The Bride and Groom Blended Their Indian Heritage With Local Traditions at This Oaxacan Wedding
The bride wore Vivienne Westwood, Dries Van Noten, and a custom dress made from a vintage Varanasi silk sari fabric over the course of her wedding weekend.
When planning his proposal to Poppy Thekdi, tech entrepreneur Ajay Mehta decided to get down on one knee where they first met. That initial date took place during the summer of 2020 while the world was in lockdown. “We’d spent the weeks prior exchanging long, unhurried messages—sending each other long essays about the state of the world, recommendations for grocery stores and hikes, and reviews of films we had watched during quarantine,” remembers Poppy, who works in marketing at A24. “One day, Ajay told me he was planning on making kombucha popsicles. I wanted to try them. We decided to meet up.” The two met for a picnic in Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles and stayed until the sun went down. “We talked about our dreams, our families, the films and artists we loved, and both left feeling like we’d known each other our whole lives,” shares Poppy.
The two would see each other every week after that first meeting. “We both worked from home at the time and spent those months between each other’s apartments, cooking elaborate meals just for fun, going on long hikes in the Angeles Forest, and taking weekend trips around Southern California,” says Poppy. “We always joke that we know we’ll handle retirement just fine—that first summer together was good practice.”
After four years together, Ajay and Poppy were taking a walk together back at Echo Park Lake. “We lived in the neighborhood and probably walked around the park hundreds of times, but never once took the adorable and romantic swan boats out into the lake,” says Poppy. Ajay suggested that they should be spontaneous and take a ride. After making their way out into the water, he got down on one knee. “I was so surprised! I said yes, of course, and jumped up quickly to give him a kiss,” remembers Poppy. “With two abandoned drivers, our swan quickly drifted far into the water lilies. We had to quickly reclaim our posts and pedal back to safe waters to avoid further disturbing the natural flora (and being permanently banned).” Once safely back on land, the couple properly celebrated. A passerby even shared that he saw a fish jump out of the lake the moment Ajay proposed. Says Poppy, “Apparently it's a sign of good luck!”
Ajay and Poppy spent their first Valentine’s Day together on a trip to Oaxaca City, where they fell in love with the region’s art, food, and culture. So, when deciding on their wedding destination, they decided to take their guests on a journey back to that sentimental place over Valentine’s weekend in 2026. “It was wonderful to do a destination wedding because it felt like everyone was on holiday—ready to explore, enjoy Mexico, and let loose,” says the bride.
The pair would host four days of events, including welcome drinks, an outing to Monte Alban, a sangeet-inspired welcome dinner, the wedding ceremony and reception at the Jardín Etnobotánico, and a farewell brunch. “We’re both from Indian-origin families, so long weddings and lots of celebration are in our blood,” adds Poppy. Guest experience was paramount for the couple, who took a few visits to Oaxaca City to craft the perfect recommendations and itineraries for everyone to enjoy on the trip. “We designed a custom website that matched our invitation suite and had a digital map of all the wedding event locations and must-see places in the city,” shares the bride. “We wanted guests to arrive and feel immediately at home and taken care of.”
The to-be-weds also wanted their wedding to be a celebration of culture. “For each event, we wanted to blend our heritage—we’re first- and second-generation Indian-Americans—with the culture of Oaxaca that we love and appreciate so much,” says Poppy. The couple worked with Mexico City-based wedding planner Lupita Tirado to bring many of their ideas to life, including working with non-profit Cosa Buena to source local textiles, pottery, and mezcal for guests. Their paper goods designer and friend Linsey Fields even traveled to Mexico early to source other décor details for the weekend from local artisans.
When it came to their fashion, the couple leaned towards pieces that celebrated Indian craftsmanship in modern silhouettes. “We explored both Indian and American brands to find pieces we felt most ourselves in, and that truly represented our style,” says Poppy. To kick off the celebrations, Ajay wore an off-white ensemble from Kartik Research with Indian embroidery details, while the bride donned a silk Dries Van Noten look and a bag from Tigra Tigra, a brand that partners with Indian weavers. For the welcome party sangeet, the bride decided to work with stylist Keerit Kaur to source her ensemble, settling on a matching blue pearl skirt set and dupatta from Kynah. “It was my something blue,” adds Poppy. The groom wore a hand-painted vest from Anita Dongre and gemstone-lined trousers from Bode for the event.
