Oddly Obsessed With The Ambani Wedding: Why We Can’t Take Our Eyes Off Anant-Radhika’s Wedding

Private performances by Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. A guest list including top Bollywood celebrities and Silicon Valley billionaires. A lavish display of grand jewels. A fashion fiesta, featuring custom creations by the world’s most renowned designers. An Italian cruise with a masquerade ball.

The most awaited wedding of the year is finally happening. All of the above and more have been part of pre-wedding celebrations for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Anant Ambani, son of billionaire business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, is set to tie the knot with his fiance Radhika at another star-studded event scheduled between July 12-14, 2024.

Everything about this wedding, from the two pre-wedding celebrations to the multiple parties leading up to the big day, has grabbed the attention and made headlines. The outfits, the guests, the performances, and more have been the talk of the town for months. Kim Kardashian is reportedly among the guests attending the wedding! The most important aspect has been its sheer opulence and grandiosity.

This is the third Ambani wedding and like the previous two, it is marked by distinguished grandeur. However, this wedding has many far-reaching consequences, including setting the tone for the upcoming wedding season.

A report by Jefferies, an investment bank and financial services company, said that India is the largest wedding destination globally, typically hosting around 8-10 million weddings each year. The Ambani wedding further proves how much Indians obsess over weddings, whether it's their own or those of celebrities.

We decode everything about this mega-wedding and why we can’t take our eyes off it.

This is our series Oddly Obsessed, where we try to decode whacky Internet trends, sensations, and pop culture phenomena that the world can’t seem to get enough of.

The Grandiosity of Ambani Weddings

The Ambani wedding is marked by extravagance and luxury, reflecting the wealth of the Ambani family.

Key highlights include exclusive performances by stars like Justin Bieber, The Backstreet Boys, Rihanna, and Katy Perry at various pre-wedding events. Rihanna’s performance at the March event marked her second appearance in six years.

From March 1-3, 2024, around 1200 guests attended the initial pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar. The guest list included names like Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and Mark Zuckerberg.

On the grand finale, 5000 drones illuminated the sky for a spectacular light show. In May, another round of celebrations took place with approximately 1200 guests enjoying a four-day cruise in Italy.Fashion was at the forefront of all the events. During the Jamnagar celebrations, Radhika wore a custom pink Versace gown originally made for Blake Lively and became popular when worn by Lively at the 2022 Met Gala. During the celebrations in Italy, Nita Ambani was seen in a custom gown by Oscar De La Renta. On the sangeet day, the groom’s sister, and Mukesh Ambani’s daughter, Isha Ambani wore a custom Schiaparelli couture sari, a first-of-its-kind creation by the luxury designer.

The pomp and show have been consistent features of previous Ambani weddings too. In 2018, during Isha's wedding, the pre-wedding extravaganza featured a performance by Beyoncé. The following year, in 2019, in Akash’s pre-wedding festivities in Switzerland, performers included The Chainsmokers and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. All the events are always star-studded, typically attended by Bollywood A-listers and many other prominent figures.

Apart from the performances and fashion, the events are also marked by over-the-top invites and lavish decorations.

The Ambani Wedding: Indians Spending on Weddings Isn’t New

The ripple effect of the Ambani wedding is expected to be felt throughout the upcoming wedding season, which typically begins around November and goes on till February in India.

The Indian wedding industry has flourished since the pandemic, with an estimated value of $130 billion. This makes it nearly twice the size of America's wedding industry, though smaller than China's. According to a report by Jefferies, an average Indian wedding costs approximately ₹12.5 lakhs which is more than three times the average annual household income. It’s also twice the expenditure on education (from pre-primary to graduation) for the children.

Indian weddings have become increasingly lavish while trying to keep the cultural ethos and traditions in place. The Jefferies report also highlighted that the average expenditure for a luxury wedding is usually estimated between Rs 2-3 crore.

“This trend of lavish weddings is indeed on the rise in India, driven by increasing disposable incomes and a cultural emphasis on grand celebrations. On average, clients in the upper echelons can spend anywhere from several lakhs to crores of rupees on weddings, with the expenditure often seen as a reflection of social status and family prestige,” said Prerana Agarwal Saxena, Founder and CEO, Theme Weavers Designs and WedEase. She along with her agency, plans and executes weddings across the country.

Although the Ambani family hasn’t confirmed the exact cost of the wedding, estimates suggest it’s around Rs 11-13 billion. Among the performers, Justin Bieber was rumoured to have been paid around $10 million and Rihanna about $7 million. During an evening event in Portofino on the Italian Riviera, the main square was closed to the public as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed for guests during the European holiday.

