Anant Ambani, the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, and his wife Radhika Merchant concluded their $600 million, months-long wedding celebrations this weekend.
The traditional Hindu ceremony on 12 July was followed by a 'shubh ashirwad' ceremony, and a 'mangal utsav' reception in Mumbai which was attended by 14,000 people. The celebrations were fittingly lavish, with the bride wearing several show-stopping wedding dresses – but her final gown was particularly memorable.
In photos taken by Greg Swales, Radhika posed against the backdrop of plush red velvet curtains in her molten gold reception gown. The structured Dolce & Gabbana corset bodice was covered in shimmering embellishments, leading to the satin embroidered skirt.
Matching material was draped across her shoulders and arms before cascading down to the train, while a gold and diamond necklace and earrings added to the statement look.
Sharing more details about her resplendent bridal outfit, stylist Rhea Kapoor wrote on Instagram: "Radhika Ambani for her Reception in @dolcegabbana Alta Moda Sardegna 2024 and a custom @anamikakhanna.in Couture Sari."
© InstagramBusinessman Mukesh, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, is reportedly worth $116 billion, making him the richest person in Asia and the 11th richest in the world. So it is unsurprising that his son's wedding – attended by the likes of Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Tony Blair and Boris and Carrie Johnson – would have no expense spared, especially when it came to their choice of outfits.
Radhika's wedding dresses
The bride was previously pictured in a hand-embroidered bridal lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla in traditional red and white colours featuring a seven-foot detachable train.
Stylist Rhea explained: "The ivory Zardozi cut-work ensemble consists of a trailing ghagra layered with a second detachable trail, a 5-meter head veil and a tissue shoulder dupatta. The ghagra glitters with three borders of red, Its workmanship is the finest amalgamation of Naqshi, Saadi and Zardozi symmetrically hand-embroidered in intricate floral booties that are lavishly decorated with stones, sequins, tamba tikkis and a touch of red Resham.
"The head veil has impossibly delicate jaali and cut-work while the detachable trail is a Zardozi marvel of 80 inches. The outfit is complete with a fully embroidered red shoulder dupatta that uplifts the silhouette with its maximal drama."
Speaking of wearing her family's jewels, she told Vogue: "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."
Meanwhile, she donned several striking pre-wedding outfits in early July. Radhika was radiant in a yellow design by Anamika Khanna for her Haldi ceremony, donned rich sunset reds in a Manish Malhotra number for her vidai, and celebrated the Sangeet ceremony in a Chandelier-inspired lehenga in pretty pastel colours adorned with Swarovski crystals.
Months-long celebrations
© GettyWedding celebrations kicked off in March with a three-day event in the family's hometown of Jamnagar in Gujarat. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were among the 1,200 guests to attend the glasshouse dinner and Moulin Rouge-themed do at their palatial home.
The event, which included a performance by Rihanna and a light show with drones, reportedly set the family back $6.3 million.
© GettyIn June, the couple and their 800-strong wedding party enjoyed a four-day European cruise stopping off at Rome, Portofino, Genoa, and Cannes. They had performances from The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli along the way.
Indian wedding traditions
© GettyWith over 30 distinct cultures within the South Asian region, each Indian wedding will look different. However, here are a few common customs that are typically incorporated into Indian nuptials…
- An astrology-approved date - The Hindu priest, known as a pandit, can consult astrology to determine the most favorable date and time for the ceremony to take place.
- A do spanning several days - The nuptials and reception take place after two days of more intimate events that tend only to be attended by close friends and family.
- Red - The colour is considered lucky and thus is often incorporated into the wedding decor, outfits, flowers - the list goes on.
- A sizeable guest list - A go big or go home approach is taken to the guest list and offending someone by not inviting them to the wedding is a big no-no.
- Outfit changes - Every different element of the day requires a new outfit, and this applies to the groom
- Accomplished dance moves - No dad dancing here. Often guests will celebrate the newlyweds with Bollywood-style dances before the couple themselves put on a performance
- A large party - Everyone invited to the wedding is usually invited to the reception so the evening do is a big one
- No first kiss - Many deem PDA in front of elders inappropriate so there’s almost never a, 'You may now kiss the bride' element to the nuptials, Brides reported.
- The groom's grand entrance and the bride's reveal - The groom gets his own procession, otherwise known as baraat, while the bride prepares for her grand reveal, or the kanya aagaman, after her bridesmaids, flower girl, and ring bearer.
- The couple takes seven steps - in the saptapadi, the bride and groom take these steps to represent the first seven steps you take together as husband and wife.
© Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
