This Wedding Brought Bursts of Color and Lush Greenery to the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Colorado

Washington, DC, residents Puja Bhatia (33 and a lawyer) and Kunal Patel (33 and a consultant) changed up Indian tradition for their destination wedding celebration. “We were going for culturally inspired bohemian style,” Puja says. “I was inspired by the colors around us in the Colorado mountains as well as the jewel tones of Indian culture.” The pair punched up the neutral wood and greenery of their décor with vibrant red and gold paper, eye-catching anemones and sparkling traditional attire. “We chose parts of the Hindu ceremony that spoke to us,” Puja says. “In American fashion, our vows made us laugh and cry.” Kunal entered to the sound of The Chainsmokers in a pedicab with a cloud of pink smoke bombs. “Kunal made the baraat his own because he claimed it was his 15 minutes of fame for the whole weekend,” Puja says. Puja and Kunal departed from the traditional design of a colorful covered mandap in favor of an open, airy stage tucked into a sea of branches and greenery. “I wanted an earthy feel, as though we were standing in a field of Aspen trees,” Puja says. “It was just the right amount of Hindu tradition mixed with mountain style.”The couple opted out of a wedding party, instead asking their friends and family to each play different roles in the day, from emcee and choreographer to ring bearer and flower girls.