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During Isha Ambani’s wedding, the family reportedly spent around Rs 830 crores, with each invite priced at Rs three lakhs.

Weddings Showcase Status Symbol, Societal Standing, and Emotions

Weddings in India are treated as a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, and thus incorporate many days of splendour and festivity.

“Weddings are a significant social event, and spending on them is often viewed as a reflection of one's status and wealth,” said Prerana Agarwal Saxena, Founder and CEO, of WedEase.

In a more philanthropic move, the Ambanis also executed a ‘mass wedding’, in the run-up to Radhika and Anant’s wedding. On July 2, 2024, the family organised a ‘Samuhik Vivah,’ in Palghar, approximately 96 kilometres away from Mumbai where more than 50 underprivileged couples were invited to attend and get married. They received gifts ranging from gold ornaments to a year's supply of groceries.

In typical Indian households, Parents often start saving for their children’s weddings soon after they’re born, almost as ardently as they save for their education. Over the years, the grandeur has only increased, with destination weddings, pre-wedding photoshoots in exotic locations, expensive wedding films, and lavish party favours becoming industry trends.

Another aspect of grand weddings is the efforts that establish the societal relevance of the family.

“There is also a social component where families feel like matching or exceeding the grandeur of weddings within their social circles, creating a cycle of escalating expenses. Ultimately, it's a mix of genuine celebration, societal expectations, and the desire to showcase their prosperity,” Prerana added.

However, at the heart of weddings still lie deep emotions. Weddings are seen as an event that the family anticipates and plans for over the years. This sentiment is particularly true for Indian parents, who bear the majority of wedding expenses.

“Indian parents want to put in as much money as possible, which is why the wedding industry is one of the biggest in the country,” said Harshita Anand, co-founder of Soko Weddings. She documents weddings as a cinematographer and photographer.

She also highlights that she observes parents insisting on funding their children’s weddings. “The emotional value attached to it makes parents put their heart into their children’s weddings and very few couples we meet are self-funding their weddings because parents want to fund it,” she said.

The Ambani Wedding Brings Global Attention to India

Justin Bieber shared multiple photos and reels from the wedding.

TikTok (a platform banned in India) has creators discussing the ‘billionaire’s wedding in India’. Attendees spanned everyone from celebrity stylist Law Roach to Meta CEO Zuckerberg. The wedding has already garnered significant attention in India.

“High-profile guests, including international celebrities and business magnates, ensure extensive media coverage worldwide. This not only highlights Indian culture and traditions but also showcases the country's growing economic prowess. The grandeur of such events often becomes a talking point in global conversations, emphasising India's status as a land of vibrant celebrations and deep-rooted traditions,” said Prerna, from Wedease.

Vismay Chokshi, Managing Director of Eternity by Trinity, a company specialising in end-to-end wedding planning, highlighted the broader implications of the event. He stated, “Attention from global media, the presence of international guests, and the involvement of renowned global brands in the planning and execution highlight India's prominence as a destination for grand celebrations. This not only promotes tourism but also enhances India's reputation in the luxury events and hospitality sectors.”

Why Are We So Obsessed With The Ambani Wedding?

The wedding is all over social media, TV bulletins, and headlines. Anyone unaware of updates on Ambani’s wedding must be living under a rock.

“The media plays a significant role in creating and sustaining the buzz, providing extensive coverage of every aspect of the event. The presence of Bollywood celebrities and other high-profile guests adds a touch of glamour and excitement,” said Vismay Chokshi, from Eternity by Trinity.

Fashion critics on print, digital, and social media can’t stop decoding the looks of celebrities in different festivities. Whether it's Radhika’s real-flower dupatta from her Haldi look, or Nita Ambani’s white toga and gilded brass double brooch by Schiaparelli, fashion has been a major talking point of the wedding.

One reason we can’t look away is the hype surrounding it. Even though India hosts a fair share of big, fat weddings, this one stands in a league of its own. Another factor is the list of attendees, who are newsmakers themselves.

Indians have a deep love for weddings and are equally obsessed with other celebrity weddings. The same hype surrounded the closely guarded weddings of Ranbir-Alia in 2022, Virat-Anushka in 2017, Priyanka-Nick and Deepika-Ranveer in 2018.

Harshita from Soko Weddings associated this with our love for real-life love stories. “People ship couples from a young age. Weddings bring people joy,” she said.

The Ambani wedding extravaganza is the epitome of opulence and grandeur. The couture gowns, glass castles, and masquerade ball are only a part of a grander memory that’ll keep reminding guests and onlookers alike that in their world, fairy tales do come true—even if just for a fleeting moment.