A Glimpse into the Opulent World of Anant Ambani’s Pre-Wedding Extravaganza
For three days, the city of Jamnagar in Gujarat, India, transformed into a dazzling stage for the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani. The event, a spectacle of luxury and grandeur, brought together around 1,200 guests from across the globe. Though the actual figures would never come out in the public domain according to the print & electronic media reports anything between 1000 to 1300 crores has been spent.
For those who are not going to agree with this huge amount, the 24-hour stay of Rihanna and her program itself cost more than 100 crores to Ambani’s
A Constellation of Personalities
The guest list itself was a testament to the scale of the celebrations. International business leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates rubbed shoulders with Bollywood A-listers such as Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner added a touch of political intrigue, while cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s presence lent a sporting touch to the star-studded gathering.
A Multi-Sensory Extravaganza
The festivities were a carefully curated blend of entertainment, culinary delights, and logistical marvels:
Global Icons Take the Stage: Pop superstar Rihanna belted out her chart-topping hits in a two-hour performance that kept the guests on their feet. Renowned magician David Blaine added a touch of wonder with his mind-bending illusions, leaving the audience enthralled.
A Culinary Journey for All Palates: A team of 100 chefs meticulously crafted a staggering 500 dishes, ensuring a global culinary experience. From Indian delicacies to international favorites, the menu catered to every palate and dietary preference.
A Logistical Feat: The sheer scale of the event necessitated chartering private jets to ferry guests in and out of Jamnagar. To ensure everyone looked their best, hairstylists, makeup artists, and drape artists were on hand to provide their services. The city’s airport transformed into a beehive of activity, handling over 130 flights specifically for the pre-wedding celebrations.
Philanthropy Amidst the Opulence
The Ambani family, renowned for their philanthropic endeavors, ensured the celebrations had a positive social impact. Local weavers skillfully crafted exquisite decorations for the wedding festivities, while talented visually impaired artisans meticulously fashioned beautiful candles.
A testament to their generosity, a new Hindu temple complex, built specifically for the wedding, will be open to the public after the ceremony. Furthermore, the family hosted a grand community dinner for over 50,000 villagers, fostering a spirit of inclusive and sharing.
A Common Man-Sun
Other than the Indian celebrities headed by Rajnikant and Amitabh Bachchan, some other prominent figures who are attending the program include Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Bill Gates, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Bhutan’s Queen Jetsun Pema, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Saudi Aramco chairperson Yasir Al Rumayyan for the pre-wedding festivities
The guest list also featured notable personalities such as former Prime Minister of Sweden Carl Bildt, former prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper, World Economic Forum chairperson Klaus Schwab, former president of Bolivia Jorge Quiroga, and former PM of Australia Kevin Rudd.
Just think about the cost of the stay arrangements, food, security, traveling and other expenses of the super V VIPs who came to attend the three-day pre-wedding festivities
Arrival
All guests are slated to journey to Jamnagar via chartered flights from either Mumbai or Delhi. Multiple flights are scheduled to depart between 8 am and 1 pm from each city on March 1.
The 400-odd charter flights are transporting the who’s who in the business world to global politics and entertainment. The guest list in Jamnagar could give competition to the annual Davos meet.
The Jamnagar airport has witnessed the highest number of flight movements in its history, thanks to the gala pre-wedding function of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant which is witnessing a constant flow of a galaxy of guests. According to Jamnagar airport officials, a total of 70 flights landed on Friday and these included 14 international flights. On Thursday, 35 flights including eight international flights touched down. On Saturday, 22 flights are expected to land.
Food
Pre-wedding celebrations of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani commenced with the traditional practice of ‘Anna Seva’ in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. It provided meals to approximately 51,000 residents of the village and continued for three days.
According to a report by ABP Live, a team of 25 chefs have specially flown from Indore to Jamnagar to curate a special Indian menu. The menu will also include dishes from cuisines like Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Parsi, and Pan-Asian.
A total of 2500 dishes will be offered to the guests during the three-day extravaganza. No dishes will be repeated during the celebrations.
- Breakfast – More than 70 options
- Lunch – Over 250 options
- Dinner – Over 250 options
A special highlight from the menu is that there will be a special midnight snacks menu with food available between 12 am to 4 am.
Dress
Renowned dress designers Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, duo Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, and Ashish Gupta have worked on the dresses to be worn by the family during these three-day festivities
Radhika Merchant, the bride-to-be, wore a gorgeous custom-made lehenga designed by Indian fashion designer Anamika Khanna. The lehenga was adorned with intricately handwoven flowers, paying homage to the ambiance of the venue .
Khanna also curated attire for Isha Ambani, Nita Ambani, and Shloka Mehta Ambani, wife of Isha’s twin, Akash. A meticulously crafted nine-page event dossier and wardrobe guide, inclusive of a comprehensive visual mood board. That dispatched to invitees and doing the rounds on the internet offers a glimpse into the extravaganza awaiting guests in Jamnagar.
Guests will have access to an array of services, including laundry facilities offering express steaming, hair-styling, sari draping, and makeup assistance on-site.
Accommodation
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant have arranged glamorous tents as guests’ accommodation
In a video that Saina Nehwal shared on her Instagram account last Friday. As she was captured enjoying the beautifully decorated space outside a huge tent .
Several other tents were visible too. Saina then went inside the glamping space to guide viewers on how it all looked from the inside. The first area was like a living room, complete with a pair of sofa sets. Inside the room, there was a bed separated by a large white curtain-like fabric. Additionally, there was a big TV in front, and a small reading table stood right beside it. Saina shared the video with the caption, “The perfect Ambani wedding (heart eyes emoticons).” She used the hashtags, Anant Ambani Radhika Merchant, Anant Radhika engagement, and Jamnagar.
What the International Media says
Times said that Mukesh Ambani has taken the concept of the big fat Indian wedding to the ‘next level’. USA Today said that if there is one thing that one should know about India’s Ambanis. it is that ‘they like to go all out.’
South China Morning Post pointed out how ‘Asia’s richest family isn’t afraid to splurge when it comes to wedding celebrations.’ Their report read, “But if you thought Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal’s US$100 million nuptials or Akash Ambani . And Shloka Mehta’s equally extravagant bash were over the top, then think again. Because Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s big day is expected to take things to a whole new level.” This Pre wedding is one of the highly spent wedding around the world.
For the Ambanis, extravagance knows no bounds. Recall, that Anant’s sister Isha Ambani’s opulent wedding extravaganza in 2018. That featuring a show-stopping performance by Beyonce, remains a milestone in lavish Indian nuptials.
FAQS
1. Who is Anant Ambani?
Anant Ambani is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man. He serves as a director at an energy business operated by Reliance Industries, the Indian conglomerate founded by his grandfather.
2. How much spent on the pre-wedding celebrations?
The exact cost of the pre-wedding bash is not publicly available, but reports suggest it was an extravagant affair with estimates reaching up to $152 million.
3. When is the wedding?
Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are set to tie the knot in July 2024.