Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding planners have hit back at claims they’re “taking over Venice” with their upcoming nuptials.

The couple will set sail on Bezos’s $500 million superyacht to Venice, with plans to tie the knot later this week. Many Italian locals have protested the celebrations over concerns that they will make overtourism in the city even worse.

Bezos and Sánchez’s wedding planners from Lanza & Baucina Limited have now addressed the backlash and defended the couple. The business claimed the event wouldn’t disrupt the lives of Venice locals.

“As event organizers who have been working in Venice for over 24 years, we feel obliged to set the record straight given the misinformation, untruths and misunderstandings circulating about the Bezos wedding,” Lanza & Baucina Limited said in a statement.

“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.”

“Rumors of ‘taking over’ the city are entirely false and diametrically opposed to our goals and to reality,” the statement continued.

“The number of taxis reserved being proportionate for the number of guests. 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 event organizer added.

The statement concluded: “We have always acknowledged the wider debate and critical issues surrounding the city’s future, and from the outset our client has been honored to support the city and its all-important lagoon through non-profit organizations and associated projects.”

Last week, demonstrators took to the Rialto bridge — one of Venice’s most famous landmarks — where they hung a giant banner reading “No Space for Bezos.”

One of the protesters, Marta Sottoriva, told The Independent that allowing the billionaire to have his wedding in Venice creates the idea that “a city can be sold to the highest bidder with the most money.”

Global environmental organization Greenpeace also joined the protests Monday morning, with members of the organization unfurling a giant banner in St. Mark’s Square that read: “IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.” Local police quickly folded the sign up and took it away.

The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, addressed his support for the wedding back in March, telling People that the event would, “absolutely respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city.”

Bezos and Sánchez, who got engaged in 2023, will begin their three-day wedding in Venice later this week — an exact date has not been confirmed; however, multiple outlets report it will take place from Thursday to Saturday.

Their festivities appeared to begin on Sunday, when they were spotted on Bezos’s superyacht having a foam party while sailing through the island of Cres in Croatia.

In paparazzi photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the couple was seen covered in soap with their friends on the boat. Sanchez opted for a black bikini and tan brim hat, while her soon-to-be husband wore green swim trunks and a white bucket hat.

The Mail also noted that there was a “Happy Birthday” sign on the boat, suggesting that the party may also have been in celebration of Sánchez’s son Evan, who turned 19 on Sunday.