Recapping the Indian weddings that stole the spotlight in 2024

Be it the dreamy decor, magical pictures, or seeing the who’s who of tinsel town decked up in their finest, everything looks as close to perfect as it can be when it comes to an Indian celebrity wedding. The year 2024 witnessed the weddings of several silverscreen sweethearts that include Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sobhita Dhulipala, Keerthy Suresh, and Aaliyah Kashyap, to name a few. And then there was the spectacle that was the Ambani wedding. In case you missed out, here’s a year-end round-up of all the celebrity weddings that took place this year. 

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant

There are weddings and then there are Ambani weddings. But none bigger than that of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani that was held at an estimated cost of $600 million. The proceedings began with the main ceremony taking place on July 12 at the Jio World Convention Center. The venue was adorned with elaborate floral designs and sculptures created by renowned florist Preston Bailey, featuring 60 floral animal sculptures, including tigers, elephants, and replicas of the couple's two dogs. 

The next day on July 13 was the “Shubh Ashirwad” or the divine blessings ceremony followed by a “Mangal Utsav” or reception the next day. The wedding and grand reception was attended by an estimated few thousand guests, including prominent industry leaders and international figures. Notable attendees included Bollywood superstars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, and Katrina Kaif. International dignitaries like former British prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, as well as celebrities like Adele, David Beckham, and the Kardashians.

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal exchanged vows on June 23 in an intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends at their home in Mumbai. The wedding was a close knit affair and was followed by a grand celebration held at Bastian, where notable personalities like Saira Banu, Rekha, Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, and Siddharth Roy Kapur were present to mark the joyous occasion.

Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani

Rakul Preet Singh and Jackky Bhagnani tied the knot on February 21 in a stunning beachside ceremony at ITC Grand Goa. With outfits designed by the renowned designer Tarun Tahiliani, Singh wore a custom-designed lehenga in soft pastel pink, featuring intricate hand-embroidered floral motifs in ivory and blush hues while Bhagnani donned an ivory chikankari sherwani with a kurta and churidaar. The festivities exuded glamour, attracting a host of Bollywood celebrities, including Bhumi Pednekar, Ananya Panday, Shilpa Shetty, and Raj Kundra, making the occasion a truly star-studded affair.

Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda

Kriti Kharbanda recently exchanged wedding vows with her longtime boyfriend Pulkit Samrat in a beautiful ceremony held at Delhi NCR's ITC Grand Bharat on March 15. For the wedding, Kharbanda wore a pink lehenga by designer Anamika Khanna and traditional jewellery while Samrat opted for a green sherwani and white shoes. Sharing the photos, Kriti and Pulkit wrote, "From the deep blue sky, To the morning dew. Through the low and the high, It's only you. From the start to the end, In every now and every then, When my heart beats different, It's got to be you. Constantly, Consistently, Continually, You!"

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala

Naga Chaitanya and Sobhita Dhulipala got married on December 4 in a traditional Telugu ceremony held at the iconic Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, surrounded by their close friends and family. For the ceremony, Dhulipala dazzled in a stunning gold Kanjivaram silk saree, featuring intricate zari work and rich embellishments that captured the essence of Telugu bridal traditions. Following this, she changed into a vibrant madhuparkam saree for another significant ritual, continuing the celebrations with a blend of tradition and elegance. Chaitanya looked regal in a classic white traditional attire, exuding grace and charm, perfectly complementing Sobhita’s bridal look.

Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth

Aditi and Siddharth tied the knot in a traditional South Indian wedding at a 400-year-old Sri Ranganayakaswamy Temple, located at Srirangapur in Telangana on September 16. The bride and groom both wore Sabyasachi with Hydari opting for a handwoven Maheshwari tissue lehenga, paired with a Benarasi tissue dupatta and a shimmering golden blouse complemented perfectly by her intricate gold and ruby jewellery and a white jasmine bajra, adding a touch of regal elegance. Siddharth also embraced tradition, donning a classic white kurta paired with a dhoti and veshti, maintaining a timeless and sophisticated style. While taking to Instagram to share the pictures, the beautiful bride wrote, “You are my Sun, my Moon, and all my Stars... To being Pixie Soulmates for eternity...to laughter, to never growing up... To Eternal Love, Light & Magic..Mrs & Mr Adu-Siddhu.”

Taapsee Pannu and Mathias Boe

Having dated her long-term boyfriend Mathias Boe for about a decade, Taapsee Pannu tied the knot with the former Danish badminton player on March 23 in Udaipur. The intimate ceremony took place at the luxurious Mementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur, with close friends and family in attendance. Unlike recent celebrity brides, she ditched the lehenga and opted for a traditional salwaar kameez by her close friend Mani Bhatia and juttis for her D-day. 

Aaliyah Kashyap and Shane Gregoire

Aaliyah Kashyap, the daughter of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and film editor Aarti Bajaj, exchanged vows with her longtime partner, Shane Gregoire, on December 11. For her special day, Aaliyah chose a gorgeous pastel pink lehenga designed by Tarun Tahiliani, while Shane opted for a regal golden sherwani set. Following the ceremony, the couple made their first appearance as newlyweds at a glamorous reception attended by the likes of stars such as Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita Dhulipala, Abhishek Bachchan, Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Bobby Deol. Aaliyah dazzled in a black skirt paired with a golden corset top, while Shane looked dapper in a sleek black suit.

Keerthy Suresh and Antony Thattil

Keerthy Suresh and her long-time boyfriend, businessman Antony Thattil, tied the knot in a private ceremony held in Goa on December 12. The wedding was attended by close family, friends, and a few colleagues from the film industry. Thattil opted for a refined ivory silk shirt paired with a green-bordered angavastram, while Suresh embraced her roots with a traditional Iyengar bridal look, draped in a mustard and green silk saree designed by Anita Dongre. She accessorized with a side bun in the classic Aandal Kondai style. Following the traditional ceremony, the couple held a stunning white wedding, where Suresh wore an elegant Zuhair Murad halterneck gown featuring intricate lace applique. Thattil looked dapper in a silver-hued satin tuxedo, complete with a white tie and black shoes, complementing Suresh’s elegant bridal attire.

Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare

On January 3 this year, Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan and Nupur Shikhare exchanged vows in a registered marriage at Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai. They later held a Christian ceremony at the Taj in Udaipur. Following the ceremonies, the newlyweds hosted a reception for Bollywood celebrities and guests at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in the city. For the star-studded reception, Khan chose a heavily-embroidered sindoori red lehenga, while Shikhare coordinated in an all-black sherwani jacket paired with a dhoti set.

Lead image: Sobhita (@sobhitad)

Also read: Sonakshi Sinha wears her mother Poonam's 44-year old white Chikankari saree and vintage jewellery for her wedding

Also read: Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal open up about their story, keeping secrets, and the proposal that sealed the deal

Also read: Decoding the decor from the Rakul Preet Singh-Jackky Bhagnani wedding

Also read: Here are three trends we spotted at the Ambani wedding—of course, it's all about jewels and fusion

Also read: 8 show-stopping outfits worn by the Ambani women at Anant and Radhika’s wedding celebrations