All Eyes On The Bride: Radhika Merchant Ambani

The world has been enthralled by the opulence and scale of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding. Festivities started in March 2024 with the first pre-wedding celebration in Jamnagar, Gujarat followed by the second pre-wedding festivities on a Mediterranean cruise. It all culminated in a 15-day jamboree in Mumbai.

The star of the entire affair was the bride, Radhika Merchant. For every event in the elaborate wedding ceremony, Merchant shone bright in some of the most exquisite Indian couture pieces. She and her stylist and film producer, Rhea Kapoor curated each look with care to balance tradition and youthfulness. All her looks were maximalist without being over-the-top or kitschy.

One crucial aspect of all of Radhika Merchant’s wedding looks were the focus on Indian textiles, handlooms, embroideries and artisans. Every garment had innumerable man-hours put into creating the splendid trousseau that only highlighted Merchant’s princess persona. Merchant and Kapoor worked extensively with top Indian fashion designers particularly Manish Malhotra and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla to ensure there was substance and a story to every design.

Here’s a low down on Radhika Merchant’s key wedding looks:

For her mausalu ceremony, Radhika Merchant wore a Manish Malhotra lehenga in pink and orange detailed with rai bandhej and gold taar zardozi. The borders featured Durga Maa shloka. The vintage gold jewellery was from her mother’s mausalu.

Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla created this chandelier-inspired pastel lehenga with an off-shoulder blouse for the bride.

Manish Malhotra knocked it out of the park by contemporizing the quintessential saree by creating out of chainmail!

For her haldi, Radhika Merchant looked resplendent in a sunshine yellow Anamika Khanna lehenga and a dupatta made of real flowers.

At the garba, Merchant’s purple and teal ghagra by Jigya M featured Lord Shrinathji motifs along with handcrafted Pearl, Marodi and Mochi work.

Radhika Merchant looked a vision of simplicity in an off-white and gold saree with Maharashtrian nath as the focal adornment, for the Grah Shanti ceremony.

This is one of our favourite ensembles from Radhika Merchant’s wedding looks. It is a multicoloured lehenga crafted by designer Tarun Tahiliani with Banjara and Kutchi-inspired mirrorwork detailing.

Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s take on the traditional Gujarati Panetar was the piece de resistance of all of Radhika Merchant’s wedding looks. The layered ivory ghagra had detailed Zardozi cutwork with a detachable trail. The red borders of the ghagra used a combination of Naqshi, Saadi, and Zardozi techniques. The five-metre-long tissue veil draped her delicately.

The antique polki choker with diamonds and emeralds that has come from Merchant’s elder sister, Anjali Merchant, to her, is family heirloom.

Vidai or the send-off of the bride in a Hindu wedding is one of the most emotional ceremonies. Radhika Merchant was the quintessential desi bride in a red ensemble designed by Manish Malhotra. The blouse featured real gold karchobi work, inspired by the traditional abho and the rich textile heritage of Kutch, Gujarat. The lehenga was made from multi-panelled Banarasi brocade in sunset hues; so was the dupatta. The red flowing veil had a lattice design that tied everything together.

The Ranihaar in diamonds and emeralds are from Mumbai-based Nisha M Designs.

One of the most artistic ensembles from the Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding is the Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla X Jayasri Burman piece. Twelve panels of Italian canvas were hand-painted to bring the celebrated sculptor Jayasri Burman’s art to life. The painting features Anant and Radhika’s union. The lehenga also features meticulous hand embroidery of real gold Zardozi. It is paired with a blouse hand-embroidered in Resham by master craftsmen at Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s atelier. She also wore lotus blooms in her hair to add more drama.

The diamond, pearl and emerald set is crafted by Viren Bhagat.

Rhea Kapoor achieved an incredible styling feat by bringing together east and west in the form of a custom Anamika Khanna saree with Dolce Gabbana Alta Moda Sardegna 2024 for Anant and Radhika’s wedding reception.