Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding celebrations have broken the internet. To kick-start the wedding of the year, the groom’s father, Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man and mother, Nita Ambani, a philanthropist and queen of India’s cultural scene, made Rihanna come out of retirement for a private concert and flew Bollywood A-listers to Jamnagar, a little known town in western India; even Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump and Mark Zuckerberg cleared their diaries for three days of festivities.
Anant and Radhika's extravaganza has had the world obsessing over two things: Nita Ambani’s emeralds – the size of soap bars – and the breathtaking decor.
While we can’t confirm the cost of Ambani’s eye-popping jewellery, we can reveal that Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra was closely involved in bringing Nita’s vision for celebrations to life. The floral decor was masterminded by Hollywood’s favourite florist – Jeff Leatham (he’s Kim Kardashian’s go-to and has previously worked on the $86 million wedding of another Ambani heir, Isha, in 2018).
According to Malhotra, who shared peeks of the decor on his Instagram, Nita’s passion for Indian craft and artisanal excellence laid down the creative blueprint for the three-day long party.
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The welcome reception was staged inside a staggering glass house, its design and scale would shame the most opulent of Regency-era movie sets. Malhotra’s Bollywood roots were evident in the opulent crystal-clad fountains and stain-glass windows, while Leatham’s pastel-perfect palette (think baby blue delphiniums and all manner of blush roses, carnations and orchids) draped the structure. Teal velvet sofas complemented the Bridgerton-meets-India vibe.
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The second day’s agenda revealed why Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding celebrations took place in Jamnagar. Not only is the Gujarati town the birthplace of Anant’s grandmother, it is also where his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani started the family business, Reliance Industries. Now, Jamnagar is home to Vantara, a 3000-acre animal shelter and rehab centre, the youngest Ambani’s passion project. Guests were welcomed into marquees decorated with hand-painted jungle motifs and topped with striped canopies that evoked the regal glamour of Indian safaris from a bygone era.
Switching gears for the final night, guests were whisked away to a scene right out of Moulin Rouge. Think larger-than-life carousels decked in shimmering crystal chandeliers, ornate windmills festooned with vintage light bulbs, gilded elephants and tables upon tables covered in red roses and crystal candelabras. Plus, an Oscars-worthy stage that brought together some of the biggest names in Indian cinema: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan and many more.
This wasn’t even the wedding; the couple will be married on July 12, 2024. We've already set our Google alerts.
