Anant Ambani and his wife Radhika Merchant have been making waves for months after hosting wedding celebrations from March to June 2024.
The glitz and glamour of their romance is far from over, though, with the newlyweds embarking on a European honeymoon including a visit to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
© OLYMPIA DE MAISMONTMaking a statement entrance, Anant and Radhika were an explosion of colour in tropical-style outfits. While billionaire Mukesh's son was all smiles in a wild long-sleeve shirt covered with palm trees and leopards, it was his new wife's ensemble that caught our eye.
The 29-year-old looked striking in a tangerine co-ord including a square-neck top with silver buttons and an A-line mini skirt with elegant pleats.
She accessorised with an ivory cross-body bag where she kept her phone, ready for taking photos of the historic sporting event, and styled her tumbling hair in a relaxed ponytail.
They were joined by his father Mukesh, sister Isha and brother-in-law Anand Piramal. It is not surprising to see the Ambani family out in full force considering Mukesh founded the Reliance Foundation, which has a long-standing partnership with the Indian Olympic Association and has opened the first-ever India House at 2024 Olympics.
Amani wedding
This is not the first time Anant and Radhika have enjoyed travelling around Europe. After a three-day event in the family's hometown of Jamnagar in March, their wedding celebrations continued with a four-day European cruise stopping off at Rome, Portofino, Genoa, and Cannes.
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.
The couple had a traditional Hindu ceremony on 12 July followed by a 'shubh ashirwad' ceremony, and a 'mangal utsav' reception in Mumbai which was attended by 14,000 people.
High-profile guests such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas and Kim Kardashian were on the guest list.
The bride stepped out in several striking outfits, including a hand-embroidered bridal lehenga by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla in traditional red and white colours, and a Dolce & Gabbana corset bodice covered in shimmering embellishments alongside a satin embroidered skirt.
Speaking of the former, the bride's stylist Rhea Kapoor wrote on Instagram: "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."
Radhika accessorised her look with her family's jewels, telling 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."
© Abu Jani Sandeep KhoslaFollowing their months-long celebrations, it's been reported that they will host another party in the UK.
The couple will supposedly invite A-list stars such as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Harry to Stoke Park, which Mukesh – who is worth an estimated $116 billion (£89 billion) – purchased for £57 million ($73 million) in 2021.
He has highlighted plans to completely overhaul the seven-star hotel and country club in Berkshire, including modernising the Mansion House, fixing the leaking roof and cracks, and upgrading the 27-hole golf course to make it one of the world’s top 200 courses.
However, concerns have been raised by locals that the billionaire may be keeping the property for personal not commercial use.
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