CNN
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rear 7 months Anant Ambani, son of India’s richest man, has just wrapped up his lavish pre-wedding festivities. A long-awaited wedding Pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant was speaking in front of thousands of guests on Friday.
Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair were among the many celebrities who flew to Mumbai for the star-studded ceremony. The wedding also featured many of the biggest names in Indian entertainment, sports, business, and politics, from Bollywood stars like Rajnikanth and Sanjay Dutt to former President Ram Nath Kovind, state chief ministers, and many members of India’s esteemed national cricket team.
No expense was spared The deal comes from the Ambani family, who run India’s largest privately held company, Reliance Industries Ltd. The conglomerate was founded by Anant’s grandfather and is now run by his father, Mukesh, who is worth more than $122 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
In rain-soaked Mumbai, police closed off roads around Ambani’s 16,000-seat Jio World Convention Center ahead of a red-carpet arrivals event where attendees looked perfect for the occasion, sashaying past photographers in custom saris, lehengas and kurtas that may set a trend for future Indian wedding fashion.
International guests also respected the traditional dress code, many wearing designs by famous Indian fashion designers. John Cena walked the red carpet in an embroidered sky blue sherwani and white pants, while Nick Jonas shone in a baby pink sherwani made of a sequin-embedded bouclé-like fabric and matching satin pants. Jonas appeared with his wife, actor Priyanka Chopra, who opted for an elaborately embellished sunshine yellow sari.
Fashion fans were also in full force. Zendaya’s longtime stylist Law Roach stepped out in a mauve velvet jacket, purple tunic and gold-toed shoes by Schiaparelli, while designer and New York Fashion Week regular Prabal Gurung wore a rose sherwani and aviator sunglasses. Kim and Khloe Kardashian appeared on social media in gold and red saris, respectively. Kim’s outfit featured an off-the-shoulder tasseled bodice, while Khloe opted for long, glamorous sleeves, layered necklaces and a lavish maang tikka.
in video Anant’s mother, Nita Ambani, posted on social media on Friday morning about her recent visit to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, to seek the couple’s blessings. “I want our wedding to reaffirm the purity, positivity and beauty of Varanasi,” Ambani said, adding that the ceremony will “pay tribute to India’s incredible culture and traditions created by thousands of artisans, weavers and craftspeople.”
It was also revealed that the gown worn by Nita Ambani on the red carpet at the event took over 40 days to make. The bespoke peach silk ghagra was designed by couture house Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and artisans Vijay Kumar and Monica Maurya.
While the Ambani family has remained tight-lipped about proceedings leading up to Friday’s wedding, rumours have been circulating in recent weeks about the guest list and the identities of the main stars. Local media and Indian social media users have also been eager to speculate on everything from the dinner menu to the jewels that might be on display from the family’s vast collection.
Manish Malhotra, one of India’s most celebrated fashion designers, served as creative director for the event. The renowned couturier created custom outfits for various members of the Ambani family throughout the month-long wedding celebrations.
“From the décor and food to the outfits and ambiance, every detail, every event, was designed to immerse our guests in an atmosphere of joy, love and celebration,” he told CNN in an email ahead of the wedding.
In the days leading up to their Friday wedding, the couple engaged in several traditional pre-wedding rituals. Last Friday, Justin Bieber performed at the couple’s sangeet, a night of music and dance. Afterwards, the couple attended a private haldi ceremony, traditionally in which friends and family bless the bride and groom by applying turmeric paste to their heads, faces and bodies.
As per Hindu tradition, the wedding date was reportedly chosen based on auspicious days in the bride and groom’s birth charts.
Anant Ambani, 29, a Brown University graduate and Mukesh’s youngest son, is a director of Reliance’s energy business, and his wife, Radhika Merchant, also 29, is the daughter of Viren and Shaila Merchant, founders of pharmaceutical company Encore Healthcare.
It’s not clear exactly how much the Ambanis spent on their wedding gifts, but industry estimates put the total in the hundreds of millions of dollars, with musical performers reportedly receiving seven- or even eight-figure sums.
Residents CNN spoke to on the streets of Mumbai had mixed feelings about the lavish event and the wealth on display. “It’s their wealth, but what they’re doing is ridiculous,” said kindergarten teacher Devanshi Zaveri, adding that there’s “no need to flaunt it so much.”
Meanwhile, banker Jenica Kothari welcomed the support for local businesses, saying, “It helps the economy, it helps everybody, so if you have money, I think you should spend it.”Local hotel rates have reportedly soared as thousands of guests prepare to fly into Mumbai, the financial hub that serves as India’s commercial capital.
Celebrations at Antilia, the Ambanis’ 27-storey Mumbai mansion, are set to continue through the weekend, with a “Shubh Ashirwad” divine blessing ceremony scheduled for Saturday and a reception on Sunday – with an “Indian chic” dress code – giving guests a final chance to celebrate with the bride and groom.
The weekend schedule caps seven months of preparation for what has been billed as India’s biggest wedding of the year. The festivities began in January with a celebrity-studded engagement party. Two months later, the Ambanis hosted a communal dinner for more than 50,000 villagers and a pre-wedding party for 1,200 guests that was attended by Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump, and featured a rare live performance by Rihanna.
In May, the family chartered a cruise ship to take guests on a four-day trip around the Mediterranean, with stops at various European ports and on-deck concerts by the Backstreet Boys, Pitbull, and more.
Anant’s sister Isha Luxury Wedding In 2018, she got married. Her wedding to businessman Anand Piramal was attended by celebrities, politicians, and business leaders, and her pre-wedding party included an intimate private concert by Beyoncé.
