Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez share unexpected wedding singer link with Prince William and Kate Middleton
Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos' lavish three-day wedding celebration shared a surprising connection to the royal nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
On June 27, Ellie Goulding sang at the billionaire and the former entertainment reporter's wedding reception on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy, according to People magazine. The British singer previously gave a performance at William and Kate's second wedding reception after they tied the knot April 29, 2011, in London.
The Prince and Princess of Wales shared their first dance while Goulding sang her cover of Elton John's 1971 hit "Your Song."
Goulding also performed "Your Song" at Bezos and Sánchez's star-studded bash Friday. Famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli's son, Matteo Bocelli, sang a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" as the newlyweds' first dance song.
JEFF BEZOS, LAUREN SÁNCHEZ CELEBRITY WEDDING GUESTS TAKE VENICE BY STORM
William and Kate's first wedding reception was a lunchtime affair thrown by the late Queen Elizabeth II while King Charles hosted the pair's second, more intimate wedding reception in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.
Elton John, a close friend of William's mother, the late Princess Diana, attended the second reception with David and Victoria Beckham.
While Goulding has yet to speak publicly about her performance during the Bezos-Sánchez wedding festivities, she previously opened up about singing for William and Kate.
During a 2012 interview with the Daily Mail, Goulding recalled meeting William before the royal nuptials and learned that they were fans of her music.
However, the two-time Grammy nominee shared she was shocked when she received an offer to perform for the couple on their wedding day.
"I knew they liked my songs, but I didn’t walk away from meeting William thinking it might lead to a gig at Buckingham Palace," she recalled.
"Then I got a phone call suggesting there might be something in the offing, but I didn’t tell anyone for a long time," Goulding continued.
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"I wasn’t told to stay quiet, but I thought it best to keep things under my hat," she added. "I knew there would be massive interest in the wedding, so I wanted to keep something private. In the end, somebody leaked it, but I’m glad we managed to keep it under wraps for a while."
Goulding admitted she was nervous ahead of her high-profile gig as William and Kate's wedding singer.
"Performing the first dance of the night, ‘Your Song' was nerve-wracking," she recalled. "But William and Kate were very appreciative. They are an awesome couple and told me how much they enjoyed it. My band and I stayed at the reception all night, and it’s something I’ll treasure forever."
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Goulding later serenaded William and Kate again with her 2011 song "Starry Eyed" and some of her other original tracks. She also performed covers of famous songs, including The Killers’ "Mr. Brightside" and Stevie Wonder’s "Superstition."
In 2022, Goulding reunited with William and Kate when she performed at the prince's Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony.
Bezos and Sánchez's reception also featured performances by Usher, who sang his hit "Yeah," and sets by DJ Cassidy, DJ Kygo and DJ Mei Kwok, according to People.
Numerous celebrities attended the reception, including Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Sydney Sweeney, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Karlie Kloss, Josh Kushner, Bill Gates and Queen Rania of Jordan.