Months of pre-weddings in cities around the world, VIP guests, appearances by Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry… The wedding of Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest man, took place this weekend in a grand manner. .

They got married and had lots of kids… But before that, they threw a pre-wedding party with Rihanna, a European cruise with Katy Perry and the Backstreet Boys, a three-day party with Kim Kardashian and spent millions of dollars.

The wedding of Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani – Asia’s 11th richest man, ranked 123 billion dollars (113 billion euros) in the world by Forbes – to his fiancée Radhika Merchant has been the subject of much fanfare for months. The traditional Hindu celebration, held July 12-14 in Bombay, was just the latest in a series of extravagant parties attended by the entire Hollywood and Bollywood set-up.

The celebration started four months ago

It all started on March 1, with the first pre-wedding party in Jamnagar, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The celebration lasted three days and the dress code was “jungle fever,” according to Reuters.

The bride's mother-in-law, to her surprise, built a glass palace reminiscent of the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a place the young woman frequented when she was a student in New York, according to ModeThere is also a small train to transport guests and a show of 5,500 drones, the largest drone show ever held in India.

Rihanna, the surprise guest

The guest list for the first night was a who’s who of big names, worthy of Mukesh Ambani’s growing wealth and power: Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg, the boss of Meta, Ivanka Trump, daughter of the former President of the United States, and Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, made the trip.

But the highlight was Rihanna's private concert. The star hasn't been seen on stage since her impressive Super Bowl halftime show in February 2023. And Barbados hasn't performed in concert for 8 years. On stage, surrounded by dancers and wearing a long yellow dress, she sang about twenty of her hits, such as Work, Umbrella, All lights Or This bitch better take my moneyfacing 1,200 “happy few.” The $9 million sum would allow the singer to come out of retirement.

While the prestigious guests were captured by press agencies, not a single photo of Rihanna's performance was leaked. Only a few videos spread on social networks showing the singer on stage.

Note: This isn’t the first time the Ambanis have tapped an American pop superstar. In December 2018, Anant Ambani’s older sister Isha was treated to a Beyoncé concert for her bridal shower, which was attended by former US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry.

Cruises in the Mediterranean

After that first wedding, the festivities continued in May, with a four-day Mediterranean cruise from Palermo, Sicily. Once again, 1,200 guests took part in the voyage, which was designed as “a retreat for people who have contributed to our lives in different ways,” as Merchant told Vogue.

The bride-to-be attended a surprise Backstreet Boys concert wearing a chiffon gown printed with the first love letter her fiancé wrote her.

After a day in Rome, it was David Guetta who performed on the second night. The third day spent in Cannes was punctuated by a masquerade ball at the Château de la Croix des Gardes, which we find in the Alfred Hitchcock film, Hand collarThe night ended with a concert by Katy Perry and her timeless hits. Fireworkfollowed by a second concert by rapper Pitbull.

For the final night in Portofino, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed. He sang I can't help but fall in love as good as I found my love in Portofino.

Then, on July 5 in Bombay, the bride and groom held a “sangeet,” a night of music and dancing. There, Justin Bieber performed his hits. Excuse me, Love yourself And Where are you nowThe Canadian singer, who reportedly received $10 million for her performances, posted a photo of herself with the couple on her Instagram account.

Good conclusion

Finally, the wedding itself arrived. The three-day celebration kicked off on Friday, July 12 in Mumbai. The day was marked by a formal ceremony at the World Convention Center in Mumbai, a 16,000-seat convention center owned by the Ambanis, followed by a party. Unsurprisingly, the guest list was a red carpet affair, with Indian film stars such as Arjun Kapoor and Salman Khan among the guests.

The couple formed by American actor-singer Nick Jonas and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who made their careers in their home country before continuing their activities in the United States (most notably with the series Quantico) were also present.

Sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian also made the trip. They were presented with bouquets of flowers by staff at their luxury hotel. Kim shared an Instagram story showing her car being swarmed by Indian photographers shortly after her arrival.

American actor John Cena also took part in the celebrations, as did many global leaders (such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino) and politicians; former British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair took part in the photocall.

The celebration continues this Saturday at the convention center: the most famous guests, from all over the world, will greet and congratulate the newlyweds.