On Sunday, event planners Lanza Baucina made a statement on behalf of two people: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. Weeks earlier, protests had begun in Venice over their upcoming wedding—which some locals believed would only exacerbate the historic floating city’s problems with overtourism. “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 said.
As far as public proclamations go, there was nothing particularly notable about their messaging. The only thing unusual was, well, that they said anything at all.
In the wedding-production world, only a few planners are known for orchestrating the six, seven, and even eight-figure affairs of the superrich. Chief among them? Lanza Baucina, a London firm founded by three Italian aristocrats: Prince Antonio Licata di Baucina and Counts Riccardo and Aleramo Lanza. Yes, that’s because they plan a great party. But it’s also because of their intense commitment to secrecy and discretion. Lanza Baucina has no social media presence; their website, meanwhile, is merely a landing page with the following text, presented in all caps: “Leaders in global event creation, design, and management. With experience ranging from royal and A-list celebrity weddings, to groundbreaking productions, in extraordinary and uncharted locations. Established in 2000 we have worked on every continent and are responsible for masterminding the world’s most exclusive, private, and spectacular parties. Discretion is paramount to us.” They declined Vogue’s request for an interview.
Over their 25 years in business, their clients have only rarely become public knowledge—Bezos and Sánchez, Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault, and George and Amal Clooney among them. All of them got married in Venice, the latter couple doing so at the La Fenice opera house. “Because of our family connections, we always know someone who can open the secret doors in Italy,” di Baucina once told Forbes.
The Lanza Baucina weddings published in Vogue offer a rare glimpse into their planning style, which often involves a ceremony at a grand historic site followed by a spectacular party. (The planners are known for creating—even building—temporary custom nightclubs and beach clubs for some of their clients.)
Take one three-day wedding in Palermo, Italy. It began with a welcome party at Botteghe Colletti followed by a three-hour rehearsal dinner at the Villa Igiea, where long tables were covered with Lisa Corti tablecloths. It culminated with nuptials at the 18th-century Villa Valguarnera, where Maggie Rogers performed. (“Our planners Riccardo Lanza of Lanza Baucina were amazing,” said bride Tracy Dubb of the end result.) They also helped Lizzie Edelman and Philipp Sachs marry at the La Citadelle, a historic fort at the top of Saint-Tropez. The next night, they held a ’70s-disco-inspired La Nuit Tropezienne party at the groom’s home, where Lanza Baucina “lit up the palm trees and the light changed to the beat of the music,” Edelman said.
At a Lanza Baucina winter wedding in St. Moritz, the couple’s ceremony on the ice rink of Badrutt’s Palace included a 15-person figure-skating routine. During their dinner at the legendary five-star hotel, “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker was performed by dancers from La Scala, the Paris Opera, and the English National Ballet. Finally, Lanza Baucina turned the hotel’s cinema into a moody red nightclub. The bride, Polina Shaker, told Vogue that “all the details were carefully thought out by Lanza and Baucina.” (Indeed, the wedding planners are said to have a warehouse where they physically stage decor for a couple’s wedding in advance for their review.)
What will Lanza Baucina’s plans for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding entail? Already, they’ve erected a striped tent outside the entrance of the Aman Venice, where many of the 200 attendees—including Bezos and Sánchez themselves—are thought to be staying. So far, it’s allowed them to quickly exit their water taxis and avoid being captured by the paparazzi. They’ll also receive gifts of Laguna B Murano glassware—part of the couple’s (and Lanca Baucina’s) commitment to using local artisans and vendors during their wedding weekend.
Otherwise, the internet is rife with speculation but very few confirmed details. CNN reports that guests were required to sign NDAs… which Lanza Baucina are definitely no strangers to.
