Ellie Goulding ensured she put her best fashion foot forward as she attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez‘s swanky wedding rehearsal dinner in Venice on Thursday evening.
The singer, 38, made an unexpected arrival at the first day of the highly-anticipated three-day nuptials, seen arriving alongside the likes of Tom Brady and Wendi Deng.
The hitmaker looked nothing short of sensational in a plunging nude gown covered in royal blue sequins in an intricate floral pattern.
Her dazzling number showcased her svelte figure and boasted side cutouts for an added racy detail, while she teamed it with statement earrings and a contrasting leopard print handbag.
Ellie’s appearance at the $20million wedding festivities alongside the likes of the Kardashians and Leonardo DiCaprio came as a slight surprise to fans, as no connection between her and the bride and groom has been made publicly known.
The pop star did not previously make an appearance at the bachelorette party of Sanchez, 55, and wasn’t thought to be friends with either the journalist-turned-philanthropist nor Bezos, 61.
Ellie Goulding ensured she put her best fashion foot forward as she attended Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez ‘s swanky wedding rehearsal dinner in Venice on Thursday evening
The hitmaker looked nothing short of sensational in a plunging nude gown covered in royal blue sequins in an intricate floral pattern
Her dazzling number showcased her svelte figure and boasted side cutouts for an added racy detail, while she teamed it with statement earrings and a contrasting leopard print handbag
The Bezos wedding began on Thursday with the first of three days of parties in Venice – but impeccable sources reveal that the couple are already married.
A source closely connected to the organisation of the week’s events said: ‘They have been married for at least a month, more than a month.
‘The marriage is fully legal and took place in America under American law.’
The source adds: ‘When they were planning the wedding, they were clear about the fact that they were already secretly married.
‘There is no application for a wedding licence from the couple because it was not required.
‘Whatever happens at the wedding on Friday, it will not be a wedding. Under Italian law, it will not be a wedding celebration, any vows said or rings exchanged will have no legal meaning.’
The source added that Bezos had personally confirmed that he and Sanchez – who met when both were married to other people – are already legally married, and that they had also signed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect his $244 billion (£177 billion) fortune.
Amid local protests, celebrities, politicians and business titans have gathered in the city for the wedding.
The singer made an unexpected arrival at the first day of the highly-anticipated three-day nuptials, seen arriving alongside the likes of Tom Brady and Wendi Deng (pictured)
Ellie’s appearance at the $20million wedding festivities alongside the likes of the Kardashians and Leonardo DiCaprio came as a slight surprise to fans, as no connection between her and the bride and groom has been made publicly known (Kendall and Kylie Jenner pictured)
Among them are some of the world’s most eligible bachelors, including Orlando Bloom, freshly split from fiancée Katy Perry; divorced sporting superstar Tom, and divorced talent agent and billionaire music executive Scooter Braun.
Former US President Barack Obama was among guests – he and Bezos have been on warm terms for years, and Bezos donated $100 million (£72 million) to the Obama Foundation in 2021.
Others attending include former chat show host Oprah Winfrey and her best friend, TV presenter and author Gayle King, who went on the much-mocked space ‘flight’ on Bezos Blue Origin rocket last month with Sanchez and an all-female team.
Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka is attending along with husband Jared Kushner, but the President himself – reportedly invited – will not come to Venice.
Both Bezos and Sanchez were there for Trump’s inauguration earlier this year and Bezos attracted much criticism when his Washington Post newspaper declined to endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the US election last year.
Queen Rania of Jordan has also been seen, as have fashion duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.
However, things have not gone smoothly, following huge protest from locals and environmental groups over the nuptials, with one gigantic banner in St. Mark’s Square reading: ‘If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax,’
Greenpeace and the UK-based collective Everyone Hates Elon have joined the proteste attempting to disrupt, or even prevent, the planned wedding celebrations.
The Bezos wedding began on Thursday with the first of three days of parties in Venice – but impeccable sources reveal that the couple are already married (pictured Thursday)
‘Jeff Bezos is the second-richest man in the world yet is reported to pay a 1.1 percent true tax rate,’ the two groups said in a joint statement.
‘The multi-million-dollar wedding is reportedly happening over three days, with the wedding ring alone worth as much as $5million.’
A spokesperson from Everyone Hates Elon said: ‘As governments talk about hard choices and struggle to fund public services, Jeff Bezos can afford to shut down half a city for days on end just to get married.’
As a result of the public hostility to their descent on Venice, plans were ripped up and remade over the past week.
The bride and groom have now left their $500 million (£363 million) yacht, the Koru, off the coast of Croatia, although it was initially intended to be moored in Venice.
The venues for the various celebrations have changed, too, with plans for Saturday’s party now moved to Arsenale, the shipbuilding yards, which are easier to make secure.
It is thought that singer-songwriter Usher, who also arrived today, may be performing, after reports that Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga will sing were denied by representatives for both.
Meanwhile, the Amazon billionaire and his bride-to-be are said to have invited 200 people to their three-day Italian wedding, which is due to kick off on Thursday and end on Saturday.
However, things have not gone smoothly, following huge protest from locals and environmental groups over the nuptials
On Tuesday, a copy of the couple’s invite was leaked with one very specific request made on behalf of the couple.
They’ve asked guests not to buy them any presents and told them they’ll be making donations to multiple charities working to stop Venice from sinking on attendees’ behalf instead.
While protests by disgruntled locals continue and are planned throughout the wedding, Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro and regional governor Luca Zaia have spoken out in favor of the nuptials, which have been dubbed, ‘the wedding of the century,’ pointing out that the celebrations are expected to bring $23-34million to local businesses.
‘This is a city that handles 150,000 people a day,’ Zaia told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. ‘George Clooney, François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek, Alexandre Arnault, Elton John and many others got married here.’
Bezos has also pledged to make sizable charity donations, including $1.16million to Corila – an academic consortium dedicated to studying Venice’s lagoon ecosystem – according to Corriere della Sera and Italy’s ANSA news agency.
Earlier this month, anti-Bezos banners were hung in Venice from St. Mark’s Tower with ‘Bezos’ in blue capital letters and a red X over it as part of a ‘No Space for Bezos’ campaign, a play on Bezos’ Blue Origin spaceflight venture.
