Photos: Celebrities cruise into Venice for Jeff Bezos’ ‘wedding of the century’ amid ongoing protests

Lifestyle·Jeff BezosPhotos: Celebrities cruise into Venice for Jeff Bezos’ ‘wedding of the century’ amid testsBY Emily SteinbergerBY Emily SteinbergerJeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez smile as they boat through the lagoon to their pre-wedding reception in Venice on June 26

The event was held at the Madonna dell'Orto on the first day of the three-day wedding celebration

Luca Bruno—AP PhotoThe three-day wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez is well underway, and celebrities from around the world are ing in for the weekend festivities

Many of the celebrities — including media mogul Oprah Winfrey, first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and football star Tom Brady — were spotted leaving Marco Polo airport via taxi boat

The extravaganza, or so-called “Wedding of the Century,” is expected to cost $46. 6 million, according to Reuters

The wedding’s hefty price tag has been met with criticism from activists, whose threat of disruption resulted in the wedding venue being changed to a more secure location

This is a story that will be d as more images become available

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos leave Harry’s Bar on June 28, a day after their wedding, marking the conclusion of their three-day wedding celebration

Behind them, a crowd of photographers and spectators attempt to photograph the newlyweds

STEFANO RELLANDINI—AFP/Getty Images Jeff Bezos is escorted on the boat ‘Moa’ (right) to his wedding on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore via the Grand Canal on June 27

STEFANO RELLANDINI—AFP/Getty Images Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, leaves The St

Regis hotel for the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez is being held on June 27

Marco BERTORELLO—AFP/Getty Images Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his partner Paula Hurd board a taxi boat to the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore for the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez on June 27

The two were seen visiting the Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia earlier in the day

Marco BERTORELLO—AFP/Getty Images Dressed in a tuxedo, Jeff Bezos waves to onlookers as he cruises through Venice before his wedding on June 27

Friday is the date of the official wedding ceremony between himself and his soon-to-be wife Lauren Sanchez

Ernesto Ruscio—GC Images/Getty Images Ferrari chairperson John Elkann and his wife Lavinia Borromeo board a boat on their way to the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez on June 27

Ernesto Ruscio—GC Images/Getty Images Greenpeace activists deploy a giant banner that reads “If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax” with a picture of Jeff Bezos at Piazza San Marco on June 23

STEFANO RELLANDINI—AFP/Getty Images Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump arrive in Venice on June 24

Luigi Iorio—GC Images/Getty Images “Extinction Rebellion” activists test under the slogan “Tassare I Ricchi Per Ridare Al Pianeta” (Taxing the Rich to Give Back to the Planet) against the backdrop of St Mark’s Campanile in Venice on June 23

Ruscio—GC Images/Getty Images Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Domenico Dolce and Khloé Kardashian gather in Venice on June 26 ahead of the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez

Luigi Iorio—GC Images/Getty Images Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez emerge from Aman Venice on June 25 prior to their wedding

Ruscio—GC Images/Getty Images Queen Rania of Jordan prepares to board a taxi boat after arriving in Venice on June 26

MARCO BERTORELLO—AFP/Getty Images Oprah Winfrey prepares to board a taxi boat after arriving in Venice on June 26

Stefano Mazzola—GC Images/Getty Images Jordan’s Princess Rajwa and her husband, the Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein bin Abdullah, board a taxi boat with their daughter Iman Bint Hussein after landing at Venice on June 26

MARCO BERTORELLO—AFP/Getty Images (Left) American film ducer Barry Diller arrives in Venice on June 25. (Right) Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg arrives in Venice on June 24

Stefano Mazzola—GC Images/Getty Images Film ducer Brian Grazer and his wife Veronica Smiley Grazer arrive in Venice on June 26

Stefano Mazzola—GC Images/Getty Images Tom Brady prepares to board a taxi boat after arriving in Venice on June 26

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