Inside billionaire Ankur Jain and Erica Hammond’s unique wedding in Egypt

Travel

By sarah whitman

Billionaire Ankur Jain and former WWE wrestler Erica Hammond tied the knot in a lavish ceremony held in front of the Great Pyramid in Egypt on Friday.

“We’re New Yorkers and there’s something special about living in a completely different world,” Jain, founder and CEO of cashback tech company Built Rewards, told People after her wedding.

“So we decided, our wedding is about taking a moment together to celebrate new beginnings, having a special party with your friends where you are in a different world.” (Jayne originally suggested having a space wedding, but Hammond was not keen on the idea.)

Although their wedding location was unique, it wasn’t the only unconventional detail about their ceremonies: The couple had no bridal party, no wedding cake — although they did serve a birthday cake from Milk Bar — and it appeared What happens is that they leave most of the planning process up to their coordinators.

“I didn’t know what a napkin looked like or what a table setting looked like,” Hammond, 32, tells People.

Jain, 34, said, “We are not traditional marriage people. Why do you have to spend $20,000 on flowers? It doesn’t make any sense.”

One thing they were definitely involved in was transporting their wedding guests from a safari in Africa back to their ceremony in Cairo.

Before their welcome party, their private Egypt Air flight was stopped by the South African government, landing them in big trouble. The bride and groom spent hours trying to get their guests to Egypt before they finally pulled it off – but it caused their reception to start three hours late.

“We partied until 5 in the morning, which was the best opening night,” Jain recalled to People on April 25. The event, held at the Muhammad Ali Palace, was themed “Modern Cairo” and included belly and fire dancers.

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Jain and Hammond’s 130-person guest list was also impressive. Some of the biggest celebrities celebrated their love, including Lance Bass and his husband, Michael Turchin, Robin Thicke and his wife, April Love Geary, “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary and his wife Linda, influencer Serena Kerrigan, among many Politicians are involved. And prominent businessmen.

Thicke, 47, surprised guests with his performance, while Bass, 44, ended the night with an impromptu performance of “Bye, Bye, Bye” followed by a surprise fireworks show over the pyramids.

“We had the best time. It was so special,” Zayn gushed to the outlet. “When the fireworks went off, it was one of the most amazing moments. I was so emotional I can’t explain it in words.

The newlyweds met at Rumble Boxing, where Hammond is a founding member. She was also an instructor there when they first interacted.

A few years later, they got into a relationship and got engaged in November 2022.