On Thursday, Vogue released images and details of the lavish event that lasted from May 29 to June 1 and took place on the Celebrity Ascent cruise ship.
The first night of the festivities featured a “Starry Night” themed party, where Radhika wore a black and white gown designed by Hong Kong-born Robert Wun. This custom-made gown had a skirt printed with excerpts from a love letter Anant wrote to Radhika for her 22nd birthday.
“He wrote me this long letter for my birthday about what I mean to him,” Radhika shared with Vogue. “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.’”
The following day, as the yacht docked in Rome, guests explored the city before an evening event themed “A Roman Holiday.”
For this, Radhika wore a custom-made gown by Singapore-born designer Grace Ling, featuring an armor-like bodice paired with a soft skirt, reflecting Roman fashion.
On the third day, the celebrations moved to the Château de la Croix des Gardes in Cannes, where the “Le Masquerade” (The Masquerade) themed party took place.
Here, Radhika appeared in a Versace gown with a diamond-studded bodice and a large blue skirt.
She accessorized with a diamond-encrusted necklace by Lorraine Schwartz, as reported by Tatler magazine.
The cruise then hit Portofino, Italy, where the town’s main square was transformed into an outdoor fair, where Radhika donned a pink Dior dress from the archives.
The Celebrity Ascent, the cruise ship hosting the event, reportedly cost around $900 million and features 32 restaurants, bars, lounges, a rooftop garden, a casino, a spa, multiple pools, and a theater, according to Daily Mail.
Throughout Anant and Radhika’s pre-wedding festivities, the cruise journeyed 4,380 kilometers from Italy to southern France, making stops in major cities like Rome, Portofino, Genoa, and Cannes.
The event was attended by over 1,200 guests, comprising family and friends of the couple.
The Times of India noted that the festivities, which followed earlier celebrations in Jamnagar, India, in March, had an estimated cost of 12 billion rupees (US$144 million), with the earlier celebrations reportedly costing 120 million pounds (US$153.6 million).
Reports indicate that Radhika will wear a haute couture gown by Australian designer Tamara Ralph from her eponymous label for her July wedding to Anant.
Anant, 28, is the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani who leads the Reliance Industries conglomerate with annual revenues of US$110 billion.
Forbes estimated Mukesh Ambani’s net worth at US$115.8 billion as of June 14, positioning him as the richest person in Asia and the 11th richest globally.
Radhika, 29, is the daughter of Shri Viren Merchant, CEO of Encore Healthcare.
Both are alumni of American universities.
