From Beyoncé to Sting to J.Lo: When Grammy winners turn wedding singers

Maybe you've seen Beyoncé​ at an arena show. Perhaps you were a lucky concertgoer at one of her standout Coachella appearances. But one bride has landed what might be the ultimate Queen Bey performance ever: at her wedding festivities.

As part of the days-long celebrations leading up to the nuptials of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal — scions to billionaire Indian industralists Mukesh Ambani and Ajay Piramal, respectively — this weekend saw a jaw-dropping kick-off at a luxury resort in the historic western Indian city of Udaipur.  

With a guest list that ranged from Hillary Clinton (an old family friend) to newlyweds Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas to celebs like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karan Johar and Karisma Kapoor, the parties were packed with banquets, boogieing Bollywood A-listers and, well, Beyoncé​.

What did you expect from a couple that celebrated their engagement last fall with more than 600 of their nearest and dearest in Lake Como, serenaded by John Legend?

Still, the Ambani-Piramal wedding extravaganza is but the latest example of families pulling out all the stops for a mind-blowing, Grammy-worthy reception. Here's a look at some recent predecessors. 

Lavish in London

Fresh off a disastrous New Year's Eve performance in New York, Mariah Carey welcomed in 2017 with a much cozier gig: performing a handful of hits at the luxurious London wedding of 19-year-olds Irene Kogan and Daniel Kenvey.

Russian billionaire Valery Kogan (co-owner of Moscow's Domodedovo Airport), spared no expense for his granddaughter's big day, opening up his wallet for a designer wedding gown, an iconic venue and not one but three Grammy winners as entertainment

In addition to Carey, Elton John delivered a lengthy set, while Mark Ronson kept the party going from the DJ booth. Russian soprano and Met Opera regular Anna Netrebko also took the stage at one point.

Another bonus: Emmy-nominated actor Antonio Banderas made the rounds, snapping pics with guests (including opera star Netrebko) and offering a toast to the young newlyweds.

The "Billion-Dollar wedding"

Another opulent, eye-popping wedding was the nuptials of Said Gutseriev, son of Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev, to Khadija Uzhakhovs.

In March 2016, it was dubbed the "Billion-Dollar wedding" for its reported cost.

Aside from the custom Elie Saab bridal gown, jewelry worthy of any royal family's collection, the fleet of Rolls Royces and Bentleys to ferry the wedding party, a towering nine-tier cake and thousands of fresh blooms covering the venue, the reception was a high-energy night that featured musical sets by pop superstars J.Lo (no stranger to these kinds of wedding gigs), Sting and Enrique Iglesias. 

A father-daughter dance to remember

When one's family owns a historic Washington wedding venue that has hosted presidents and politicians, an absolutely fabulous nuptials is to be expected. Not only did Jim Justice build a $6.1-million chapel addition to the historic Greenbrier Resort for his daughter Jill's 2015 wedding to Adam Long, he also tapped a favourite performer (a Greenbrier regular) to surprise her. 

Even before Jill chose a Lionel Richie track for the father-daughter dance, her dad had already gotten in contact with the music icon — and wedding reception favourite — to check his availability. 

"People might listen to gangsta rap or grunge. But, sooner or later, every guy falls in love. And that's when he listens to a Lionel Richie song," Richie told a British paper in 2009. "You're going to get to me sooner or later."

An interesting post-script: Jill stepped in to lead The Greenbrier Resort the following year when her father ran for governor of West Virginia. At his inaugural ball in 2017, Richie was the familiar headliner to take the stage.

Trendsetting nuptials

A trailblazer for these music-filled matrimonial celebrations could be the 2004 wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of Indian tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, and Amit Bhatia, which was estimated to cost close to $70 million US at the time.

Wedding invitations for more than 1,000 guests included travel (by private jet) to and deluxe accommodations in Paris for the six-day event. A famed Bollywood choreographer coached the family for a special dance performance, while a noted writer penned a play that was performed by the father and mother of the bride at a pre-wedding ceremony held at the Jardin des Tuileries. Yet another celebration was held at the Palace of Versailles, while the actual wedding was held at ​Château Vaux-le-Vicomte, southeast of Paris.

Beside scoring the likes of Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai as part of the reception entertainment, the climactic night featured a set by pop diva Kylie Minogue as well as a fireworks display alongside the Eiffel Tower. 

Freebies from famous friends

Mind-blowing price tags aside, there are also rare occasions when musical superstars are simply one of the guests and, perhaps inevitably, take the stage to join in at wedding celebrations. 

Taylor Swift is one example. After a woman penned a letter to the pop singer in April 2016 about her brother's hasty nuptials at their mother's bedside before her death, Swift decided to attend the man's formal wedding celebrations, held several months later. The singer gifted the newlywed couple a small painting commemorating the occasion, performed her hit Blank Space — which the groom and his late mother had danced to — during the reception and shared photos of the day on Instagram.

In a similar vein, Rihanna gamely offered a live performance at the New York wedding of her stylist Sonya Benson in 2015, while Jon Bon Jovi took a bit more convincing at a Florida wedding in 2016. The rocker ultimately stepped in to join the wedding band to perform Livin' On a Prayer.