Real Weddings

Real Utah Wedding: Neelam Chand & Shibu Basuthakur at Montage Deer Valley

Bollywood meets the mountains—this traditional Indian wedding featured three days of events at Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah

With twoolf June 12, 2017 Published in the Winter/Spring 2017 issue of Park City Magazine

LIVE IN Millcreek OCCUPATIONS She’s a communications director for diversity at the University of Utah; he’s a product manager at Pluralsight HOW THEY MET Through a mutual friend. They started communicating via email, then on the phone, and eventually he flew from Phoenix, Arizona, to take her on their first date in Park City. HOW THEY GOT ENGAGED He first told her he loved her on a rooftop in NYC. About a year later, he got down on one knee and proposed on a rooftop in Portland with music, flowers, and Champagne. WEDDING STYLE Traditional Indian wedding with three days of events including a Bollywood-inspired Mehndi night with henna, food, dancing, and a flash mob; the Baraat (groom’s processional with drums and dancing), a traditional Hindu ceremony, and lunch; and a reception with food, drinks, speeches, and more dancing NUMBER OF GUESTS 105 CULTURAL ELEMENTS They had a Ganesh Puja (prayer) to bless both families a few days before the ceremony. The bride wore multiple saris in yellow, red, and blue. The groom rode in on a convertible Mustang instead of a traditional horse for the Baraat; it was a perfect way to mix tradition with modern flare. FAVORITE CEREMONY MOMENT The bride’s brothers carried her out to the Mandap (altar) in a traditional carriage handmade by her cousin MENU Eggplant and roasted pork belly and lobster fritters, and pan-roasted salmon with parsnip purée DRINKS Plum-Basil Gin Fizz and Cucumber-Bourbon Mule DESSERT Henna-decorated cake, green tea jasmine macarons, dulce de leche mini cheesecakes, Oreo chocolate mousse, mango berry fruit tarts, mini churros with caramel dipping sauce FIRST DANCE “Bolna” by Arijit Singh THE DAY IN THREE WORDS Classic, majestic, surreal HONEYMOON A trip to Europe is in the works

During the reception we surprised our families with a choreographed Bollywood dance. Everyone was blown away because they know Shibu is not a dancer. He proved them all wrong. —Neelam