Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani’s wedding isn’t until July—but the celebrations are already very much underway.
It began with the couple’s grand hastakshar in March, which was held at Ambanis’ home in Jamnagar, Gujarat. And in May, it continued with a four-day cruise that made multiple stops throughout the Mediterranean.
“It was a retreat for the people that have contributed to our life in different ways,” Radhika Merchant says of the event. The 1,200-person guest list included their friends and family, as well as employees at the Ambani family company Reliance Industries; the Merchant family company of Encore Healthcare; and Anant’s animal sanctuary Vantara. Even the family’s doctors were on board. “We had people from the ages of six months going up to 90 years,” Radhika says.
When it came to deciding on a location for the event, the couple quickly settled on Europe, as many of their guests—including Radhika’s family and many of their close friends from studying in America—were unable to make it to their hastakshar in India due to the distance. Meanwhile, they chose a cruise ship as the venue after struggling to find a destination that could accommodate such a large group.
The cruise’s events began in Palermo, Sicily, with a welcome lunch. At night, as they sailed up the Italian coast, the Ambanis held a starry-night-themed formal party.
For the first event, Radhika wore a gown designed by Robert Wun. Printed on the chiffon was a love letter that Anant wrote to her when she was 22. “He wrote me this long letter for my birthday about what I mean to him,” Radhika says. “I wanted it for posterity—I want to be able to show it to my kids and grandkids, and say that ‘this is what our love was.’” As the night grew later, the Backstreet Boys did a surprise concert.
After spending the next day in Rome, the Ambanis held a toga party back on deck. Radhika and Anant, who met during their college years, wanted a throwback to that time in their life: banners from their respective universities of NYU and Brown hung from the ceiling and David Guetta played a DJ set.
Radhika wore a custom “toga” designed by emerging New York–based designer Grace Ling, who attended Parsons School of Design around the same time Radhika attended NYU—which the bride-to-be saw as a fitting nod to her downtown Manhattan days. It featured an aerospace aluminium breastplate, made to mimic drapery, that the designer 3D-carved, sculpted, and then 3D-printed. It took more than 30 artisans to complete. “I want people to see couture coming from America, New York, as well, not just from Europe,” the designer tells Vogue. “She is an amazing, amazing person at her craft,” Radhika adds of Ling. Meanwhile, the groom’s mother, Nita Ambani, opted for a design by Schiaparelli.
On the third day of the cruise, they docked in Cannes for a masquerade ball at Château de la Croix des Gardes, planned by event producer The Isle of You. (The grand home was famously featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film To Catch a Thief.) For the formal affair, Radhika chose a custom Versace dress with blue shades to match the color of the Côte d’Azur water, with help from her stylist Shaleena Nathani. She and the Versace atelier worked for a year to complete the dress. “I wanted it to just be romantic and young,” she says.
On her neck was a rare blue opal surrounded by diamonds by Lorraine Schwartz. The necklace is a symbolic one: Opal is her birthstone and diamonds are his. She put on a bridal fascinator to serve as her “mask,” and Anant joined her in custom Dolce & Gabbana.
The pinnacle of the evening? A performance by Katy Perry. As she sang “Firework,” real-life fireworks went off in the sky above the chateau. However, the night was far from over: As guests reboarded, a second concert by Pitbull began.
The final night of celebrations took place in Portofino. The Ambanis took over the main square and transformed it into an open-air market complete with food stalls. Event planner Vincenzo Dascanio oversaw the event design and florals, where tomatoes and Vespas served as la dolce vita decor accents.
Radhika wore a rare piece of fashion history for the occasion: an archival Yves Saint Laurent for Dior dress, sourced by stylist Mimi Cuttrell. “It seems like a simple dress, but if you look at the seams and the construction, you’ll see how detailed it really is,” she says.
As the sun set, legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed. He sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as well as “I Found My Love in Portofino.” At one point, his son Matteo joined him on stage. “It was just the most magical evening,” Radhika says. “I had goosebumps.”
And there are several more high-profile happenings to come. There will be multiple pujas (a prayer ritual for good luck) as well as a traditional sangeet ceremony over the next few weeks. Then, there are all the events surrounding the wedding itself. Radhika says the planning for it all is “going great.”
“I’m very excited to be married,” she adds.
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Before our first event aboard the cruise—“A Starry Night.” My Robert Wu dress had a love letter Anant wrote me when we first started dating printed on the chiffon.
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Sharing a moment together before receiving guests for the first event.
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The Backstreet Boys performing.
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Our siblings and their friends just went wild.
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Bollywood actor Ananya Pandey posing with AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys.
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Exiting the Backstreet Boys concert and making an entrance to the after-party.
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Alongside my soon-to-be mother-in-law, Nita Ambani, at the after-party.
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Laughing on the first night of our pre-wedding.
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En route to the second night’s toga party concert wearing Grace Ling.
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The decor for the toga party.
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Nita Ambani looking beautiful in her Schiaparelli toga.
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Nita Ambani sharing a moment with Anant.
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David Guetta performed on the cruise—a throwback to our college days.
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Smiling as David Guetta plays on.
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Château de la Croix des Gardes in Cannes, where we held a masquerade ball.
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The night was planned with help from event producer The Isle of You.
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Arriving on land wearing Versace and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. The necklace includes blue opal (my birthstone) and diamonds (Anant’s birthstone.)
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Performers greeted guests as they walked in.
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Oranges as table decor.
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Foodlink, the caterer, served a tomato soufflé.
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Nita and Mukesh Ambani arriving at the masquerade ball.
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Waiters passing Champagne through the hedges.
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Posing with my parents, Shaila and Viren Merchant.
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My soon to be sister-in-law, Isha Ambani, at the chateau.
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Bollywood actor, Shanaya Kapoor, poses at the masquerade ball.
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Isha Ambani and Law Roach.
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I wore a bridal fascinator as my mask.
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Taking a picture with designer Manish Malhotra and Karisma Kapoor and Karan Johar.
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A magical moment together in Cannes.
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A birds-eye view of the party.
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Orhan “Orry” Awatramani wearing his mask.
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Shikhar Pahariya and Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor.
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Katy Perry performing on stage at the masquerade ball.
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Dancing to Katy Perry.
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Her energy is phenomenal.
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Fireworks went off as Katy Perry played her song “Firework.”
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After the party in Cannes, Pitbull performed back on the cruise.
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Portofino, where the final event of the cruise was held.
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En route to the final event wearing archival Dior by Yves Saint Laurent.
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The decor and set up in Portofino, where guests saw Andrea Bocelli perform. I had goosebumps.
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Food stalls for the concert.
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Vincenzo Dascanio did the florals for our Portofino event.
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Together in Portofino.
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More decor details.
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Mukesh Ambani and Isha Ambani walking through the port.
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Smiling in Italy.
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An arrangement of tomatoes.
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Shloka Ambani, Isha Ambani, and my sister Anjali Merchant making a toast.
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Andrea Bocelli and Matteo Bocelli take the stage.
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Father and son sang “Perfect Symphony."
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Portofino on the final night of our pre-wedding.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.