All eyes were on Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant on Friday as they finally tied the knot in what looked like the world’s most lavish wedding.
But only a lucky few were able to watch the celebrations, estimated to cost around £250m, from inside the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
One of them is gemstone wholesaler and influencer Julia Hackman Chafe from New York, who landed an invite to the star-studded grand ceremony as a date for Indian internet personality Orry.
The influencer flew to India’s largest city to watch the son of the country’s richest man marry his pharmaceutical heiress girlfriend, after months of extravagant celebrations and pre-wedding festivities.
Taking to Tik Tok Taking to Instagram, the influencer has given the internet a glimpse of the wedding festivities, ceremony and dinner, claiming it was “the most beautiful ceremony… ever.”
Influencer Julia Hackman Chafe has shared a glimpse inside Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s lavish wedding online (pictured is the ceremony)
The influencer attended the event dressed in a lengha by designer Manish Malhotra and wearing jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz, the jewelry designer behind Meghan Markle’s pinky ring valued at $62,000 and made with “diamonds donated from the Middle East.”
Banners and bright lights lined the entrance for Julia and the other VIP guests as they entered the venue.
A table full of luxurious treats, including macaroons and flowers, awaited guests when they arrived. The table itself was so lavish that Julia wondered, “Am I Alice in Wonderland?”
It wasn’t long before she bumped into stars including John Cena, actress Priyanka Chopra and her singer husband Nick Jonas, Bollywood producer and actor Salman Khan and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was “just chilling out”, according to Julia.
The influencer captured the baraat, Anant’s arrival at the wedding venue on a white horse, as per Indian wedding tradition. “Seeing Anat in person for the first time (is) surreal,” she said.
The groom danced with guests after their arrival as multicoloured confetti fell from the ceiling in a moment Julia described as “pure magic”.
The guests sat down for the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony. Julia said: “We then sat down for the wedding ceremony, the most beautiful ceremony I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing.”
The bride made her grand entrance on a wooden electric boat moving on a track, before Anant and Radhika exchanged vows beneath a grand altar with white domes. “Pure beauty,” Julia explained.
Julia shared a snap of the brightly coloured dining room (pictured) and said: “So much beauty in such a short time.”
The New York gemstone retailer and influencer (pictured) landed an invite as a guest for Indian internet personality Orry
Guests enjoyed a shop selling lassi, an Indian yogurt-based drink, at the 16,000-seat venue (pictured)
The groom’s mother, Nita Ambani, 60, ended the ceremony by reading a poem about the value of daughters.
Julia explained: “Nita then gave a speech about the value of daughters that really touched my heart. She is the very definition of elegance… and intelligence.”
The influencer concluded: “The love in the room was palpable. It was a very beautiful ceremony.”
After the ceremony, guests explored the luxurious surroundings, which included a lassi shop and an antique store. “We are in a magical world,” Julia said.
It wasn’t long before guests hit the dance floor to celebrate the newlyweds with dancing and live performances.
Anant Ambani, left, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, holds hands with Radhika Merchant during their wedding ceremony at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India, Friday, July 12, 2024.
The bride, Radhika Merchant, 29, is pictured in her luxurious wedding dress, known as a lengha.
The bride smiled for the camera in her glamorous wedding dress before marrying the son of India’s richest man.
The glamorous and long-awaited event is reported to have cost around £250 million, not taking into account the couple’s estimated £100 million pile-on of luxury wedding gifts and the reception of several of the world’s most iconic celebrities.
The latest images from the wedding scenes show the bride draped in a cream and red Indian wedding dress, called a lengha, adorned with jewels and a beaded headscarf, as she holds the hand of her new husband, Anant.
The happy groom was pictured smiling at his new wife while wearing a red beaded jacket, called a nehru, as the couple tied the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the 16,000-capacity Jio World Convention Centre owned by Ambani.
Police reportedly closed roads around the venue ahead of the star-studded wedding bash on Friday afternoon.
Anant Ambani (left), the son of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, married Radhika Merchant (right), the daughter of a wealthy pharmaceutical tycoon, in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Mumbai this afternoon.
The happy groom arrived at his wedding wearing an opulently designed jacket, believed to be called a nehru, along with a pair of crisp white trousers.
Along with the flamboyant jacket, Anant wore a pair of stylish white trousers and a pair of sneakers with a flamboyant golden logo.
Earlier in the day, she posed alongside her proud parents, Reliance Industries CEO Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, chairperson of the Reliance Foundation.
The Ambani family and a list of Bollywood stars were among the first guests photographed on the lavish pink carpet at the grand wedding.
Among the A-list guests who travelled to Mumbai for what could be India’s biggest wedding this year were Kim and Khloe Kardashian, John Cena and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Justin Bieber performed at a pre-wedding party for invited guests known as ‘Sangeet’ and was paid £7million, while sources say Adele, Drake or Lana Del Rey will provide entertainment at a reception on Sunday night.
Ambani, 67, who is listed by Forbes as the world’s ninth richest man with a fortune of £100bn, has already gifted the couple a luxurious £62m villa on Dubai’s Palm Jumeriah, which spreads over 3,000 sq ft, has ten bedrooms and comes with its own private beach.
The couple also received a Bentley Continental GTC Speed worth 500,000 pounds and a dazzling array of bespoke jewellery and clothing worth millions of pounds.
Ambani’s glamorous wife Nita, 60, gifted her daughter-in-law a stunning pearl and diamond choker, valued at an estimated £10m, which is just one of dozens of multi-million-dollar pieces custom-made for her. Anant received a Cartier brooch worth £2m.
Skilled weavers in India have spent the past few months creating a series of rare silk saris with gold and silver thread worth more than £100,000 each.
