money can’t buy you class, that’s for sure

NO matter how much money you have, there is no accounting for lack of taste. Case in point is the 9-page official wedding invite sent out by the controversial Gupta clan. Resembling a luxury travel brochure, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s exactly that.

But take a closer look and it becomes clear it’s the official invite to the double wedding of Rajesh “Tony” Gupta’s daughter Shubhangi Singhala marrying Chetan Jain, and Atul Gupta’s son Srikant Singhala tying the knot with Akhya Bansal.

The Daily Maverick first got a whiff of the extravagant affair when the team of journalists, amaBhungane, obtained a copy of the invite, detailing a fiveday event at the ultra-luxury Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi. Celebrations are said to start with a welcome lunch on February 19 and end with the wedding reception four days later.

There’s no doubt that the infamous family will pull out all the stops, as sources say the lavish event will cost no less than R100 million.

No word yet as to who is on the guest list, but we can guess it’s the high profile type. As far as the the over-the-top invitation goes, the Gupta family crest features prominently. Ironically, it’s the same crest that helped journalists identify the family mansion in Dubai. An unusual feature is the distinct Oakbay logo on the final page.

The Emirates Palace is a luxury five star hotel in Abu Dhabi, operated by Kempinski.

According to The Telegraph, the hotel is popular for its gold-laden interior and stately exterior. “Rooms are elaborate, elevated by their marble bathrooms and palatial-style furnishings,” wrote The Telegraph’s Melinda Healy.