Cover If the previous celebrations of India’s richest family are anything to go by, the Ambani wedding promises to be an ultra-grand affair (Photo: Instagram / @shaleenanathani)
If the previous celebrations of India’s richest family are anything to go by, the Ambani wedding promises to be an ultra-grand affair (Photo: Instagram / @shaleenanathani)
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India’s richest family is leaving no stone unturned to make Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s nuptials an affair to remember. Here’s what is happening at the Ambani wedding, from an impressive guest list to bold fashion statements
When it comes to grandeur, the Ambanis, Asia’s richest family, never disappoint.
In March this year, Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries and a prominent member of the Ambani family, and his wife Nita hosted the pre-wedding ceremony of their youngest son Anant and Radhika Merchant in the Indian town of Jamnagar. The multiple-day celebrations had 1,200 people in attendance, and the guest list read like a who’s who in business, sports and entertainment—think Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The Ambanis upped the ante with another pre-wedding celebration in May, with a luxury cruise that whisked guests from Italy to the south of France; it included a day-long party that took over the commune of Portofino in Italy.
Following the extravagance of the Ambani wedding preludes, Tatler gives you a lowdown on what is happening at the main event that’s happening over this week and the upcoming weekend.
Read more: Ambani wedding jewellery: Decoding India’s richest family’s love affair with emeralds
Wedding across several days
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s much-anticipated wedding will take place from July 12 to 14. In accordance with Hindu traditions, the wedding dates are selected based on auspicious alignments in the couple’s birth charts.
Indian weddings typically go on for multiple days. This comprises the haldi ceremony, where turmeric paste is applied on the bride and groom; the mehndi ritual, in which henna is applied to the bride’s hands and feet; a lively sangeet segment, which is filled with music and dancing; and finally, the wedding ceremony, which is followed by a reception party.
If the previous wedding bashes that the Ambanis have thrown are anything to go by, we’re sure to see them take the main celebrations to the next level.
Bollywood presence
Bollywood A-listers were present throughout the pre-wedding celebrations in March: actor Amitabh Bachchan was seen serving meals to the guests, while Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan showed off their dance moves.
In May, Bollywood stars flew to Italy for the cruise, with photos of celebrities’ children like Sara Ali Khan, Suhana Khan and Ananya Pandey posing in Portofino making the rounds on social media.
And as the haldi, sangeet and other ceremonies related to the Ambani wedding continue to unfold, the Bollywood stars such as Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and others have flocked to the events to shower their blessings on the happy couple.
A-list guests
The March pre-wedding had a high-profile guest list that included Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, his wife Priscilla Chan, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, businesswoman Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Meanwhile, for the Italian cruise, the Ambanis invited more than 800 guests from across the globe, including Hollywood star Adam Sandler.
Come July 12, we could expect an impressive guest list with leading figures from the worlds of business, entertainment, sports and more. Several Indian news outlets have already reported that David Beckham and his wife Victoria Beckham might make an appearance at the main event.
Statement-making jewellery and outfits
Above Nita and Isha Ambani look resplendent in the pre-wedding ceremony in March (Photo: Instagram / @ anaitashroffadajania)
Nita and Isha Ambani look resplendent in the pre-wedding ceremony in March (Photo: Instagram / @ anaitashroffadajania)
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At the Jamnagar bash, Isha Ambani, Anant’s sister, showcased ten different looks. She donned outfits from a variety of fashion houses, including Miss Sohee, Manish Malhotra, Alexander McQueen and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla; think ethereal floral gowns and blouses adorned with vintage jewellery
Her mother Nita also stunned crowds: she accessorised traditional Indian attire with stunning emerald jewels, diamonds and other exquisite heirloom jewellery.
And in the European celebrations, they nailed the quiet luxury trend, with Nita wearing a floral white dress and Isha donning a peach floor-length dress. Meanwhile, bride Radhika was seen in a crystal-encrusted black-and-white gown by Hong Kong designer Robert Wun, which had an immensely personalised twist—the chiffon skirt was printed with a handwritten love letter that Anant Ambani had written for his bride.
In the lead-up to the wedding, Isha wore a custom-made Schiaparelli couture sari for the sangeet event, which is one of the few times the haute couture house has ever designed a sari.
It’s safe to say that whatever ensembles they might choose for the upcoming Ambani wedding are bound to make bold fashion statements.
Sangeet ceremony
In Indian weddings, the sangeet ceremony is like a mini-concert or dance-off between the two families and the couple’s closest friends ahead of the wedding day. It’s a night where both families perform dances and skits, celebrating the union in a festive, light-hearted manner. Since it’s the Ambanis we are talking about, they turned things up a notch by inviting Canadian star Justin Bieber to perform a one-hour set at the sangeet. The Ambani family put on their dancing shoes as well.
Haldi ceremony
The haldi ceremony is a pre-wedding ritual that is both fun and symbolic and usually takes place a day or two before. It involves applying a paste made from turmeric, sandalwood powder, rosewater and other natural ingredients on the bride and bridegroom. For the haldi ceremony, Radhika adorned a beautiful traditional dress adorned with actual flowers and also swapped high jewellery for fresh flower garlands. Gorgeous, we say!
Riveting performances
Above Rihanna in Mumbai to perform at the pre-wedding bash, which is one of the many events hosted in the lead-up to the Ambani wedding (Photo: Getty Images)
Rihanna in Mumbai to perform at the pre-wedding bash, which is one of the many events hosted in the lead-up to the Ambani wedding (Photo: Getty Images)
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Rihanna’s performance during the pre-wedding in March went viral on social media. Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys and Pitbull then performed at the celebrations in May. Clips of the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performing a love song in Portofino for the Ambanis’ guests have also been circulating on social media, capturing the hearts of netizens worldwide. And as we have mentioned, Justin Bieber took a break from his performance hiatus to sing at the sangeet ceremony, which also saw most of the Ambani family members taking to the stage to dance to the tunes of a popular Bollywood song.
We can’t wait to see who performs at the Ambani wedding on July 12.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
