Anant Ambani Prepares for Lavish Wedding: Here Are 5 Extravagant Weddings to Watch
The Ambani family, known for their immense wealth and influence, is once again in the spotlight as they prepare for the wedding of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries. Anant is set to marry Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharma tycoons Viren and Shaila Merchant, in what promises to be a grand affair. The wedding festivities, which have been ongoing for months, are expected to culminate this weekend with a series of opulent events.
The Ambani wedding has captured the public’s imagination, with its lavish outfits, stunning jewelry, and fairytale-like decor. The celebrations have featured rare performances by both Indian and global stars, making it a spectacle of grandeur. Writer and columnist Shobhaa De describes the wedding as “nothing short of a royal wedding,” reflecting the Ambani family’s immense wealth and status.
However, the extravagance of the wedding has also drawn criticism. In a country where millions live below the poverty line, the sheer display of wealth has been seen by some as a mockery of the nation’s economic reality. Writer and commentator Santosh Desai notes that the scale of the wedding is an outlier, even in a society where wealth is increasingly flaunted.
The main wedding ceremony is set to take place at the Ambani family residence in Mumbai. Mukesh Ambani, whose personal fortune is estimated at $115 billion, has left no stone unturned to make the celebrations memorable. The family’s sprawling business empire, which includes interests in oil, telecoms, chemicals, technology, fashion, and food, has made them a ubiquitous presence in India.
The pre-wedding festivities began in March with a three-day party in Jamnagar, Gujarat, the location of Mukesh Ambani’s oil refinery, the largest in the world. The event was attended by 1,200 guests, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates. The party featured a dinner inside a glasshouse resembling the Palm House in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a favorite of Radhika Merchant during her college days in New York City. The evening included a performance by Rihanna, with viral videos showing the Ambani family dancing with the pop star.
The celebrations have continued with a series of extravagant events, including a luxury cruise along the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy and the French Mediterranean. The cruise featured performances by the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. In Mumbai, Justin Bieber performed at a pre-wedding event, with a video of the bride and her friends singing along to his hit song “Love Yourself” garnering millions of views.
The Ambani wedding is not the first time the family has hosted such grand celebrations. In 2018, Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding bash featured a performance by Beyoncé, while Akash Ambani’s pre-wedding festivities in 2019 included a performance by Coldplay. These events have set new benchmarks for Indian weddings, which are known for their scale and opulence.
The Indian wedding industry, estimated at $130 billion, has boomed since the country emerged from the pandemic. Weddings in India are seen as symbols of power and status, with parents often spending a significant portion of their lifetime savings on their children’s weddings. The scale of these events has grown in tandem with India’s rise as an economic powerhouse.
Sima Taparia, a marriage consultant who gained fame through the Netflix docuseries “Indian Matchmaking,” notes that it is now common for wealthy Indians to host big weddings at exotic destinations and invite Bollywood actors or famous musicians to perform. Aditya Motwane, an events planner, adds that Indian weddings are about showcasing the power of contacts, relationships, and wealth.
The average Indian wedding involves 326 guests, compared to 115 in the United States. For the affluent, the scale is exponentially bigger, with thousands of guests, foreign locations, and expensive gifts. The Ambani pre-wedding party in Jamnagar featured a light show with 5,500 drones and a performance by Rihanna, highlighting the lengths to which the ultra-rich will go to celebrate.
As India continues to grow economically, extravagant weddings are expected to become even more frequent. A report from Knight Frank predicts that the number of Indians with a net worth of at least $30 million will rise by 50% by 2028. The middle class is also projected to grow, with 600 million Indians expected to be middle-class by 2030, representing over 80% of the country’s spending power.
The average luxury Indian wedding can cost between $200,000 and $400,000, excluding expenses on jewelry and attire. Bridal spending accounts for over half of the total jewelry market in India, with the country being one of the largest markets for gold and precious gems. Lavish meals, often involving Michelin star chefs and the finest ingredients, are a staple of these weddings.
The rise in opulent celebrations has also led to a boom in related businesses, such as wedding videography and gift packaging. Vanessa Almeida, who handled the packaging and delivery of gifts for the Ambani pre-wedding party, notes that similar party favors are becoming sought-after across the country.
While the Ambani wedding has drawn criticism for its extravagance, it also serves as a showcase of India’s couture, artistry, and craftsmanship. For the wedding industry, it is an exemplary case of orchestrating a multi-event, multi-location celebration that combines tradition, modernity, and unmatched hospitality standards.
As the final preparations for Anant Ambani’s wedding are underway, the world watches in awe at the scale and grandeur of the celebrations. With each event, the Ambani family continues to set new benchmarks for what is possible in the world of weddings.
Source: BBC News, CNN
