Axenya & Jesse
Wedding Party and Family
Dr. Anjala Krishen
Mother of the Bride
There are not enough words to describe the kind of person and mother Anjala is. To say she is the world's best mom is a massive understatement. She is a force in the world for good and genuinely cares about everything she does. She embodies the essence of a true warrior and she-hulk. She is an endowed chair and full professor at UNLV, an ultra-marathoner, a prolific researcher, a mentor and award-winning educator, a creative and maker of beautiful products, a board runner, an entrepreneur, and even more. She earned her PhD from Virginia Tech with multiple master's degrees. She is a loving daughter, sister, wife, and mother, and she makes the world a better place every day with her presence. We are all blessed to know and love her and to be loved by her.
Dr. Pushkin Kachroo
Father of the Bride
When you think of the best dad in the world, Pushkin (aka Juggie aka Doc Dada aka Dada Drona) comes to mind. Juggie taught Axenya everything she knows about math and life and has supported both of his daughters more than anyone could comprehend. During hard times and anxieties, he is always there for Axenya and knows exactly what to say. He is truly the best dad in the world. He is an incredible professor and educator with two PhDs (civil engineering from UC Berkeley and math from Virginia Tech) and a third one in the works (physics at UNLV). His thirst for knowledge is unmatched, and he inspires his daughters to be the best they can be. He is a son, a brother, a husband, and best of all, a dad to his two daughters!
Sheen Kachen
Little Sister, Best Friend, & Bridal Party
The bride's sister is not only her best friend but her soul mate from birth! They are two peas in a pod and truly meant to be. They laugh together, sing together, study together, go for runs together, and talk for hours on the phone and never get bored. Sheen is a brilliant, talented, musical, empathetic, and beyond beautiful person. She is full of inquiry and is truly the most insightful thinker of our time. She got her undergraduate degree in Political Economy from UC Berkeley and Masters in Quantitative Finance at UNLV. She is currently earning her PhD at the University of Illinois, Chicago in Business and Marketing and is ABD. She is also a musician and creative writer who writes the most beautiful songs, sings, and plays guitar!
Dr. Kumar Krishen
Bride's Maternal Grandfather
Dr. Kumar Krishen is the beloved grandfather of the bride who has lovingly said "Grandpa here, nothing to worry" to all of his grandchildren for over 30 years! His everlasting love and support for his family are unmatched. He is a brilliant scientist who brought his family to the United States with very little resources and a lot of courage! He earned his PhD from Kansas State (Go Wildcats!) who worked at The NASA Johnson Space Center as a space scientist for over 50 years. He founded the nonprofit The Krishen Foundation, which funds education for underprivileged children in India and provides incredible resources. He makes the world a better place with his intelligence and humor. Together with his daughter Anjala and granddaughter Axenya, they are the "fastest family" of runners and will always be running buddies together!
Dr. Piyara Lal Kachroo
Bride's Dadoo
The late Dr. Piyara Lal Kachroo was the most incredible person. He was a brilliant organic chemist, professor, historian, polyglot, and life-long learner. He was a beloved father, husband, and Dadoo, and those who knew him loved him more than words can express. He was a progressive thinker who challenged the status quo. Axenya had an extremely close and special bond with her Dadoo and was always his Noona Moona, and she misses him daily. His brilliance and insight into the world will always be missed, and there are so many things Axenya wished to ask him and learn from him before his passing. It is devastating to celebrate the wedding without him, but we will honor his memory every step of the way and take a drink of his favorite Black Lable Whiskey. He was a true trailblazer for Kashmiris and brought knowledge, joy, and laughter to everything he touched. January 1, 1934 - January 3, 2014.
Vijay-Lakshmi Krishen
Bride's Maternal Grandmother
Vijay is the true matriarch of the Krishen family, and she has been the person who taught everyone what it means to love. She has loved and nurtured all of her children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren, and she is a daughter, sister, and wife. She is highly educated with a Master's degree in Human Resource Management. She carries our Kashmiri heritage and teaches us all about tradition and religion. Vijay is a nurturing and loving grandmother and a fierce protector of her loved ones. She has a magical hand in the kitchen making the most delicious Kashmiri food and a quick hand when playing cards as the reigning color champ! Axenya and her grandma have an unbreakable bond and love unlike any other and do everything together from watching soaps (team Steffy on Bold and Beautiful iykyk) to praying to rummy to gossiping. Axenya loves her grandma more than anything!
Sadna Kachroo
Bride's Dadi
Sadna is Axenya's biggest inspiration and driving force behind her success. She is a brilliant educator and science teacher and has changed the lives of hundreds of students and orphans, including in her current role at Balgran (Please donate to support orphans: https://www.balgran.in/). She is a genuinely positive and loving person who has always supported Axenya and has an unbreakable bond with her sons and granddaughters. She is a community leader in Jammu and encourages everyone around her to be their best. She has made a huge impact on everyone around her and makes the world a better place with her presence. She is the best mother and grandmother a person could ask for!
Dr. Lovely Krishen
Bride's Massi
Lovely Massi is the elder sister of the bride's mom, Anjala. She is the mother of Axenya's cousins: Parmesh, Mahesh, and Emma, and she is the grandmother/Nonna to Mayla and Nora. Lovely Massi embodies what it means to be the eldest sister and truly takes care of everyone. She has a PhD in bioengineering and is extremely brilliant in her education and career! She is supportive and loving beyond words, and she is the most fierce and loyal person to her loved ones. She is a beautiful singer and a truly loving person. She is the life of the party and always brightens the room with her presence!
