The billionaire founder and CEO of US-based Bilt Rewards, Ankur Jain is currently on cloud nine as he got married to the former WWE wrestler, Erika Hammond. For the unversed, Ankur's Bilt Rewards is a tech company that has disrupted the credit card industry by rewarding users with cashback points on rent payments. The Indian-origin billionaire grew up in Washington, where his father, Naveen Jain was a tech executive at many companies, including Microsoft. On the other hand, Erica is also a creator of KNOCKOUT at Equinox.
Ankur Jain and Erika Hammond recently took to their social media handles respectively and shared an array of photos from their lavish Egyptian wedding set against the backdrop of the pyramids. The couple hosted a four-day program for their 130 guests in Egypt. And the wedding was officiated by the world's foremost Egyptologist, Dr. Zahi Hawass who is also a family friend of Ankur. The surreal moment of their union took place in front of the Sphinx at the base of the Great Pyramids of Giza shortly before sunset. Talking about the same in a conversation with PEOPLE magazine, Ankur shared that he wanted to get married in space initially. However, his bride added:
“I was like, ‘I don't want to die on my wedding day!’"
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While opening up about his wedding planning, Ankur mentioned that it was when he first visited Egypt as a boy during an annual family vacation, that he got extremely interested with the history behind the ancient tombs. Thus, for the wedding, they finalised the surreal location as the venue. As per the same report, the couple's wedding was much different from a traditional wedding, and there were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, no wedding cake-cutting moments or toasts. The entire place was decorated with local Egyptian blooms and foliage.
When it came to the wedding functions, Ankur and Erika opted for an incredible four-day itinerary for their 130 guests, including a late-night “Modern Cairo” themed welcome reception at the Muhammed Ali Palace in Cairo. It had a happening time with belly dancers, fire dancers and a shoppable bazaar for guests with a DJ playing Arab house music. Then, they arranged for a fully private tour of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, an Ancient-Egypt-cum-Met Gala-themed dinner at the not-yet-opened Grand Egyptian Museum, featuring traditional performances and aerial dancers. And finally, their D-Day, wherein Ankur and Erica's parents walked them into the ceremony and violinist, Lindsey Sterling played a rendition of Ed Sheeran's Perfect. Talking about the same, Ankur said:
“We wanted the vibe to be kind of like the Met Gala's Egypt section, but in the real Egyptian area, where you've got one of the largest statues of the Pharaoh Ramesses II in the middle of the hall,” says Jain.
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For the wedding, Ankur looked handsome in a black-hued tuxedo teamed with a crisp white shirt and a bow. On the other hand, Erica looked astonishing in a showstopping gown from ace Indian designer Rahul Mishra's collections. Erica's bridal gown featured bodice fittings near the waist and gold embellishments in floral patterns all over it. Moreover, it had a long trail illuminating the bride's look. She finished off her look with open tresses, glam makeup, and exquisite diamond jewellery.
“It was important to me to draw inspiration and celebrate my fiance’s Indian culture, ancient Egyptian culture, and Western traditions. Since we weren't doing an Indian wedding, I wanted a little bit of Indian inspiration, mixed with a Cleopatra feel.”
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Ankur and Erica first met when he started working out at Rumble Boxing. The celeb-loved gym was where Erica was a founding member and also an instructor at the time. At their first meeting, they had just briefly chatted, and then just a few days later, they met again after signing up for the same workout class. Ankur recalled how he had approached Erica to be his workout partner, and said, "It was funny because she's normally teaching the class, but we were both taking it. I'm not the fittest guy, so it was probably a dumb move in hindsight, but I was like, 'Why don't you come work out next to me?'" Afterwards, the billionaire also asked her out for a drink. Soon, Erica understood that Ankur was the one by his sweet gesture. She shared:
"It's so great, adds Hammond. "I didn't have makeup on. I was in workout clothes and all sweaty. I knew he was going to love me no matter what."
Thus, they gradually became friends. However, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic started, Ankur and Erica spent months bonding over FaceTime chats and couldn't date in person. But day by day, they became closer and thought of taking the plunge, and they married on April 26, 2024.
Congratulations to Ankur and Erica!
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