Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are kicking off their Venice wedding festivities in high style!
The Amazon founder, 61, and the Emmy-winning journalist, 55, treated their guests to a glamorous welcome party in a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell'Orto church on Thursday night, June 26.
The bride-to-be wore a golden off-the-shoulder duchess satin dress for the occasion. The look -- part of Schiaparelli's Spring-Summer 2025 Haute Couture collection -- featured a corseted waist and baroque floral embroidery that called to mind the city's famous carnival masks. She styled her hair in a high ponytail with face-framing pieces in the front.
Bezos sported a classic black suit, which he paired with a crisp white dress shirt and aviator shades.
The couple was photographed exiting the Aman Hotel ahead of the event, and the billionaire mogul could be seen helping his fiancée into a water taxi before they were whisked off to their destination.
Several of the couple's many celebrity guests were also spotted making their way into boats en route to the soirée. Orlando Bloom wore a cream dress shirt and tan slacks, and Tom Brady sported a white shirt and black pants and had a tan jacket slung over his arm.
Kris Jenner and boyfriend Corey Gamble were seen traveling by boat in coordinating black looks, and Kim Kardashian made a statement in a form-fitting, snakeprint dress.
Kendall Jenner, wearing a colorful floral dress, and sister Kylie Jenner, wearing a gold lace strapless look, stepped out together to the event.
A source tells PEOPLE the guests arrived in a convoy of about 30 boats. Amid security concerns, police patrolled the area, including the water on jet skis. An entire canal was blocked up with boats dropping guests off at the venue. The soon-to-be bride and groom were among the last to arrive, and security created a cordon around the couple to shield them from onlookers.
In one sweet moment, Bezos and Sánchez paused to kiss before disembarking from their taxi.
Another source tells PEOPLE the couple and their guests will be eating pizza cooked onsite by a famous Neapolitan chef. Over the course of the day, baskets of white and purple-colored flowers were brought in to decorate the venue, along with a piano. According to the insider, the atmosphere was surprisingly low-key considering the high-profile guest list.
The couple has worked hard to keep the details surrounding their extravagant nuptials under wraps. They tapped event planners Lanza & Baucina Limited to help stage this week's events.
Known for producing Venice weddings for A-list couples -- including George and Amal Clooney in 2014 and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault in 2009 -- the planners have insisted that the Bezos-Sánchez wedding won't disrupt the city -- despite ongoing protests against overtourism.
The couple hired event planners Lanza & Baucina Limited to help stage their wedding events. Known for producing Venice weddings for A-list couples -- including George and Amal Clooney in 2014 and Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault in 2009 -- the planners have insisted that the event won't disrupt the city -- despite ongoing protests against over-tourism.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro confirmed that Bezos and Sánchez would act responsibly while hosting their nuptials in the historic Italian city.
"The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos' wedding are completely unfounded," the mayor wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, adding that only 200 guests will be invited and that the event wouldn't disrupt the city.
"We are mutually working and supporting the organizers, to ensure that the event will be absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,"
the statement continued.
A source shared an update with The Associated Press earlier this month stating that Bezos and Sánchez are planning to source 80% of the provisions for the wedding from local vendors. Rosa Salva, the city's oldest pastry maker, is creating goody bags for attendees while design studio Laguna B, which is known for its colorful, hand-blown Murano glass, has been commissioned to create something for the wedding.
Though the couple will reportedly be staying at the Aman -- the same Grand Canal hotel where the Clooneys tied the knot more than 10 years ago -- they have also secured rooms for their guests in four other prominent hotels. Multiple outlets reported that the Gritti Palace, the St. Regis, the Belmond Cipriani and Hotel Danieli have all been booked in part or in full.
Guests have also been asked not to bring a gift for the couple and instead make a charitable donation to the city of Venice.