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While the global wedding season has seen its fair share of extravagance, the Ambani wedding undoubtedly takes the crown.
All eyes were on Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant this past weekend as they tied the knot at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
With a guest list of over 2,000, including international and regional A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, and Dubai-based influencers Mona Kattan and Safa Siddique, the prestigious nuptials were a sight to behold, with attendees donned in custom Indian attire.
As the couple retires to either the 27-storey Ambani house or their newly acquired $77.3 million Dubai mansion for their honeymoon, one can’t help but wonder: how much did it all cost?
Ambani wedding: the cost
The pre-wedding festivities were a spectacle in themselves, featuring events like the Hastakshar celebrations in Jamnagar, where Rihanna performed for a staggering $9 million, a four-day Mediterranean cruise headlined by Katy Perry and the Backstreet Boys, and a Sangeet ceremony showcasing Justin Bieber’s $10 million performance.
These are just a few of the grand spectacles that Mukesh Ambani, founder of Reliance Industries, and his wife Nita Ambani hosted and meticulously planned. While the total cost of the celebration remains undisclosed, its been estimated it could exceed $300 million (Dhs1.1 billion).
The sheer scale and detail of the 11 wedding events are astonishing. According to top wedding and luxury planners consulted by the Wall Street Journal, the total expenditure could easily run into hundreds of millions of dollars. Flowers alone, a significant part of any wedding budget, were estimated to cost around $20 million for the Ambani festivities in March by Jeff Leatham featuring towering floral arrangements. As well as Preston Bailey’s three-day floral installations over the weekend, highlighting over 100,000 flowers in the form of animal sculptures, were particularly notable.
Each pre-wedding event featured meticulously crafted invitations and lavish gifts for attendees, including gold-embossed artworks, designer items, and gold-made boxes. Security measures were equally elaborate, with regulated QR codes, colour-coded wristbands, and multi-layered checks, including facial recognition technology, ensuring the safety and authenticity of attendees.
The fashion
No wedding is complete without stunning sartorials.
Over six months of deliberate planning, this culminated in a showcase of Indian and international design houses. The couple wore creations by Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Manish Malhotra and especially Radhika’s custom Versace gown, which took a year to make and was reportedly worth up to $2 million, and Anant’s custom Panthère de Carrier brooch and Sabyasachi sherwani.
The family’s ensemble of couture gowns and sarees added to the opulence and grand cost.
Regardless, it’s safe to say it’s been a wedding to remember.
