhead, climate change protesters picketed Bezos and Sanchez’s tone-deaf display of excess.
Not that the new Mr and Mrs Bezos are entirely oblivious to their hefty carbon footprint. In place of presents, they informed their guests, donations had been made on their behalf to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Office) Venice office in support of sustainability.
Well, that covers that then.
Well done to wedding planners Lanza & Baucina for managing to keep a straight face when they spoke of their client’s wish to minimize any ‘disruption to the city.’
They also pointed to the sensitivity of the couple’s use of local suppliers including Rosa Salva, the oldest pastry shop in Venice, whose efforts were surely wasted on the corset-clad, Ozempic-hungry guests.
But, if any did allow a cream puff to pass their inflated lips, let’s hope it left a better taste in their mouths than this tawdry matrimonial marathon has left in all of ours.
