The Pre Wedding Festivities of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant
Anant Ambani, head of the energy vertical at his family’s company, Reliance Industries, and Radhika Merchant, marketing director at her family’s company, Encore Healthcare, met through mutual friends during a leisurely drive in 2017.
In 2023, Anant proposed to Radhika at the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan, a sacred Hindu site on the banks of the Banas River. After their formal engagement ceremony, they hosted a dinner with their parents, grandparents, and siblings.
Nearly a year later, Radhika and Anant organized their now-famous three-day pre-wedding weekend and hastakshar (a traditional Indian prenuptial event) at the Ambanis’ home in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Their pre-wedding event took three months to plan, overseen by Anant’s mother, Nita Mukesh Ambani, with Indian designer Manish Malhotra as the creative director. Radhika enlisted Rhea Kapoor as her head stylist.
First Celebration: An Evening in Everland
On 1 March 2024, more than 1,500 guests arrived in Jamnagar as the festivities officially began.
For the first night, Radhika wore a blush pink custom Versace dress, accented with bespoke jewelry by Parthiv Mehta of Kantilal Chhotalal. Anant, meanwhile, wore custom Dolce & Gabbana.
The theme of the night was "An Evening in Everland", Radhika’s mother-in-law and Malhotra had constructed a glass palace evoking the Palm House in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—a favorite place of the bride when she was a college student in New York City—adorned in flowers from Jeff Leatham. A mini train transported the guests throughout. After dinner, 5,500 drones took to the sky to tell the story of Vantara, becoming India’s largest drone show ever in the process.
Radhika changed into an Ashish dress just in time for Rihanna to take the stage.
Lunch at Vantara’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center: A Walk on the Wild Side
Several hours later, the couple held a lunch on the grounds of Vantara’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, the theme was "A Walk on the Wild Side".
"We went to great lengths to accommodate our 1,500 guests, complete with an audio-guide system to ensure that everyone could connect with the animals that have been given a new lease on life here," Radhika says.
She wore a custom blue leopard-print look by Dolce & Gabbana—her take on the mob-wife aesthetic currently dominating fashion.
Mela Rogue Dinner
Mela Rogue, a playful spin on the film Moulin Rouge. Radhika opted for an outfit designed by Malhotra, who is renowned for his Bollywood costumes. The ghagra was embellished with Swarovski crystals, and Radhika complemented the outfit with more jewels by Kantilal Chhotalal.
David Blaine did magic tricks for the crowd, and there were several family dances. Then, Diljit Dosanjh—the first Punjabi singer to perform at Coachella—took the stage. Radhika then changed into her second look by Malhotra.
Shah Rukh Khan—also known as the "Baadshah of Bollywood"—also performed.
Formal Hastakshar
On Sunday, it was time for their formal hastakshar, a traditional Indian pre-nuptial ceremony. The bride-to-be wore a concept sari by Tarun Tahiliani as she walked down the aisle toward the temple.
Anant waited for her in an ivory sherwani by Rohit Bal, complete with diamond buttons by Raghavendra Rathod and a custom brooch by Lorraine Schwartz. They signed their wedding papers legally as 1,500 guests looked on.
Afterward, Anant’s mother performed a Bharatanatyam-style dance for the crowd.
As the party began, the bride changed into a pink gown that paid aesthetic homage to a traditional saree.
To close out the weekend, the singer Akon performed.
Sangeet
Ahead of the wedding, invitations for the sangeet have now been sent out. The personalized invite reveals the event will take place on July 5 at the Grand Theatre in the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai.
The theme of the night is a "celebration of hearts" and promises guests a "night of song, dance, and wonder" with a dress code of "Indian regal glam".
