The Wedding Diaries: Italy Edition
BRB, going to add Italy to our wedding mood board
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are tying the knot this week in Venice, and while the ceremony is private, it hasn’t exactly gone unnoticed. The Amazon founder, whose net worth sits at over $230 billion, is marrying the former journalist and pilot in one of Italy’s most iconic cities and the celebrations are already stirring both buzz and backlash.
In Venice, activists have staged protests, raising concerns about how major events like this affect everyday life. From restricted public areas to traffic disruptions and rising prices, many locals feel that destination weddings, especially those backed by billionaire budgets come at a cost.
Still, Italy continues to be one of the most in-demand wedding spots for the rich and famous. And Bezos isn’t the first to fall for its charm. Historic villas, scenic coastlines, and postcard-perfect towns have turned the country into a top choice for celebrity nuptials. From Bollywood stars to Hollywood icons, here’s a look at some of the big names who said “I do” in Italy before Bezos.
Celebs Who Had Their Wedding (Or Pre-Wedding Festivities) In Italy
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh at Lake Como, 2018
One of the most talked-about Bollywood weddings, Deepika and Ranveer got married in an intimate ceremony at Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como. The couple honoured both their cultures with a Konkani ceremony followed by a traditional Sindhi wedding in a private setting. The couple kept it tight, just close friends and family with no media access and barely any social media posts. Still, their wedding became one of the most talked-about events in Bollywood history. The setting, the outfits (all Sabyasachi), and the sheer privacy of it all set the tone for a new era of celeb weddings that feel both global and deeply personal.
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli at Tuscany, 2017
This one arguably kicked off the modern celebrity-wedding-in-Italy trend. Held at Borgo Finocchieto, a heritage villa near Siena, their wedding was known for its understated charm, soft florals, and carefully curated guest list. The wedding felt like the soft launch of Italy as the place for Indian celebrities. Virushka wedding gave a new standard for destination weddings across Indian media.
Their wedding photos, filled with pastel lehengas, candid smiles, and floral mandaps, went viral in seconds. The event was family-focused, tasteful, and carefully kept under wraps until it was over. It became an instant reference for destination wedding planners across India and beyond. The event sparked both praise and criticism, but one thing was clear, no one stages a “soft goth Italian wedding weekend” quite like Kourtney and Travis did.
Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker at Portofino, 2022
The couple’s third wedding was a Dolce & Gabbana-styled affair in the Italian fishing village of Portofino. It was a celebration met fashion sort of a wedding with custom corsets, cathedral veils, and a guest list that felt straight out of a campaign shoot. Kourtney wore a custom D&G mini dress with a dramatic cathedral-length veil featuring a tribute to Barker’s head tattoo. The event spanned multiple days, with themed dinners, boat rides, and coordinated couture looks for the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal at Lake Como, 2018
Isha Ambani’s Lake Como celebration with Anand Piramal was nothing short of cinematic. Hosted across three stunning venues including Villa Balbiano and Villa d’Este, the three-day affair saw performances by John Legend and appearances by Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, and Karan Johar. Think floral tunnels, sunset cocktails, and lakeside glamour — all tucked into Italy’s most romantic corners. While it wasn’t a wedding, the scale, styling, and guest list made it one of the most talked-about pre-wedding events ever held in the country, firmly placing Lake Como on India’s wedding map.
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani at Italian Riviera, 2024
Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani’s pre-wedding celebrations in Italy were nothing short of massive. The couple hosted around 800 guests on a luxury cruise that sailed through Palermo, Rome, Cannes, and Portofino over four days. Each night had a different theme from toga parties to classic Italian-style evenings which also featured performances by stars like Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, and the Backstreet Boys. In Portofino, parts of the town were temporarily closed off for the event which drew criticism from locals who watched their quiet seaside town turn into a full-blown party zone.