This couple tied the knot in a dreamy wedding with the Sphinx and pyramids as their backdrop

The Great Sphinx of Giza and the pyramids made it to the guest list of this lavish wedding in Egypt. Ankur Jain, an Indian-origin American entrepreneur, and Erika Hammond, a fitness instructor and former WWE wrestler, reveal how they personalised every moment of their grand festivities.

How we met 

Erika Hammond: “We had our first date after a fitness class! Ankur was brave enough to ask me to work out with him, and then asked me out for drinks later. A few dates in and the pandemic hit. This resulted in FaceTime calls every day for months, us becoming modern pen pals and falling in love!” 

The next step 

Ankur Jain: “When I wasn’t just thinking about all the great memories we’ve had but was most excited about all the future memories we could create, that’s when I knew Erika was the one I wanted to marry and spend my life with.”

EH: “Our engagement was the most special surprise proposal! Ankur took over the brand new Summit at One Vanderbilt (the highest observatory overlooking all of NYC) privately and told me we were going to a company holiday party. When we arrived, there was a coat check, signs that said holiday party, etc… He really went the extra mile to make sure I was fully surprised, even having paid actors to pretend to be guests at the ‘company party.’ But when we arrived at the top of the building, the place had been fully transformed with candles, roses and a massive ‘Will you marry me?’ sign. After he proposed, our dog ran out in a little bowtie, and then our family and closest friends followed. They had been hiding in the back room!” 

Leading up to the big day 

EH: “Ankur and I both were very involved in the planning. We wanted our guests to have the most amazing experience and designed each day with a detailed run of shows that covered everything from lighting and music to the experience. We wanted every moment to be fun and constantly evolving and were willing to rethink any ‘traditional’ elements that would take away from that.” 

Memories that will last a lifetime 

AJ: “We wanted things to feel very ‘us.’ For instance, at the Welcome Night bazaar, the fake money had an image of our dog on it! We had fun portraits of our dog included, as well. We didn’t feel the need to follow traditions unless they were important to us. We didn’t include bridesmaids or groomsmen; there was no wedding cake, first dance, or a bouquet toss. Yet, it was important to us for Erika’s dad to walk her down the aisle and to say our own vows.” 

EH: “Each day of the festivities, we gave our guests a note and gift pertaining to the following day’s events. These included personalised hieroglyphic pyjamas, a necklace, as well as AE-branded Nike AF1s. Our wedding day menu, from the appetisers to late-night bites, was based on our favourite New York eats. Appetisers included streetside hot dogs and pretzels. Dinner items were based on some of our favourite meals in NYC, including a burger inspired by 4 Charles Prime Rib and Lilia's Mafaldine. The dessert stands served sundaes and warm cookies inspired by New York’s Levain Bakery. The Milk Bar featured items that drew from their famous birthday cake truffles and crack pie. The late-night munchies were a mix of our favourite after party go-tos, like Ankur’s pizza and my tacos.

Also, we almost missed our welcome party in Egypt! Ankur and I, as well as 65 of our guests, had some major travel delays with our chartered flight from South Africa to Cairo. But we made lemonade out of lemons and made it to the party at 2.30 am! It ended up being one of our favourite memories from the week.”

Our advice 

AJ & EH: “Spending quality time together and ensuring your values and life goals align are as important as both being excited to embark on a lifelong journey together as partners! Make planning a team effort and enjoy the process. The wedding is just a one day or weekend affair. So enjoy the journey of planning and building a life together! Be ready for unexpected changes and embrace those moments as a part of your unique story. And don’t be afraid to rethink traditions, and keep it all true to you as a couple!”

The details 

Event Management: Vertex Events

Wedding Photography: Bottega 53 

Make-up: Kelly Dawn, Dawn Artist Agency 

Hair: Jackie Seabrooke 

Content Creation: Olivia Burrows Sutherland 

Entertainment: On The Move Events

This article first appeared in Brides Today, June-September 2024, print edition.

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