Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant

Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani and Radhika Merchant, daughter of pharmaceutical business tycoon Viren A. Merchant, redefined extravagance with their wedding celebrations that took the media by storm. Spread across several destinations, like, Jamnagar, the United Kingdom, Italy and Mumbai – the wedding honored Gujarati traditions while celebrating the couple’s love for all things modern.

Childhood sweethearts Radhika, 29 and Anant, 28 have been engaged for a while and their wedding celebrations kicked off in Jamnagar in Gujarat at Vantara – a 3000-acre zoo and animal rehabilitation centre located within Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex, often called the Green Belt Of Gujarat. Jamnagar being the native place of the Ambanis also holds a special place in their hearts. Iconic performers, one of the most notable being, international pop star Rihanna graced the stage after eight years. The three Khans of Bollywood also shook a leg together on stage delighting onlookers. Tech giants Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates were also in attendance. The Jamnagar-based celebrations not only put the couple under the spotlight but also introduced Anant Ambani’s brainchild ‘Vantara’ to the world while emphasizing Reliance’s alignment with sustainability.

The second set of pre-wedding celebrations took place at Stoke Park Country Club, Spa and Hotel located in the United Kingdom Acquired at a whopping 529 crores and spanning 300 acres the stunning estate traces its history back to the year 1066 when it was first built. It is also the oldest country club in the UK and has been home to Queen Elizabeth I.

The Ambani family along with their loved ones and several celebrities then jetted off to the Sicilian coast. The four-day luxury cruise started from Palermo and made stops at Rome, Cannes in South of France and Portofino with the theme of the celebrations being La Vite E Un Viaggio – translating to Life is a Journey. Backstreet Boys, rapper Pitbull and popstar Katy Perry entertained the approximate 800 guests onboard. Iconic Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed for the wedding party at Portofino where the grand finale of the cruise celebrations took place.

Back at their home base Mumbai, the Ambanis and the Merchants embraced traditions with a series of Gujarati wedding rituals. The Merchants favored Trident Hotel, Nariman Point and The St. Regis Mumbai. On the other hand, the Ambanis chose their South Mumbai home Antilla and Jio World Convention Centre in BKC for their celebrations. Samuhik Vivah, Mameru, Raas Garba, Sangeet, Mandwa Muhurat, Mehndi, Grah Shanti and Peethi along with Bhajan and Shiv Shakti puja were the traditional pre-wedding rituals that were included in the lineup. Notably, pop star Justin Bieber performed at the Sangeet.

The wedding was hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre with Bollywood celebrities and prominent world personalities shaking a leg at the baraat. Floral animal sculptures were specially crafted for this event and became an instant sensation amongst the guests. Kim Kardashian and her sister, Khloe Kardashian, Hollywood reality stars and entrepreneurs also attended the wedding. Planned to the very last detail and spearheaded by Nita Ambani with Isha and Shloka Ambani backing her up – the wedding was smoothly planned with guests being sent their customised QR codes a few hours before the event for entry. The next day was the ‘Shubh Aashirvad’ event which had Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other political leaders in attendance. The reception named ‘Mangal Utsav’ that followed was just as star-studded with music maestro A.R. Rahman and Shreya Ghoshal performing on stage.

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