While Poppy originally intended to wear a traditional red sari for the ceremony, the bride changed her mind when she came across the Vivienne Westwood Nova Cocotte gown at their Los Angeles store. “I knew immediately it was the dress I wanted to wear down the aisle,” she shares. “The classic Vivienne Westwood corsetry combined with the almost matte fabric and soft organic drapery felt quite fitting for our historical venue.” She paired the gown with Completed Works pearl earrings that were a birthday gift from Ajay and a gold bangle engraved with florals that belonged to her grandmother. For beauty, “I kept my hair in a simple up-do with gajra—jasmine flower hair garland and a traditional Indian bridal touch I’ve always admired,” says the bride. She would later change into an embellished crimson sari from Matsya for the reception. Poppy adds, “My mom helped me drape the sari in a classic Gujarati style—a nod to my roots which allowed me to move around more easily!”
Once Poppy decided to wear a white dress down the aisle, Ajay decided a black tuxedo felt right for his look. He worked with tailor High Society to craft a custom design. “It’s a second-generation Korean-American-owned brand that is fully bespoke,” explains Ajay. “Brandon there designed a custom shirt, bowtie, and cummerbund for me, all made out of imported Indian dupioni silk. The fabric brought a very cool and unique touch to the full look.” He adds, “The tuxedo looked ‘standard’ at first glance, but up close you could see the texture and slight shimmer of the silk. It was a very special nod to my heritage.”
To dance into the night, Poppy changed into a custom mini from Portuguese brand Béhen. “I wanted to wear something feminine yet fun for the last part of the evening,” she shares. “We worked together on a pleated dress made from a vintage Varanasi silk sari fabric. Béhen added small mirrors to the dress in a unique embroidery style called ‘abhla’ from my parents’ home state, Gujarat.” She paired the look with mirrored stockings from Yoshita 1967. “Being able to wear and support two contemporary brands that I admire deeply was so special,” she says.
Festivities kicked off with their rehearsal dinner at Las Danzantes and welcome drinks at Selva Bar in downtown Oaxaca City. “We made the bold choice of having our main cocktails be all mezcal-based [as] Oaxaca is truly famous for mezcal,” shares Poppy. “Many people came up to us to tell us that mezcal was their new favorite liquor, and some maybe had a little too much some of the nights.” The next morning, adventurous guests headed to the UNESCO Heritage Site Mount Alban for a tour of the ancient city. “It had a strong turnout, with over 100 people hopping in sprinter vans from our hotel across the city, each with an individual tour guide.”
That night, guests celebrated Valentine’s Day and the to-be-weds during their welcome dinner at Enrique Olvera’s Criollo. The evening featured a three-course dinner, a henna artist who created mehndi for guests, piñatas, and curated welcome bags. “We’d imagined the night to be more low-key, but it turned into a full ‘sangeet’ to Indian music both old and new,” says the bride. “We had our friend Radha, who is a very talented DJ, spin up an amazing playlist of old and new Indian tracks that got everyone (kids and elders alike!) on the dance floor.”
The wedding ceremony took place at Patio del Huaje, a stone-covered passageway next to Jardín Etnobotánico. “I remember telling Ajay how beautiful the space was,” shares Poppy. “When we found out we could have our ceremony there and that our guests could then walk through the beautiful garden to get to our reception space, we were sold.” The space was simple, save for a large Guaje tree and a fountain. “We didn’t want to bring too much to the space, as we enjoyed its simplicity, but we also wanted to pay homage to traditional Indian wedding design elements,” says the bride. “Our planner made a custom mandap out of oak, sourced a beautiful havan stone fire pit, and worked with our florist, Dia Uno, to make tuberose garlands.”
