Indian weddings are known for their lavish rituals, a huge spread of food and drinks, and expensive gifts making it a full-blown celebration. Indians on average spend Rs 5 -20 lakhs on their weddings, and save up for years for the big day, but how much does the richest of the lot actually spend? Billionaires are known for their larger-than-life events, and opulent lifestyle, but have you ever wondered how much their weddings cost?
Here’s a list of the most expensive weddings and the ridiculous amount of money spent by the wealthiest for them:
Vanisha Mittal and Amit Bhatia
When Vanisha, Lakshmi Mittal’s daughter wed British businessman Amit Bhatia in 2004, it garnered headlines. Additionally, this wedding was listed as the priciest wedding by Guinness World Records. The pair exchanged vows in a grand ceremony at the Palace of Versailles, which was followed by a dinner prepared by specially invited Indian chefs at the renowned Jardin des Tuileries. The real wedding took place a short distance away in the 17th-century Chateau Vaux le Vicomte. Aishwarya Rai, Kylie Minogue, Shah Rukh Khan, and other celebrities attended the six-day wedding as guests and performers, according to Guinness World Records.
The insanely pricey wedding, which Forbes estimates cost $60 million, has been called the most opulent wedding. According to reports, Kylie Minogue reportedly received $330,000 for her 30-minute performance on this opulent occasion.
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal
Billionaire tycoon, Mukesh Ambani‘s daughter, Isha Ambani tied the knot with Anand Piramal in a larger-than-life affair, that was a star-studded affair with attendees from all around the world. The wedding festivities took place in Udaipur, Lake Como in Italy, and finally at their Mumbai residence. Guests received the wedding invitation in a Dolce & Gabbana box.
Beyonce reportedly received US $15 million for a 45-minute performance that included multiple outfit changes. These are just a few of the ostentatious items that were present at the spectacular wedding celebrations. Hilary Clinton was also an attendee at the pre-wedding ceremony. According to Lifestyle Asia, the Ambanis spent Rs 700 crores on this uber-luxurious affair.
Brahmani Reddy and Rajiv Reddy
Gali Janardhana Reddy, a mining magnate and former politician, received a lot of criticism over his daughter’s wedding. At a time when the nation as a whole was experiencing a cash-flow crisis, Reddy hosted the wedding, where he reportedly spent Rs 500 crores. However, the wedding garnered attention for its extreme extravagance and grandeur. There were 50,000 visitors present for a five-day celebration at the Bangalore Palace, including several Bollywood celebrities and politicians.
Rajeev Reddy, the son of Hyderabad business magnate Vikram Dev Reddy, wed Reddy’s daughter. The splendor continues after this. The bride’s bridal saree, which cost a staggering Rs 170 million, contributed to the wedding being one of the most-costly Indian weddings in history. The extravagant wedding invites, which cost Rs 5 crores, contained a gold-plated LCD screen with a video of the couple and the politician lip-syncing to an Indian song, as per various reports.
Sushanto Roy and Seemanto Roy’s double wedding
Subrata Roy, the head of Sahara Group before it had a catastrophic collapse, was well known for leading a lavish lifestyle and for throwing extravagant parties. In 2004, Roy’s sons Sushanto and Seemanto were united in marriage in a double wedding, and he spared no expense to make it a lavish event. The wedding took place at Lucknow’s Sahara Stadium, and a full week of festivities followed. The who’s who of Bollywood and the sports world were among the more than 11,000 guests there. Subrata Roy made sure that the double wedding was a luxurious occasion, flying his guests on private aircraft, marrying 101 disadvantaged girls, and offering his 11,000 guests more than 100 different cuisines, as Scoopwhoop reports.
Sonam Vaswani and Navin Fabiani
Sunil Vaswani, the founder of Stallion Group and one of the richest businessmen in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is the father of Sonam Vaswani. She wed Navin, the son of Kamal Fabiana, in a grand wedding at a royal retreat in Vienna, Austria.
The wedding took place at the Belvedere Palace, the mehendi ceremony was performed in Vienna’s Palais Liechtenstein Park and featured a performance by Sukhbir. The event was billed as the most opulent wedding of the year. According to reports by Scoopwhoop, the wedding expenses amounted to Rs 210 crores.
Mallika Reddy and Siddharth Reddy
The union of Indu Group scion Siddharth Reddy and Mallika Reddy, granddaughter of industrialist GVK Reddy, redefined what a “lavish affair” was. The wedding was attended by almost 6,000 people, as per reports. The Reddys clearly didn’t skimp on expenses for the wedding, chartering planes for out-of-town visitors and serving everyone in silver thaalis.
Adel Sajan and Sana Khan
Adel Sajan, the leading man behind Danube home, tied the knot on a cruise. on the Concordia-class Costa Fascinosa cruise ship, which cruised from Barcelona, Spain, through Marseilles and Cannes, France, and finally ended in Savona, Italy, Adel Sajan and Sana Khan arranged a cruise wedding. This wedding had personalised Harrods’ hampers for guests, a sangeet performance by Badshah and Vishal and Shekhar, speeches by Gauhar Khan and Sushmita Sen, and the newlyweds cutting a 10-layer cake at the reception, all expenses amounted to more than Rs 100 crores.