First Rihanna, then Justin Bieber and Katy Perry — the pre-wedding events in the build up to the wedding of Anant Ambani, son of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and Radhika Merchant, were defined by unapologetic extravagance.
Last weekend, following A-list performances and gatherings of international billionaires which reverberated throughout the globe, saw the final $600 million hurrah unfold. On July 12 the main wedding ceremony took place, followed, on July 14, by a vast reception.
Sightings of Kim and Khloe Kardashian set the internet alight on Thursday, before the pair attended proceedings bedecked in sari-style looks and, per Kim’s Instagram, “Diamonds and Pearls for the Ambani wedding.”
Arriving at the Ambani family’s Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai city — on a red carpet, no less — for the ceremony on Friday, the groom and his parents Mukesh and Nita Ambani joined the likes of WWE wrestler and actor John Cena arrived, joining Bollywood stars Anil Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan, cricketer Hardik Pandya and the American oil tycoon Bob Dudley.
Per the India Times, guests were asked to wear formal Indian attire, matching the grandeur of the event.
Other key global figures in attendance counted former UK PMs Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, A-listers Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, stylist Law Roach, as well as business leaders Jay Lee, the Samsung Electronics Chairman and Murray Auchincloss, BP CEO.
Certainly, the residents of Mumbai were made aware of proceedings. The ceremony saw see key roads in the city sealed off for several hours a day until all festivities end on Monday, July 15. According to The New York Times, the public was generally accepting of the lavish affair. “Based on the level of the Ambani’s wealth, the wedding is perfect,” said Mani Mohan Parmar, a 64-year-old resident from Mumbai, told the newspaper. “Even the common man here in India spends more than his capacity on a wedding... So it’s nothing too much if we talk about Ambani. He has so much money due to God’s grace, so why shouldn’t he spend it by his choice?”
Certainly, no guest arrived without making an effort.
Best dressed guests at the Ambani wedding:
