All eyes were on Jamnagar the past weekend as the world's billionaires and millionaires descended upon the small city in the western state of Gujrat for the pre-wedding events of Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani's son Anant Ambani with Radhika Merchant.
Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Ivanka Trump were just a few of the big names that were part of the celebrations, spread over a period of three days. The weekend also saw Rihanna perform a full concert for the first time in years to an audience of almost 1200 people, with videos of her act going viral across the world.
In case you missed the grand wedding or just want a summary of what went down, here's a look at the highlights.
Rihanna performs full concert
Rihanna, 36, took to the stage to perform a full concert for the first time since 2016 on Friday in Jamnagar. Videos posted on social media provided glimpses at Rihanna's show, which included renditions of her hits "Umbrella" and "Stay."
For her performance attire, the "Lift Me Up" Grammy-winning musician wore Dolce & Gabbana, donning an Alta Sartoria silk coat embroidered in gold thread and crystals, according to a press release from the Italian fashion house.
Speaking to fans in India, Rihanna said the show was "the best," according to a clip shared on TikTok. "I haven't done a real show in eight years," she noted.
Star-studded guest list
While it is not possible to name all 1,200+ people on the guest list, key names include tech giants Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates with their partners Priscilla Chan and Paula Hurd and CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink. Ivanka Trump and sister-in-law supermodel Karlie Kloss were also on guestlist and were spotted enjoying the celebrations.
Mohammed Bin Jassim al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar; Stephen Harper, former Canadian prime minister; and Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema were also wedding guests at the event, according to the Associated Press.
Top Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame, his daughter Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor also attended the celebrations with their families. Legends from world of cricket including former captains of the Indian Cricket Team M.S. Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar were also among the guests.
Bespoke designer dresses and jewels
Versace. Chanel. Alexander McQueen. Louboutin. Miss Sohee were just some of the designers that were spotted at the three-day festivities, rivaling the Paris Fashion Week, which was taking place the same weekend. Top Indian designers including Manish Malhotra (who dressed Ivanka Trump), Anamika Khanna, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Tarun Tahiliani and Sabyasachi also featured on the red carpet and Instagram pages, giving fashion inspo for years to come.
The bride herself donned one gorgeous outfit after another, including a custom Versace piece that was a rendition of the one made for Blake Lively for when she co-chaired the Met Gala in 2022. That outfit was later put on display in London's Kensington Palace for an exhibit on fashion.
In another instance, Merchant wore a beaded Ashish Gupta ensemble that was displayed at the William Morris Gallery in London as part of his retrospective.
Not only the dresses but the jewelry was also a sight to behold, with the groom's family decked up in emeralds, diamonds and gold.
Starry performances
Rihanna was not the only musician who entertained guests over the weekend. Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh also had the audience going wild as he performed as did Akon. Popular Indian singers Arijit Singh, Shreya Gosal and Lucky Ali also serenaded the crowd.
Bollywood actors also took to the stage to dance to Indian wedding songs. A major moment was when the "three Khans" of Bollywood performed together to the Oscar-winning song "Nattu Nattu" from director S.S. Rajamouli’s Indian action epic “RRR”.
Jungle escape
One of the weekend activities was getting up close with the wildlife at Vantara, Anant's wildlife preservation project. The center, which aims to become the world's largest zoo and rehabilitation center, according to the Times of India, spans 3,000 acres within Reliance's Jamnagar Refinery Complex. Vantara, which means 'Star Of The Forest,' also houses the world's largest elephant hospital.
Guests were asked to wear jungle-themed outfits for the tour and were given audio-guide systems to connect with the animals.
“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,” Merchant told Vogue.
“I recognize that this is a privilege few people experience, and I truly feel blessed,” Merchant said. “I hope that our wedding will bring global attention to Vantara, the largest animal rehabilitation center in the world, a project that my husband and I hold very close in our hearts.”
Who are Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant?
Anant Ambani, 28, is the youngest son of Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, the head of Indian conglomerate Reliance, and his wife Nita Ambani. A graduate of Brown University, Anant is a director at Reliance's energy businesses, which range from fossil fuels to developing solar panel manufacturing, according to BBC News.
Radhika, 29, is the daughter of Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare, a renowned pharmaceutical firm. She is a graduate of New York University and serves as a director in her family company.
The couple got engaged in a traditional ceremony at Anant's Mumbai residence in January 2023. Their wedding is scheduled to take place in July this year.
What is the Mukesh Ambani's net worth?
Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, has a net worth of $83.4 billion according to Forbes, making him the 9th richest person in the world.
Pictures from Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding events
Contributing: Brendan Morrow and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @saman_shafiq7.
