Bilt Rewards CEO Ankur Jain and former WWE wrestler Erika Hammond exchanged vows on Friday in a lavish ceremony held before the majestic backdrop of the Great Pyramids in Egypt, Page Six reported.
"We're New Yorkers and there's something so special about being in a completely different world environment," Mr Jain, the founder and CEO of the cashback tech company Bilt Rewards, told People following their nuptials.
"So we decided, our wedding is about having a moment together to celebrate the new beginning, having a really special party with our friends somewhere where you're in a different world."
Although the venue for their wedding was unique, it wasn't the sole unconventional aspect of their festivities. The couple opted for no bridal party, skipped the traditional wedding cake, and appeared to delegate much of the planning to their coordinators.
"I had no idea what the napkins looked like or what the table setting looked like," Mrs Hammond, 32, told People.
Mr Jain, 34, added, "We're not traditional wedding people. Why do you have to spend $20,000 on flowers? It doesn't make sense."
The couple was directly involved in one particular aspect: arranging transportation for their wedding guests from the safari they had organized in Africa back to Cairo for the ceremony.
Before their welcome party, their private Egypt Air flight faced an unexpected delay due to intervention by the South African government, causing considerable inconvenience. Despite the bride and groom spending hours working to ensure their guests' arrival in Egypt, they managed to resolve the issue eventually. However, this setback resulted in their welcome event starting three hours later than planned.
"We partied until 5 a.m. having just the best opening night," Mr Jain recalled to People on April 25. The event, which was held at the Muhammed Ali Palace, had a "Modern Cairo" theme and featured belly and fire dancers.
Prominent faces attended the lavish wedding 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, several politicians and prominent businesspeople.
"We had the best time. It was so special," Mr Jain told the outlet. "When the fireworks went off, it was one of the most spectacular moments. I was so emotional, I couldn't even put it into words."
