Asia’s Richest Person Mukesh Ambani To Throw An Extravagant Wedding, Everything You Need To Know

Add as a preferred source on Google

In March, Mukesh Ambani, Asia's wealthiest man, hosted a three-day pre-wedding celebration for his son. The event featured a 1,200-person guest list, including former world leaders, tech moguls, Bollywood stars, and a performance by Rihanna.

This was just the beginning of months-long extravagant pre-wedding festivities that captured headlines and ignited social media. Let us know everything about this grand wedding.

Who Are The Ambanis?

Mukesh Ambani, 66, is the father of the groom and currently holds the title of the world's 9th richest person. His company, Reliance Industries, is a vast conglomerate generating over $100 billion in annual revenue. Their interests span petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecoms, and retail.
The Ambani family resides in Antila, a 27-story private apartment building in Mumbai valued at $1 billion. The residence boasts three helipads, a 160-car garage, a private movie theater, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.

The Ambanis spent an eye-watering £120 million (around Rs 1259 crore) on these pre-wedding festivities, according to Daily Mail. While this amount seems enormous to most people, it is a small fraction of Mukesh Ambani's wealth. His real-time net worth stands at $117.7 billion (approximately Rs 9.7 lakh crore). The catering alone for the event cost an astonishing £20 million (about Rs 210 crore).

Mukesh's daughter, Isha Ambani's wedding in 2018 had a budget of $100 million (around Rs 828 crore). Her wedding featured a performance by Beyoncé, who was paid between $4-6 million (approximately Rs 33-49 crore). The grand celebration was attended by former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry among other notable figures.

Who Are The Bride And Groom?

Anant Ambani holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and oversees Reliance Industries' renewable energy expansion. He also manages Vantara, a 3,000-acre animal rescue center in Jamnagar. The bride-to-be Radhika Merchant is the daughter of pharmaceutical tycoon Viren Merchant and serves as marketing director for Encore Healthcare.

Radhika shared with Vogue that they met through mutual friends in 2017. "That first meeting just sparked something special between us," she said. "It wasn't long before we started dating."

The couple got engaged in December 2022 during a traditional Roka ceremony at the Ambani family's Shrinathji Temple in Rajasthan. Their official engagement ceremony, known as Gol Dhana, took place in January 2023.

When Is The Wedding And What's Expected?

The main wedding ceremony is scheduled for July 12 with a grand reception on July 14. Celebrations will take place at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai and the family's home. The dates were chosen based on Hindu customs using the couple's birth charts to find auspicious days.

Traditional wedding events will precede the main ceremony. Recently, social media buzzed with videos from their sangeet ceremony featuring performances by Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh as well as Justin Bieber.

Extravagant parties are synonymous with the Ambanis. Next week's events are expected to attract more celebrities, billionaires, and world leaders. In March's pre-wedding bash alone saw guests like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg alongside Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

They didn't hold back on decor either, bringing themes like "An Evening in Everland" and "A Walk on the Wildside" to life. The family adorned themselves with labels from Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Raghavendra Rathore, Ashish Gupta, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and more.

Timeline Of Ambani's Extravagant Wedding Celebrations

March 2024: The Hastakshar in Jamnagar

In March, the Ambani family organised a three-day pre-wedding weekend and hastakshar at their home in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The event began with a dinner in a grand glass structure resembling Palm House in Brooklyn Botanic Garden-a favourite spot of Radhika's during her college days in New York City. Rihanna performed afterward.

The next day featured lunch at Anant's animal sanctuary, Vantara. That night, they held a Mela Rogue-themed party, inspired by Moulin Rouge. On Sunday, the formal hastakshar took place. Radhika wore a concept sari by Tarun Tahiliani. Anant's mother performed a Bharatanatyam-style dance for the crowd.

May 2024: Luxury Mediterranean Cruise

In May, another pre-wedding weekend was held by the Ambanis. Unlike the first religious-focused weekend, this one was more about fun. It took place on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. "It was a retreat for those who have contributed to our lives," said Radhika Merchant.

The guest list included friends, family, employees from Reliance Industries and Encore Healthcare, and even doctors. "We had people from six months old to 90 years," Radhika mentioned in an interview. The cruise stopped at various European locations like Portofino and Cannes.

This event included performances by the Backstreet Boys, David Guetta, Katy Perry, and Pitbull. Guests also visited Cannes and Portofino during this luxurious celebration.

July 2024: Sangeet Ceremony

On July 5, Radhika and Anant hosted their sangeet in Mumbai. This night of music and dancing served as a welcome party before their official wedding. Justin Bieber performed for their friends and family. The family also organized a mass wedding for over 50 underprivileged couples last week as part of their pre-wedding celebrations.

The bride and groom wore custom outfits by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla.

Mid July 2024: The Wedding Ceremony And Reception

The official wedding of Radhika and Anant is set for 12 July 2024 and it will be followed by a grand reception on 14 July. It will be held in Mumbai and promises to be a spectacular affair.

VIP guests have already received elaborate invitations featuring a red box with a silver mandir, gold idols of Hindu gods, dried fruits and sweets, a hand-written note from the couple, and an embroidered shawl.