How Billionaire Heirs Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant Personalized Their Lavish Indian Wedding

To be a fly on the wall of the Ambani wedding. Billionaire heir Anant Ambani and his wife Radhika Merchant finally tied the knot on July 12, 2024, marking the culmination of a lavish, seven-month wedding celebration. The couple created a global stir with their prewedding events, which began with an opulent engagement party (featuring a performance by Rihanna) on March 1. They later enjoyed a luxe European cruise and a sangeet, a lively prewedding ceremony with entertainment, singing and dancing, complete with a performance by Justin Bieber.

Each event garnered buzz and anticipation for the official Ambani wedding in July: a three-day spectacle of wealth, pomp and tradition in Mumbai, India. The nuptials took place at Ambani's 27-story family home and the Jio World Convention Centre, which is also owned by his family and can accommodate over 16,000 people. Some of those included on the star-studded guest list included A-listers like Nick and Priyanka Jonas, Khloe and Kim Kardashian, and John Cena. The wedding was also attended by Bollywood stars, tech tycoons, politicians, and billionaires from around the world.

The jaw-dropping scale of this Indian wedding doesn't come as a surprise considering the Ambani family's reputation. Anant is the 28-year-old son of Nita Ambani and Reliance Industries conglomerate chairman Mukesh Ambani, also known as the richest man in India and one of the top 10 richest people in the world. The bride is also the daughter of billionaires, pharmaceutical power couple Viren Merchant, the CEO of Encore Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., and Shaila Merchant.

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Given the sheer scale and luxury of the Ambani prewedding events, their traditional Indian wedding is touted as one of the biggest—and most expensive—in modern history. (BBC estimates the event had a wedding budget between 11 billion to 13 billion rupees, or $132 million to $156 million US dollars.) We share a complete guide to the Ambani wedding here, breaking down all the details from their prewedding parties to the jaw-dropping grandeur of their wedding weekend.

Inside the Ambani Wedding:

• The Wedding Weekend
• The Sangeet
• The Cruise
• The Week-Long Engagement Party
• The Engagement Ceremony

The Wedding Weekend

Every element of the Ambani wedding was personalized, beginning with the time it took place. "The dates were strategically chosen from the 12th, 13th, and 14th of July upon the advice of our family pujari, who identified synchronic moments for our celebrations based on auspicious astrological alignments in both my charts as well as Anant's," bride Radhika Merchant told Vogue. "It was a meticulous process."

So how, exactly, did an event of this scale come to be? Ambani and Merchant left the planning details to his mother, Nita Ambani, who orchestrated the entire seven-month celebration alongside her daughter, Isha Ambani, and her daughter-in-law, Shloka Ambani, as well as several teams of event planners and their in-house staff. "My mother-in-law was the C.E.O. of the wedding, as I like to say," Merchant continued. "It was Nita's commitment and vision that brought our entire celebration to life."

Photo: Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times | Getty Images

The Haldi & Mehndi

The Ambani wedding weekend began on July 11, starting with the haldi and mehndi ceremonies. Typically held one day before the wedding, the haldi ceremony is an auspicious celebration in which the couple receives turmeric paste on their bodies. The vibrant yellow hue of the paste signifies prosperity.

During a mehndi ceremony, couples receive intricate henna patterns applied to their hands and feet. This symbolic ritual welcomes a blissful marriage and symbolizes vibrance, fertility and positivity. According to the Times of India, Ambani and Merchant also kicked off the weekend with a mameru, a ceremony where the bride's maternal uncle presents her with gifts, fruits and sweets; a garba night, a dance performance around a lamp or photo of the Hindu goddess Durga; a grah shanti, a set of rituals that brings happiness and prosperity to the couple's home; and a shiv puja, a ritual of worship for Lord Shiva.

The Baraat

On Friday, July 12, the Ambani wedding processional began with the baraat, otherwise known as the groom's formal entrance. During the baraat, a convoy of cars decorated in flowers transports the groom and his family members to the ceremony site. "It was out of this world. I've never seen anything like this," designer Prabal Gurung told Vogue. "The whole room was filled with flowers and Bollywood celebrities. There was all this dancing and singing."

Photo: SUJIT JAISWAL/AFP | Getty Images

Guests arriving at the Jio World Convention Centre walked a red carpet before entering inside. Some of those who posed for pictures included John Cena, Nick and Priyanka Jonas, Khloe and Kim Kardashian, and countless Bollywood stars.

The Pheras

The Ambani wedding ceremony officially began late in the evening on July 12 with the pheras—one of the most important rituals in an Indian wedding. During this symbolic custom, the bride and groom exchanged floral garlands and walked around a sacred fire seven times while reciting a specific vow for each, which is believed to make their bond unbreakable.

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Ahead of the pheras, Radhika Merchant's wedding dress designer, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, revealed an in-depth look at her ornate gown, which was styled by Rhea Kapoor. "Radhika's ensemble is Abu Sandeep's intricate interpretation of 'Panetar' - the Gujarati tradition of brides wearing red and white," the brand shared on Instagram. With a nearly 17-foot veil, the dazzling dress features a detachable train and exquisite hand-beading covering the layered skirt. She accessorized with dazzling diamond earrings, as well as vibrant green emeralds adorning the front of the dress.

As the Ambani wedding ceremony concluded with the aashirwad, a ritual in which the couple receives blessings from elder family members, the bride donned an emerald heirloom necklace that connected her to past brides in her family. "I wore the same necklace my sister and aunts wore at their weddings, and I truly believe it gave me a special strength and blessing," she told Vogue.

