Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant were married over the weekend in an extravagant celebration where no expense was spared for the youngest Ambani heir’s nuptials.
The couple’s lavish three-day wedding took place in Mumbai and was attended by prominent celebrities and political figures. The nuptials followed months of glamorous pre-wedding events, featuring performances by Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber.
The overall cost of the wedding, including pre-wedding parties and payments for pop-star performances, was estimated by a private news outlet to be $600 million. Despite the hefty price tag, it is only a fraction of the estimated $123 billion fortune of Anant’s father, Mukesh Ambani, according to Forbes.
The wedding festivities began with a pre-wedding celebration at the luxurious Ambani Estate in Gujarat. Rihanna was reportedly paid $6 million for her performance at the soirée, as noted by Forbes.
The celebration also included a jungle-themed party and a light show featuring 5,500 drones. The event was attended by numerous high-profile individuals, including Ivanka Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and members of Bhutan’s royal family.
Anant and Radhika also chartered a cruise ship for a pre-wedding voyage through Europe in May. According to a private news outlet, the couple and their guests traveled to various European cities, including Rome, Cannes, and Portofino, for special events.
Katy Perry performed at the Cannes bash, alongside other performers such as Andrea Bocelli, the Backstreet Boys, and Pitbull. The cruise and related parties were estimated to cost an additional $150 million.
During the couple’s sangeet in early July, Justin Bieber performed for an estimated $10 million, according to a private news outlet. Clips posted on Instagram showed him singing hits like “Love Yourself,” “Where Are You Now,” and “I’m the One,” as guests danced and cheered.
Before the three-day wedding ceremony, guests received elaborate invitations hinting at the opulence of the event. These invitations, according to a private news outlet, featured an engraved box depicting a Hindu deity, filled with gifts and playing Hindu mantras.
Throughout the weekend, the Ambani family wore an array of exquisite jewels. Anant sported a custom-made lion brooch adorned with jewels, including a massive diamond weighing more than 50 carats.
Jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, who created the brooch, shared photos on Instagram of both the brooch and Anant wearing it. Anant’s mother wore a 100-carat yellow diamond necklace to the wedding, as reported by Vogue India
To fulfill the couple’s request, the Jio World Convention Center was transformed into the waterfront steps of Varanasi, with local craftsmen, street food stalls, bangle sellers, puppeteers, and astrologers available to guests.
The wedding ceremonies were also held at the Ambani’s multi-billion dollar residence in Mumbai, a 27-story building with high-end amenities such as a cinema, a pool, and a ballroom.
According to a private news outlet, Anant’s wedding was significantly more expensive than his sister Isha’s wedding to Anand Piramal in 2018, which cost approximately $100 million. The expenses included the $6 million paid to Beyoncé to headline a show during the ceremony.