Dr. Sweetie Sangeeta Krishen
Bride's Massi
Sweetie Massi is the elder sister of the bride's mom, Anjala. She is the mother of Kavita, Axenya's bridesmaid, and Luke. Sweetie Massi is an empathetic, intelligent, and passionate pediatrician who has inspired Axenya to become who she is today. Sweetie Massi truly embodies what it means to be a compassionate and knowledgeable doctor. She not only saves lives, she advocates for her patients and their families, and she makes the world a better place with her presence. She is hilarious and the life of every party. She is an amazing mother to Kavita and Luke (and Sparky and Sugar!), and she is the best friend of her sisters. She is an incredible artist, singer, and musician. Check her out on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0b9FXM1Ow7EuBnXOA0FpQu?si=tuTFGNlnSPyLEn7kOsCV0Q.
Dhanajaya Kachroo
Bride's Uncle and Papa
Dhananjaya (aka Raju aka Raju Papa aka Papa) is the elder brother of the bride's dad, Pushkin. He is the definition of love and positivity. He makes the world brighter with his presence, and he brings joy and laughter to every encounter! He is a brilliant banker with a deep love and passion for science and math, who loves to discuss surgeries with Axenya. He has supported Axenya and Sheen as his daughters and is so excited to gain a son when Axenya weds Jesse. He makes everyone happy when he is in the room, and he has the BEST memory in the entire family. Axenya and her Papa have deep conversations, and he has the most astute insight into the world around him. Papa ki pari hoon main hamesha!
Nicklaus Barnes
Older Brother and Groom's Party
Nick is Jesse's older brother. He is a compassionate and kind person who makes people feel safe and loved! He is hilarious and fun and brings so much energy to every room he enters. He is creative and talented in many fields including poetry, writing, and clothing designs. Please check out his poetry book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nuthouse-romance-and-other-prose-nicklaus-barnes/1145022282. He embroiders and makes beautiful clothing items that he sells. He is pursuing his degree at Sacramento City College.
Rita Barnes
Groom's Aunt
Rita is the older sister of Jesse's dad, and she is an amazing woman and person. She supports Jesse and Nick so much, and has always been there when they need her through thick and thin. She is creative and artistic, and she displays her incredible multi-media art in galleries and on display. She is a certified acupuncturist and loves to heal! She has a love and appreciation for Kashmiri culture, and she is beyond excited to see Jesse and Axenya's marriage.
Kavita Krishen-Bodin
Cousin and Bridal Party
Kavita is Axenya's little cousin and certified mini-me! They have a special bond unlike any other and love each other beyond words. Kavita is an undergrad student at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and plans to become a lawyer (Axenya is trying to influence her to become her healthcare lawyer). She is a hilarious, brilliant, and creative person who is beyond insightful and thoughtful. She's one of three stooges ;). She helps everyone around her and genuinely makes the world a better place with her presence!
Emma Tarditi
Cousin and Bridal Party
Emma is the bride's little cousin and theater twin! They have so many hilarious and fun memories and share an unbreakable bond and love for each other. Emma is an undergrad at Hofstra University and has plans to pursue a PhD. Emma is a beautiful and talented singer with the HofBeats acapella group and a creative person who shines on stage! She is truly brilliant and will change the world one day!
Parmesh Krishen
Cousin and Groom's Party
Parmesh is Axenya's older cousin and big brother. They have more memories than you can count and have been through some incredible ups and downs as family and best friends! Axenya and Parmesha have laughed together, cried together, and overcome so much to become the people they are today. Jesse and Parmesh became fast friends and bonded over their love of food, cooking, and history (especially about WW2). Parmesh is a truly amazing dad to Mayla and Nora (and Charlie & Homer) and a phenomenal husband to Heather, and he is an incredible and brilliant computer scientist and entrepreneur! His insightful mind is genuinely changing the world!
Mahesh Krishen
Cousin and Groom's Party
Mahesh is Axenya's older cousin and big brother! They have matching souls and scars (hehe), and they have so many fun memories! Mahesh is a brilliant and creative musician who produces music and plays drums, and he is a gamer and game designer with a creative and insightful point of view. He is a talented director at the local news station who continues to amaze everyone with his artistic mastery and skill. Mahesh and Jesse have tons of fun every time they are together and are the life of the party! Mahesh is recently engaged to the lovely Christina Varnes, and we are so happy for them! :)
Heather Krishen
Sister-in-Law and Bridal Party
Heather is the wife of Parmesh Krishen, Axenya's cousin and big brother. Heather and Axenya hit it off right away and became close friends the day they met. They bond over their love of medicine, Animal Crossing, reality TV, sisterly love and feminism, and making fun of Parmesh! Heather is a former dialysis nurse and an incredible mother to Mayla and Nora (and Charlie and Homer). She is a truly talented cook, a gamer extraordinaire, and a creative, constantly picking up new skills. She truly makes everyone feel special and loved!
Marco Mendes
Best Friend and Bridal Party
Marco and Axenya first met in high school theater as young teens and quickly became best friends. Marco is the most talented and creative person you will ever meet (acting, singing, dancing, improv, sewing, drawing, painting, and even more!). He has genuine love and kindness for everyone he meets and brings life into every space he enters. He is the best friend and soul mate of both Axenya and Sheen, best friends with Jesse, and Axenya's Gemini twin! He is Axenya and Jesse's former housemate, and they loved living together in the JAM house. He is an incredibly brilliant actor who will be coming to the silver screen near you sometime soon ;)
Dr. Korey Tillman
Best Friend and Groom's Party
Korey (Dr. KT!) met Jesse and Axenya at a UNLV party for their mutual friend and became fast friends. Korey is a true revolutionary and brilliant force in the world! He earned his PhD at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and University of New Mexico. He is currently an assistant professor at Northeastern University. His students are beyond lucky to be educated by Korey, who has incredible insight and brilliance in his teaching and research. Jesse and Korey have a lifelong friendship and shared a love of vegan food, research, and social justice!