The Divine Blessings Ceremony

Photo: @KimKardashian | Instagram

On Saturday, the newly married couple continued the celebrations with Shubh Ashirwad, otherwise known as the divine blessings ceremony. One of the final large-scale events of the wedding weekend, the divine blessings ceremony also took place at the Jio World Convention Centre. Bollywood stars, politicians, and international personalities looked on as Mr. and Mrs. Ambani received blessings from priests and other religious leaders. Merchant wore what she called her "favorite" outfit of the entire weekend: a ghagra painted by artist Jayshree Burman.

The Final Reception

At long last, the Ambani wedding extravaganza concluded with the Mangal Utsav reception, a "celebration of bliss" attended by 14,000 people. For the final event on the itinerary, Radhika Merchant stunned in a custom Dolce & Gabanna corset dress, adorned with intricate embroidery that masterfully blended Indian craftsmanship with a glamorous Western aesthetic.

Looking back on the entire seven-month ordeal, Merchant told Vogue she felt an "overwhelming sense of fulfillment" and is excited to begin the next chapter of life with her husband. "We've been friends and confidants to one another for so long, and now we are finally embarking upon our official journey as a married couple," she told the publication. "I can't wait to see what our shared life has in store."

The Sangeet

Photo: @JustinBieber | Instagram

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's sangeet took place on July 5, 2024, exactly one week before their ceremony. Hundreds—if not thousands—of friends and family enjoyed the prewedding event comprised of lively song and dance, which included a headlining performance by Justin Bieber. The pop star sang about a dozen of his top hits during his set, which took place in Mumbai. According to the Times of India, the singer received a whopping $10 million for the performance.

The Cruise

On May 28, The Sunday Times reported that Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant would be joined by 800 guests and 600 crew members aboard a luxury cruise ship for a private charter throughout Europe. After departing from Palermo, Italy on May 29, it made stops in Rome, Portofino, and Cannes, France.

Given the theme, "La vita è un viaggio" (which translates to "Life is a voyage"), the prewedding cruise included lavish meals highlighting Indian, Italian and French cuisine, a masquerade party and an Italian toga party. Katy Perry performed during the masquerade party on Friday night at a private estate in Cannes. "The party itself will only last five hours but Katy will headline it, with a DJ also being flown in as part of the top-tier entertainment," a source told the Times ahead of the party. "Afterwards, guests will watch a huge fireworks display from a small armada of ships waiting in the Bay of Cannes," they continued. "When they say there's been no expense spared, they really mean it."

The Week-Long Engagement Party

On March 1, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant kicked off a lavish week of prewedding engagement party celebrations. Not only did the scale of the multi-day events generate buzz, but the guest list created a mega frenzy. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Blackrock co-founder Larry Fink, Isha Foundation spiritual leader Jagadish "Jaggi" Vasudev (who goes by "Sadhguru"), and Bollywood stars, like Deepika Padukone and Rani Mukherjee, were just a few notables on a rather extensive guest list. The entertainment options for the weekend drew considerable fanfare too: Rihanna delivered a private performance to guests to open the prewedding events, while other names that dazzled the crowd include top-billed Bollywood artists and magician David Blaine.

Photo by SUJIT JAISWAL/AFP via Getty Images

Understanding their point of privilege, the Ambani family wanted to give back to the community during these important life events. They preceded the festivities with a food drive, hosting meals for 51,000 locals throughout neighboring villages and communities.

Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Ambani and Merchant generated buzz for this event, especially after they released a nine-page prewedding guide to usher guests fashionably and tastefully through every event. As with Indian special events and weddings, the dress code is a point of presentation and respect. The couple requested certain palettes for cultural events and other fun parties, including a jungle-themed event where guests were told to pack Hawaiian shirts and other animal motif-printed options. For a separate weekend gala, the couple requested guests to pack "dazzling" formal Indian attire.

According to our sister brand, WeddingWire India, Radhika Merchant's stylist, producer and creative Rhea Kapoor, selected a Versace look for one event. The piece, in the vein of Blake Lively's Lady Liberty-inspired gown for the 2022 Met Gala, helped the bride-to-be sparkle for one of the many parties.

Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook

One of the couple's high-profile guests, Mark Zuckerberg, took to Instagram (you know, that social tool he oversees) to upload a photo with his wife, Priscilla Chan. "Love an Indian wedding," wrote the Meta scion. "Congrats to Anant and Radhika!" The couple was decked out in head-to-toe black attire accentuated by gold flowers and dragonfly motifs. According to a Meta rep, Zuckerberg donned a tux by Alexander McQueen, paired with a T-shirt by Saint Laurent and velvet shoes by Christian Dior.

Startup founder Joshua Kushner and wife, supermodel Karlie Kloss, also attended Ambani's prewedding weekend. Kushner posted a photo of his wife wearing traditional Indian attire and standing before an extravagant Ferris wheel.

Joshua Kushner / Instagram

The Engagement Ceremony

In January, the couple hosted a lavish engagement ceremony in India attended by family members and dignitaries. Media was also in attendance to capture the moment. However, this is something both are well accustomed to at this point. According to Vogue, the couple first connected in 2017. They kept their relationship relatively private until Radhika attended Isha Ambani's engagement festivities in Lake Como, Italy, in September 2023.

Esther Lee contributed to the reporting of this article.