The who’s who and the what’s what of the Ambani Wedding Extravaganza!
By Venesa Daswani
We’ve all heard about the grand wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani, the son of Reliance industry tycoon and the richest man in India Mukesh Ambani; and Radhika Merchant, the daughter of Viren Merchant. With all things extravagant, abundant, and aesthetic; the Ambanis are opening our eyes to a world of luxury and leaving us awe-struck (and a little overwhelmed). Attendees, from some of the biggest names in tech, fashion, Hollywood, Bollywood, and more, have had the chance to immerse themselves in the beautiful essence of Indian tradition over the last six months. But if you’re having trouble keeping up with the Ambanis and the sheer amount of pre-wedding events and themes, worry not, here’s everything you need to know.
PREVIOUSLY…
The first pre wedding celebration was held on the 1st to the 3rd of March in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The Ambanis had set up a 5-star glamping experience for the 1,200 person guest list, which included household names such as Mark Zuckerburg and Bill Gates, as well as power couples like Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The lavish event had a three-day itinerary and a nine-page document detailing the dress code for multitude of events.
Day 1: ‘An Evening in Everland’
The three-day pre-wedding celebration kicked off with a cocktail party where guests were asked to dress in their best ballgowns and most sophisticated suits. The celebration commenced at 5.30pm, where the Ambanis arranged a line-up of performances by international music sensations like Rihanna, which was her first full-length show in years; setting netizens all over the world abuzz. This set the tone for the star-studded celebrations.
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The bride-to-be, Radhika, worked closely with stylists Rhea Kapoor and Shereen Sikha to curate the most magical fashion catalogue for each of the events. To kick off the pre-wedding celebration, Radhika Merchant wore a Versace gown on the opening night that was originally designed for Blake Lively for the Met Gala 2022. Radhika’s version of the dress consisted of rose gold and peach hues to compliment her glowing skin tone. Along with this, she wore an extensive, metallic-pink train which gave it an all the more majestic look.
Day 2: ‘A Walk on the Westside’
The second day of celebrations was themed after ‘A Walk on the Westside’, with a wildin’ safari and guests dressed in ‘Jungle Fever’ attire, allowing attendees the opportunity to be one with nature. Later that evening, the Ambanis held a ‘Mela Rouge’ where everyone had a fabulous time, with plenty of glitz and glam. Performances from mega icons like Diljit Dosanjh wowed guests, all of whom danced the night away.
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On this day, global moguls, Mark Zuckerburg and Bill Gates strutted down the red carpet in traditional Indian attire designed by veteran Rahul Mishra, which blew us away. Bill Gates swaggered in with a black silk kurta with matching pants, and topped his look with an embroidered sherwani jacket. Self-confessed lover of Indian weddings, Mark Zuckerburg, rolled-in in a pastel kurta covered with pista-green embroidery. On this night, these two tech billionaires stole the show.
Day 3: “Tusker Trails” and “Hashtakshar”
From ‘Tusker Trails’ to ‘Hashtakshar’, the final day was all about exploring the magical city of Jamnagar. Attendees were dressed to impress, and were taken on a quest. For a grand finale, they celebrated Indian culture and traditions by including a maha arti. This first pre-wedding celebration amounted to a whopping USD 150 million. While this was the hurrah of the three-day celebration, there was definitely still more to come!
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On this day, Nita Ambani stunned us with her look, wearing a heavily-embellished golden sari, and charming everyone with her six yards of golden drape. To finish off her look, she wore a huge emerald placed at the center of her blouse that amounted to INR 500 crore (INR 5 million), which stole the show.
To compliment her mother, Isha Ambani, sister of the groom, made an exceptional appearance down the red carpet wearing a gold and red lehenga made out of jewels and diamonds. While others wore their jewellery in the traditional way, Isha selected pieces of jadau jewels from her personal collection to be sewn onto her blouse. Bedazzled in rubies, emeralds, diamonds and many more delicate stones; this one-of-a-kind blouse was crafted by designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. The blouse alone of this incredible outfit amounted to INR 90 crores (INR 90 million)!
CURRENTLY…
‘La Dolce Vita’
The second pre-wedding celebration for Anant and Radhika was held from the 28th of May to the 1st of June.
With a weekend on international waters, the family set out on a luxury cruise with several destinations, finally landing in Portofino to continue the wedding bash. A-listers including Ananaya Panday, Karan Johar, and Sara Ali Khan have all been seen having a gala time. The event featured a jaw-dropping lineup of performances, with appearances from Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys, Pitbull, and Shakira. We are all eagerly waiting for what’s yet to come, so stay tuned to find out more!
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On this special occasion, Radhika wore an archived, vintage Christian Dior cocktail dress from 1959 that was auctioned off for USD 3,840. She paired her beautiful pink dress with Mini Kelly pink and fuchsia silver jewelry which amounted to a jaw-dropping USD 31,822. To complete her look, Radhika held a mini Hermes Birkin bag in baby pink, along with a pair of Manolo Blahnik Hangisi flats in which she sashayed down the carpet, turning heads wherever she went.
COMING UP…
The Wedding Day
After a long wait and several pre-wedding events, the big Ambani x Merchant wedding is set to take place on the 12th through the 14th of July, 2024. The dates were decided using the Hindu tradition of finding an auspicious day by using the birth charts of both the bride and groom. The wedding event will be taking place in Mumbai, the hometown of the lovely couple will take place in the Ambani home, AKA Antilia, as well as the Jio World Convention Center. Stay tuned for all the more that is yet to come.
