The Tamesis
When planning to propose to Poppy Thekdi, tech entrepreneur Ajay Mehta decided to get down on one knee at the spot where they first met. The original dates took place in the summer of 2020, when the world was in lockdown. “We spent weeks exchanging long, unhurried messages—sending each other lengthy articles about the state of the world, grocery store and hiking recommendations, and reviews of movies we’d watched during quarantine,” recalls Poppy, who works in marketing at A24. “One day, Ajay told me he was planning to make kombucha popsicles. I wanted to try it. We decided to meet up.” The two met for a picnic at Los Angeles’ Echo Park Lake and stayed until the sun went down. “We talked about our dreams, our families, our favorite movies and artists, and we both walked away feeling like we’d known each other our entire lives,” Poppy shared.
After their first meeting, the two met every week. “We were both working from home, spending months between each other’s apartments, cooking elaborate meals for fun, going on long hikes in the Angeles Forest, and taking weekend trips to Southern California,” Poppy said. “We always joked that we knew we’d handle retirement well — that first summer together was a great way to do that.”
After four years together, Applejack and Poppy walked together on Echo Park Lake. “We live nearby and have walked around the park probably hundreds of times but have never taken a cute, romantic swan boat out to the lake,” Poppy said. Applejack suggests that they should hitchhike spontaneously. When they entered the water, he got down on one knee. “I was so surprised! Of course I said yes and I jumped up and kissed him,” Poppy recalled. “With two abandoned drivers, our swan quickly drifted far away among the water lilies. We had to quickly retract our whistle and ride back to safe water to avoid further disturbing the natural flora (and being permanently banned).” After safely returning to land, the couple held a befitting celebration. One passerby even shared that when Ajie proposed, he saw a fish jumping out of the lake. Poppy said: “It’s obviously 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 art, food, and culture of the region. So when it came time to decide on a wedding destination, they decided to take their guests back to that sentimental place during Valentine’s Day weekend in 2026. “It’s wonderful to have a destination wedding because it feels like everyone is on vacation—ready to explore, enjoy Mexico, and relax,” says the bride.
The pair will host a four-day event that includes a welcome reception, an outing to Monte Albán, a sangeet-style welcome dinner, a wedding ceremony and reception at Jardín Etnobotánico, and a farewell brunch. “We both come from Indian-American families, so long weddings and lots of celebrations are in our blood,” Poppy added. The guest experience is paramount to the couple, who have visited Oaxaca City multiple times to provide everyone with perfect recommendations and itineraries during their trip. “We designed a custom website that matched our invitation suite and provided a digital map of all wedding event locations and must-see locations in the city,” shares the bride. “We want guests to feel at home and cared for immediately upon arrival.”
