For one of the year’s most anticipated weddings, a simple trip from a hotel to a water taxi has sparked online discussion about the couple’s relationship — though not in the way you might think.
Just days before exchanging vows, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were captured stepping out of their luxury hotel in Venice. The couple was filmed walking toward a water taxi, reportedly en route to one of several events leading up to their wedding celebration, which cost more than $50 million.
In the clip, Bezos is seen exiting the hotel swiftly and taking a moment to wave to reporters. Sanchez followed shortly after in a striped dress, also waving as she stepped toward the boat.
After getting on the water taxi, Bezos turned around and extended a hand to help his fiancée in before they both disappeared into the cabin. Though the occasion was grand, the dynamic between them seemed to spark more chatter than their surroundings.
“The way he ditched her and walked away,” one person observed bluntly. Another viewer remarked, “He didn’t even help her down,” while others pointed out that Sanchez appeared to struggle with the steps unaided. “He couldn’t help her down the steps? She seems to be struggling,” one comment read.
The critique didn’t stop there. Some commenters suggested the Amazon founder’s body language lacked warmth or attentiveness. One person noted, “Something is off in his behavior around her,” while another wrote, “He acts like he doesn’t even like her.”
Even minor gestures — or the absence of them — did not go unnoticed. “Wow he doesn’t hold his arm out for his fiancée ugh not a gentleman,” read one reaction. A different viewer echoed a similar thought: “He almost forgot to help her get in the boat, first fight on wedding night…”
A few commenters tried to interpret his demeanor. “He waves to people like he’s some kinda KING!!” someone quipped, while another sarcastically pointed out, “All that money and the little things still bug me.”
While the footage drew its own reactions, it followed closely on the heels of their wedding invite that was revealed recently on June 24.
Their pastel-themed digital wedding invitation, obtained exclusively by ABC News, asks guests not to bring gifts and instead honors three Venetian organizations with donations made on behalf of attendees.
The note reads in part: “We are making contributions in your honor and with gratitude to you for making the journey to celebrate with us in Venice.” The organizations named include the UNESCO Venice Office, the lagoon restoration group CORILA, and Venice International University.
Despite the philanthropic gesture, the design of the invite drew intense scrutiny across platforms. Some users were surprised by the casual, cartoonish style given the high-profile nature of the event.
“This is the UGLIEST invitation i’ve ever seen 😂” one Instagram user wrote, earning over 1,200 likes. A second person added, “That’s the invite??? It looks so cheap. How much did they pay for that???”
Some netizens questioned whether the card was authentic at all. One commented, “You’re telling me this is the wedding invite of one of the world’s richest men?? There is no way 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Another remarked, “This can’t be the real invite.” One user on Facebook mocked its appearance, saying it resembled a last-minute community college brochure project.
The couple, who began dating publicly in 2019 and got engaged in 2023, are hosting a three-day affair in Venice, with celebrations taking place from June 26 to June 28, according to MailOnline.
