After weeks of anticipation (and complaints from locals), the year’s most-talked-about wedding — between Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and TV presenter Lauren Sanchez — took place last weekend in Venice, Italy. But across the Atlantic, another set of nuptials also was making waves, for very different reasons.
On Saturday, June 28, high school sweethearts Estefany Gomez and Leonardo Rendon said “I do” on the canals of Venice, Calif. in an event put on by JCPenney for $10,000 — a stark contrast to the $55 million estimated to have been spent on the Bezos-Sanchez nuptials.
Touted by the retailer as a chance for people “celebrate a more relatable love story, one where the only thing extravagant is the joy,” JCPenney footed the bill for everything from the fashion to the florals. The bride’s gown cost a mere $99 and was sourced from JCPenney, along with the guests’ outfits, tablescapes, décor, wedding bands and jewelry; even the hair and makeup was handled by JCPenney beauty and salon experts.
“With a stunning backdrop of the Venice canals, the whole event is giving ‘glamorous’ a run for its money and proving that looking and feeling like a million bucks doesn’t have to cost it,” read a press release about the event.
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JCPenney Wedding Aims to ‘Redefine What’s Possible for Couples Everywhere’
“Most of us aren’t planning our weddings with a $10 million budget or a palazzo on standby,” said Marisa Thalberg, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Catalyst Brands, the joint venture that owns JCPenney along with other retail brands including Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers and Eddie Bauer. “At JCPenney, we know that the most memorable celebrations are the ones filled with real moments surrounded by the people we love, and style that surprises everyone, and that’s why we’re quietly redefining what’s possible for couples everywhere — delivering wow-factor memories, minus the jaw-dropping price tag,” Thalberg said in a statement.
The headline-grabbing JCPenney wedding is part of the retailer’s new brand push, dubbed “Yes, JCPenney.” The ongoing campaign is aimed at reintroducing itself to customers as not just a place to find great deals but also on-trend products. The move comes after the January 2025 formation of Catalyst Brands, which combined JCPenney and its partner SPARC Group under a group of shareholders that includes Simon Property Group, Brookfield Corp., Authentic Brands Group and Shein.
“Catalyst Brands brings together the rich heritage of six unique brands with modern energy and a new vision for success,” said former JCPenney CEO Marc Rosen, now CEO of Catalyst Brands, in a statement at the time of the Catalyst launch. “Together, we bring scale, expertise and broad appeal to customers across America.”
