Nigerian weddings are known for their extravagance, especially if both families are wealthy. However, even the Nigerian upper class can learn a thing or two from the recently concluded Ambani wedding, which was estimated to cost between $132 to $156 million.
From a four-day cruise ship to multi-million-dollar groomsmen gifts, here’s everything that went down at the Ambani wedding.
The couple
Groom Anant Ambani, 29, is the son of Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani. With an estimated net worth of about $120 billion, the groom’s dad is among the wealthiest people in Asia and the 11th-richest person in the world. Bride Radhika Merchant, also 29, is the daughter of Shaila Merchant and Viren Merchant. According to the Times of India, Radhika’s parents have an estimated net worth of approximately $90 million.
Rihanna’s performance at first pre-wedding event
Months after their engagement ceremony, the couple made headlines in March 2024 when singer Rihanna took a break from her eight-year hiatus to perform at their pre-wedding celebration in the family’s hometown.
The 1,200-guest list included Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and current and former prime ministers of Canada.
A glass palace
The Ambanis hosted guests in a custom-built glass house for the first pre-wedding event. The night’s theme was “An Evening of Everland,” and a light show featured more than 5,000 drones.
Four-day European cruise
After the festivities in March, the Ambanis set off in May on a multi-day Mediterranean cruise with friends and family for a second pre-wedding celebration. “It was a retreat for the people who have contributed to our life in different ways,” said the bride, Merchant. The cruise’s events began in Palermo, Sicily, on May 29, with a lavish welcome lunch for all invited. The next two days saw the family and their guests cruise through Rome and Cannes before their final stop in Portofino on June 1. Grammy-winning musicians Katy Perry, The Backstreet Boys, Shakira and Andrea Bocelli performed.
The temple-themed wedding invitation
If you think Lagosians are over-the-top with wedding invites that come with customised champagne bottles, then you’ll have a hard time processing the Ambanis’ wedding invite.
A video on social media shows the wedding invite as a huge red box. The box opens to reveal a small silver temple accompanied by the sound of Hindu mantras. The temple features gold idols of different Hindu gods. The invitation itself includes different access cards for each wedding function.
Justin Bieber performs at the Sangeet
After pulling the likes of Rihanna, Akon, Andrea Bocelli, and Katy Perry for previous pre-wedding events, the couple topped the list with a Justin Bieber performance at their sangeet (welcome party) on July 5.
The main wedding location
The final wedding festivities held at the Jio World Centre, an 18.5-acre business and cultural centre in Mumbai owned by the Ambanis.
The wedding itself
The grand finale — the Ambanis’ wedding weekend—lasted from July 12 to 14. About 2,000 guests gathered to celebrate the couple, with performances from Nigeria’s Rema and “Despacito” hitmaker Luis Fonsi, among others.
Guests at the final wedding ceremony included India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Bollywood stars such as Anil Kapoor and Janhvi Kapoor; Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas; Kim and Khloe Kardashian; and John Cena.
Expensive gifts for groomsmen
The groom reportedly commissioned 25 special edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar watches as gifts for his groomsmen. These 18K rose gold timepieces have a sapphire crystal back and a Grande Tapisserie pattern. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, one of the groomsmen, was seen wearing one of the watches.
While it’s safe to say the celebrations are pretty much over, the couple might pull yet another trick for their honeymoon.
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