It was the wedding that had them talking from Manhattan to Mumbai. New York-based hotelier Vikram Chatwal married Delhi's own Priya Sachdev amid lavish festivities that stretched over seven nights, three Indian cities, and what seemed like 25 parties. "I told Vikram, when you get married, I'll open my heart and I'll open my checkbook," beamed the groom's father, Sant Chatwal. He obliged on both scores. Tens of thousands of flowers were flown in from Holland; dozens of models were imported from New York; and three jets were chartered to ferry the 300-plus guests across the subcontinent. The celebrations kicked off in Mumbai, continued in Udaipur (the site of two unforgettable bashes held in royal palaces, a masked ball, and a magical monochrome affair complete with whitewashed elephant), and concluded in Delhi (where, as part of the traditional procession known as a barat, the groom rode through the streets in a horse-drawn carriage). At every step of the way, it was impossible to turn around without being accosted by a waiter proffering a flute of Champagne or a flagon of whisky.

Those enjoying the Chatwals' hospitality included a smattering of New York and L.A. scenesters (Rena Sindi, Ann Dexter-Jones, Tracey Ross, Sean MacPherson, and Eric Goode), numerous impossibly dashing representatives of India's Bollywood and business communities, enough British playboys to sink a 400-foot yacht, and—on the final night—one ex-president. Mingling with the couple's friends and family at the wedding reception, Bill Clinton spoke of India's current economic boom and the country's enduring appeal. "It's modern but it's also timeless," he said to one pair of guests. "And it shouldn't lose that." As if mindful of those words, partied-out wedding attendees roused themselves for one last outing the following morning, an excursion to the Taj Mahal. The bride and groom, meanwhile, prepared for a well-earned honeymoon in the Maldives. "I knew it was going to be crazy," Chatwal said. "But not like this."

—Dirk Standen