The planners behind Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's luxurious Venetian wedding have defended the billionaire couple amid fierce backlash from the Italian city's locals.
After a two-year-long engagement, Bezos and Sanchez are set to tie the knot on June 27 - but the ceremony is just one part of their extravagant celebrity-laden celebration.
News of the lavish wedding has sparked outrage among Venice's residents, who have been protesting against the Amazon founder's arrival.
Passionate signs reading 'No space for Bezos' and 'Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch' have been plastered across Venice, sharing the sentiment that citizens want Bezos and Sanchez to take their multimillion-dollar wedding elsewhere.
Demonstrators have also been plotting to clog up streets and canals to throw off the wedding's events and hinder the roughly 200 guests from getting around the city.
But the couple's wedding organizers, Lanza & Baucina Limited, have spoken out on their high-profile clients' behalf, claiming they have been adamant about respecting Venice throughout the entire planning process.
'From the outset, instructions from our client and our own guiding principles were abundantly clear: the minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events,' Lanza & Baucina Limited said in a statement to Page Six.
'Before the recent news of protests arose, we had worked for there to be minimal negative impact or disruption to the lives of Venetians and the city's visitors.'
The company added that Bezos and Sanchez have donated funds to various Venice charities in the months leading up to the nuptials.
Bezos and Sanchez have also gifted funds on behalf of their guests, Page Six reported.
Others have also voiced support for the powerful pair - including one of the wedding's vendors.
'Events like this bring quality tourism to Venice,' Antonio Rosa Salva, the owner of Rosa Salva Venetia bakery, which is making pastries for the wedding, told The Associated Press.
'I don't see how an event with 200 people can create disruptions. It's responsible tourism.
'It's prestigious that a couple like this, who can go anywhere in the world, are getting married in the city.'
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro also advocated for Bezos and Sanchez, telling The Associated Press: 'We are very proud.'
'I don't know if I will have time, or if he will, to meet and shake hands, but it's an honor that they chose Venice. Venice once again reveals itself to be a global stage.'
Founded by Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Count Riccardo Lanza, the high-end wedding planning company has worked with stars including George and Amal Clooney, and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault.
With a celebrity portfolio, the Bezos-Sanchez matrimony - costing roughly $15 to $20 million - is sure to be nothing less than show-stopping.
An Italian source previously revealed to DailyMail.com they will say 'I do' on the island of San Giorgio, home to the famous Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, a 16th century Benedictine church.
Bezos' $500 million superyacht, Koru, is to be docked on the island's harbor. The island itself will not be open to the public.
The ceremony is just one of three events - all at different locations.
It is believed that on June 26, there will be a gala at a private cloister along the iconic Lid, possibly at Chiostro della Madonna dell'Orto.
And on June 28 there will be an extraordinary party at a church, the source claimed.
The insider confirmed guests should be arriving in the country over the next few days and will likely leave by June 29.
The guest list is thought to have less than 200 people, with suspected guests including A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and even members of the Trump family.
Musicians including Lady Gaga and Elton John are set to perform.
'Lauren wanted some big talent to sing for them and it just doesn't get any bigger than Gaga and Elton,' a source previously told DailyMail.com.
'It also helps that Gaga and Elton are good friends and were happy to do it together, which is cool. It will be like a mini vacation for the besties.'
Around 60 of Venice's water taxis are reserved for the week, with some of the 400 gondolas on the island out of commission as well, according to the source.
However, both city officials and wedding planners have debunked rumors that they had booked half of Venice's water taxis.
Officials also denied that guests were blocking out rooms in ritzy hotels, and called any speculation of the wedding disturbing the city 'fake news,' according to a March statement.
Yet, city's most expensive hotels are nearly fully booked with names from the star-studded guest list.
Roughly 80 percent of the amount the couple is dishing out for the festivities is going towards Venetian vendors.
Rosa Salva Venetia will be making pastries for goody bags for the over-the-top weekend.
The menu items at the bakery include tiramisu, flaky, cream-filled pastries and fritelli, a traditional fried treat.
The insider said a celebrity wedding planner, who is not a part of this event, has heard that guests will receive 'opulent' gifts just for attending.
Roughly 80 percent of the money the couple is dishing out for the festivities is going towards Venetian vendors, according to The Associated Press.