When is the Ambani wedding? A timeline of the couple’s 7 months of celebrations

CNN
—

For better or worse, multi-day weddings have become commonplace in cultures around the world. What once was a half-day affair can now easily stretch over three or four days, from Friday night cocktail parties to headache-inducing Sunday brunches.

But the seven-month wedding The world of Indian luxury weddings.

On Friday, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, the head of India’s largest private company, with an estimated net worth of Over $122 billionAccording to Forbes, pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant Finally Getting MarriedThe couple have been celebrating their engagement since January, holding events on average every six weeks.

From the star-studded engagement party to performances from the likes of Rihanna and Justin Bieber, no expense was spared. If you’re lost track of how far the Ambani wedding is along and what lavish bash has already taken place, read on for a wedding timeline of what’s expected to be the biggest wedding of the year.

On December 29, Anant Ambani proposed to Radhika Merchant in a low-key ceremony at a temple in northern Rajasthan, surrounded by family and close friends.

Merchant took part in a traditional “Mehendi” ceremony on January 18, where she had her hands and feet dyed in henna. The next day, the couple hosted a “Goal Dhana” engagement party for a Bollywood heavyweight, attended by celebrities including actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

Don’t be fooled by the name, this is get together The event took place more than four months before the Ambanis’ actual wedding. Guest list: 1,200 peopleThe evening featured Bollywood-inspired dance moves, fireworks and a feast of 500 dishes prepared by around 100 chefs. The night also featured Rihanna performing for the second time in six years.

The event brought together the rich and powerful, including tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. Wearing a traditionally decorated Kashmiri coat Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner arrived with their daughter. Prior to the party, the Ambani family also hosted a communal dinner for over 50,000 villagers on the outskirts of Jamnagar.

The Ambanis were on a four-day European cruise from Palermo, Sicily, to Rome aboard a luxury charter ship, and despite strict rules banning mobile phones, videos circulating on social media showed the Backstreet Boys, Pitbull and David Guetta performing on deck.

There were also several stops along the way, including a masked ball at the Croix des Gardes in Cannes, where Katy Perry performed, and an evening event in Portofino, on the Italian Riviera, where the main square was closed to the public and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed for guests.

July 2-5: Mass Wedding and Musical Night

The couple held a mass wedding, also known as a “samukh vivah,” in the town of Palghar, about 70 miles from Mumbai, on July 2. More than 50 underprivileged couples were invited and received gifts ranging from gold ornaments to a year’s supply of food.

A few days later, at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, a Mumbai arts venue founded by Anant’s mother, Nita, the Ambani family hosted a traditional music and dance evening known as a “sangeet,” which featured a live performance by Justin Bieber.

On Monday, the couple took part in a “haldi” ceremony, a traditional pre-wedding ritual in which friends and family bless the to-be couple by applying turmeric paste on their heads, faces and bodies. The couple appears to have kept the ceremony a secret, but photos later shared online show them in bejeweled bridal wear and gold-and-yellow outfits. Custom Ensemble Famous Indian designer Anamika Khanna and her groom Kurta and Jacket By Sandeep Khosla.

Friday: Main Ceremony

The wedding is set to get underway on Friday at the 16,000-seat Geo World Convention Centre, with a red carpet rolled out and A-list attendees clad in traditional Indian attire as per the dress code. The internet is abuzz with rumours about the line-up of performers, ranging from Adele and Drake to Lana Del Rey, but one thing is certain: no expense will be spared.

The day after the wedding, one of the final stages in the Hindu wedding schedule, is the “Shubh Ashirwad” or divine blessing ceremony, where the couple seeks “ashirwad”, or blessings, from elders in the community and are usually showered with rose petals and rice as they walk down the aisle again.

The grand celebrations will culminate on Sunday with a final celebration for the bride and groom – “mangal utsav”, or wedding reception – where attendees will be dressed in “Indian chic” attire. The events on Saturday and Sunday will take place at the Ambanis’ 27-storey mansion, Antilia.