Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding

I don't know these people, had never heard of them, but when I saw the photos I thought how fantastic they all looked, I love the clothes and jewellery and the whole look. I would love to have a sari, although don't think I would ever have an occasion to wear it.
Upon thinking about it, and knowing there is poverty in India, yes, I think it is a little over the top. But it's really up to them to have the wedding of their choice.
I really is an extraordinary contrast to my own wedding in 1958. Four people were with us in the Registry office, and the reception was coffee and biscuits on a train.

maddyone

Sparklefizz

Carrie Johnson looked sensational.

She did, she looked absolutely stunning, but she’s a young, pretty woman with a fantastic figure --and I’ve no idea what she sees in Boris.--

Carrie did look lovely.

Cherie and Tony looked just right, and Tony showed Boris just how to achieve the right look without going over-the-top.

None of that changes my views on this obscene display of wealth in a country with millions living in such extreme poverty.

I think Justn Bieber's luggage must have gone missing en route. He turned up in his underclothes and a pair of too-large jeans he must have borrowed.
He made Boris look well-dressed.

Oh dear, is that misandry?
We'll be in The Guardian next!

All that wealth and this is the best you can come up with for the family home.
Little man big dog springs to mind.

I wouldn't expect our ex politicians to feel the slightest shame.

They celebrated the opening of yet another food bank by roping off a section and stuffing their faces with goodies.

The couple who are marrying, I've not heard of, or seen, and I intend to keep it that way.

Callistemon213

I'm being judgemental but I don't care!!

I agree with you Callistemon.
Lovely as all the ladies looked, my first thought when I read about this wedding was about the poverty in India. I didn’t actually realise quite how much wealth this family have, until someone upthread pointed out the billions, I forget how many. I said in my first post that I dislike this ostentatious wedding. The couple could have had a beautiful wedding for a fraction of the cost. But then, so could our royals.

Anant's parents paid about 320 million for the wedding whereas Charles and Diana's wedding only cost about 110 million.

Sparklefizz

Carrie Johnson looked sensational.

She did, she looked absolutely stunning, but she’s a young, pretty woman with a fantastic figure and I’ve no idea what she sees in Boris.

I'm being judgemental but I don't care!!

Just stating a fact Iam64 - not passing judgement as I have no opinion either way.
To each, their own

How did the groom's family make his billions I wondered?

The petrochemical industry
His oil refinery in the western town of Jamnagar is the largest in the world.
BBC News

Oh, the hypocrisy of our ex-politicians.

But, of course, they all need to support the petrochemical industries to keep their private jets in the air.
Just as long as they don't start to lecture me about my carbon footprint for taking one flight in five years (economy class).

olddog

Just because they are all about show and greed, it doesn't mean we ordinary people can't be kind.

No, it doesn't olddog and many of us are.
We can't right the wrongs of the world, we can only do our bit.

Anyone with that kind of wealth could do so much more.

Aveline

Sounds like they were sharing wealth with lots of underprivileged couples and families. That was nice to hear about

It means nothing to them, Aveline
Crumbs from their table.

petra

Macadia

A new word for me: Bhandara. I just learned about all of the free meals given to the surrounding community for days: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/non-stop-bhandara-at-antilia-continues-large-hearted-anant-ambani-ensures-a-celebration-for-all/articleshow/111761125.cms

I like that tradition !

How gracious of them.
With a fraction of their wealth they could feed and house every homeless and hungry person in India.
The grooms father is worth 221 billion dollars
Just in case some don’t understand how big one billion is this will explain.
One million seconds is 11 days.
One * billion* seconds is 31 years
The father has 221 billion
Obscene 😡

When I heard about this on another thread, I posted this:

How utterly nauseating and sickening.
Ostentatious, obscene wealth.

The challenges faced by slum children in India include abuse, neglect, exploitation, poor socio-economic conditions, lack of protective environment, and health problems like malnutrition.

About 7.8 million children, accounting for 6.07%, live in urban slums. Children living in slums are 1.3 times likely to suffer from diarrhoea than those in non-slum areas. About 300 million people living in urban India face exclusion from essential health services and other services like safe drinking water, sanitation, education, and access to essential services and most often their births or deaths are not registered. Children are prone to diseases and disasters.

I feel sick just reading about that family and their six month wedding celebrations.

Geaciously doling out a few free meals to the starving means nothing to them and hardly dents their vast wealth.

Our ex-politicians should be ashamed of themselves.

Aveline

Sounds like they were sharing wealth with lots of underprivileged couples and families. That was nice to hear about

I wonder how much of this so called largess these little mites received.

Aveline

Sounds like they were sharing wealth with lots of underprivileged couples and families. That was nice to hear about

Is that a tongue in cheek comment? If it wasn’t I don’t think the homeless and starving in Mumbai know anything about it.

Thankyou Macadia - very interesting.

She was a lovely bride. I’m sure India must have the highest percentage in the world of beautiful women.

Sounds like they were sharing wealth with lots of underprivileged couples and families. That was nice to hear about

Carrie Johnson looked sensational.

The wedding was only 3 days but the preparations and celebrations were many. For anyone curious, here is a timeline reported from a news source:

29 December: private engagement in temple

18 January: "Mehndi" engagement ceremony

19 January: "Gol Dhana” engagement party

March: Big Pre-wedding Party - dancing, fireworks and a feast of 500 dishes cooked by 100 chefs. The Ambani family also hosted a communal dinner for more than 50,000 villagers outside Jamnagar.

May: a 4-day vacation / European cruise

2 July: a mass wedding also known as “Samuh Vivah,” for underprivileged couples hosted by Anant Ambani's parents. More than 50 underprivileged couples were invited to receive gifts, ranging from gold ornaments to a year’s worth of groceries.

A few days later, a "Sangeet" a traditional night of music and dance.

8 July: The Haldi ceremony, a private pre-wedding ritual that traditionally sees friends and family bless the marrying couple by applying a turmeric paste to their heads, faces or bodies.

Friday, 12 July: The wedding ceremony

Saturday, 13 July: the “Shubh Ashirwad,” or Divine blessings ceremony. Here, the couple seeks “Ashirwad,” or blessings, from the elders in their community and are usually showered with rose petals or rice when walking down the aisle.

Sunday, 14 July: the “Mangal Utsav, the reception at the Ambani family’s residence.

Remember your first comment before dragging in the couple most often criticised mae 💖

and do they really know the high profile names, or had they just been wheeled in for show? Bizarre

Remind you of anybody? Or of another wedding where celebrities who had not even met the happy couple featured among the guests? !

Who are we to dictate what other people should spend their money on?

No idea who they are but their riches wouldn’t stop me donating to sick kids in India or anywhere else

Just because they are all about show and greed, it doesn't mean we ordinary people can't be kind.