No Shows! Surprise Performances! Secret Guests! Everything You Didn’t See at the Bezos-Sánchez Wedding

There’s no denying the recent wedding between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in Venice was the most lavish affair of the summer, at least so far — and it was certainly the most star-studded. But according to insiders, the three-day event was also extremely heartfelt and full of love, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Sánchez walked down the aisle in her custom high-necked Dolce & Gabbana gown on Friday, Jun 27.

“We all cried watching you walk down the aisle in pure bliss!” Kim Kardashian wrote to Sánchez on Instagram the day following the nuptials. “The love we all felt in the room is what we will never forget.”

The sentiment was shared by many of the stars and power players who converged in Venice for the big event. “Truly, the entire celebration was sincere and heartfelt,” noted Diane von Furstenberg, who hosted an intimate pre-wedding dinner for the couple on Wednesday evening, June 25.

The following day, the festivities began in earnest with a welcome party for friends of the duo, including Tom Brady, David Geffen, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Sydney Sweeney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner, and Kim and Khloé Kardashian, among others.

While PEOPLE kept readers up to date with all the details (the A-list guests! The dress details!) there was also plenty you didn’t see. Read on for behind-the-scenes intel about the extravaganza that one insider simply described as “epic.”

Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller Opened Their Home to the Couple

The designer has said she now spends a good amount of her time in Venice, where she and her media mogul husband have a home. On Wednesday, June 25, they hosted an intimate dinner for Jeff, Lauren and their kids. Von Furstenberg later told PEOPLE the weekend was full of true emotion. “Love is life,” she noted.

Guests Were Treated to Michelin-Starred Pasta and Famous Neapolitan Pizzas

At the welcome event on Thursday, June 26, held at a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell’Orto church, attendees were treated to a feast of Italian pasta prepared by Fabrizo Mellini, the chef behind the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Quattro Passi in Nerano, Naples. They were also treated to famous Neapolitan pizza by Ciro Oliva, a 32-year-old fourth-generation pizzaiolo who has revolutionized his family’s historic pizzeria, Concettina ai Tre Santi.

Ellie Goulding Performed Her Most Romantic Songs at the Reception

The British singer, who also performed at William and Kate’s royal wedding in 2011 (their first dance was to Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s “Your Song”) also played at Jeff and Lauren’s reception, PEOPLE confirmed. However, the first song played after the couple were declared husband and wife was a version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Matteo Bocelli — yep, Andrea Bocelli’s son!

Bill Gates Snuck in a Little Culture

Bill Gates slipped quietly into Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia on Monday, June 30, to spend a quiet moment contemplating Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which only recently was taken out of protective storage, a source told PEOPLE. Gates has long been a fan of Da Vinci’s, famously acquiring the artist’s Leicester Codex for $30 million in 1994.

Lauren’s Pal Eva Longoria Was a No-Show — Here’s Why

Nope, there’s no bad blood — according to the Daily Mail, Eva Longoria, a longtime friend of Sánchez, had a scheduling conflict filming her CNN series, Eva Longoria: Searching For Spain, and was in Spain with her family over the weekend instead. However, she did go to Paris to celebrate Sånchez’s bachelorette party earlier in the month, alongside Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian. A few days after the Parisian party, she told PEOPLE, “It’s so nice to celebrate love. It’s just the best feeling in the world to be there and go, ‘Yay, love.’ ”

The Music Was Off the Charts

It’s already been noted that Usher sang “Yeah!” and other hits at the Saturday night event, and DJ Cassidy spun hits spanning all genres — think classic danceable wedding songs. (“Brick House,” anybody?) The Friday night reception also featured music by Norwegian DJ Kygo and DJ Mei Kwok, who also spun tunes at several events, according to an insider.

The Final Party Had Cabaret Dancers and Cannoli Bar

Saturday night was a total rager, according to a guest who was there.

“It went until 4 in the morning, after starting at 7 pm,” the source says. “Everyone was wearing silk and robes and slippers and things like that. There was a buffet with loads of Italian desserts like tiramisu, cannolis, chocolate, and these were at different stations of food. There were also cabaret-style dancers like Moulin Rouge-style.”

Surprise Guests Hit the Dance Floor!

On the final day of the affair, some fresh faces noted that they were in Venice for the shindig, including Diplo and Jessica Alba. A source tells PEOPLE that Mick Jagger was also at the Saturday night party, alongside Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld, who got down on the dance floor alongside everyone else as DJ Mei Kwok spun Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”

“It was epic,” the guest tells PEOPLE, adding, “Best dancer award goes to Jessica Alba, she was tearing up the dance floor.”