'I AM THE LUCKIEST WOMAN ON THE PLANET'

Lauren Sánchez reflects on her spectacular wedding to Jeff Bezos as we go behind the scenes of their star-studded celebrations in Venice

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It was billed as the celebrity wedding of the decade – and it did not disappoint! Multi-billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sánchez brought new meaning to the word “lavish” as they tied the knot on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore in front of an array of A-listers.

Having kicked off the festivities in the Italian city one day earlier, the bride and groom formalized their union by releasing a photo from their happy day. In the image, the newlyweds are seen beaming with joy as their guests applaud.

LABOUR OF LOVE

The new Mrs. Sánchez Bezos – who gave fans a peek at her breathtaking wedding gown on Instagram – turned to Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana to make the dress – a high-necked, long-sleeved, lace corseted creation with a mermaid skirt and an embroidered veil.

It took more than 900 hours to make the gown – adorned with 180 hand-finished, silk chiffon-covered “priest buttons” – by hand at the label’s atelier in Milan.

Lauren, 55 - who is also an author and a pilot – revealed that she took her inspiration from movie star Sophia Loren in the 1958 film Houseboat. “It went from ‘I want a simple, sexy, modern dress’ to ‘I want something that evokes a moment’ and where I am right now. I am a different person than I was five years ago,” she told Vogue.

“I feel like a princess,” she continued, adding that her husband – whose estimated worth exceeds $235 billion – was kept in the dark about her wedding gown. “I [wanted] it to be a surprise. As you get a little older, not many things surprise you.”