David Tutera Tells All

DAVID TUTERA Tells A

David Tutera’s artistry was on display at an event he recently staged for wedding professionals at Newport’s Ochre Court.

With more than a thousand nuptials under his belt, celebrity wedding planner David Tutera knows a thing or two about making the Big Day a success.

By Fred Albert | Photography by Alex Paul

Tutera has hosted nine TV shows, and his client list includes Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Barbara Walters and Nancy Reagan.

In a career spanning 30 years,

celebrity wedding planner David Tutera has overseen more than a thousand nuptials for Hollywood A-listers, athletes and titans of industry, and has hosted such TV series as My Fair Wedding and David Tutera’s CELEBrations. Along the way he’s authored seven books on weddings and entertaining, designed a line of bridal wear, and still finds time to work with a handful of engaged couples each year (like the recent pair who insisted on playing Grateful Dead music throughout their reception). In a conversation with Newport Wedding editor Fred Albert, Tutera discussed what makes Newport a great wedding destination, how to avoid picking the wrong wedding dress, and what he really thinks of emailed invitations. (Spoiler: He’s not a fan.)

FRED ALBERT: You recently hosted a three-day event for wedding professionals in Newport. W hat were your impressions of the city as a place to get married?

DAVID TUTERA: I was most surprised by the vast uniqueness of the vendors and venues. New York City doesn’t offer this massive plethora of venues. Any person coming to Newport can find something for them. There’s everything there. It’s crazy!

Your weddings typically cost several hundred thousand dollars. If a couple’s budget is more limited, where should they focus their spending?

Obviously, food. Food is taking care of your guests and creating a cuisine that speaks to the style of the party. The second place I ask people to spend their budget on is entertainment. I’m not a big DJ fan, but it could be a good DJ with an ancillary setup of live musicians, or a band, or an orchestra, or specialty entertainment. And the last place is the décor. Other things are important, but you don’t have to spend much money on those.

You say you’re not a big fan of DJs. W hy?

A DJ is supposed to be the background. A DJ that is very vocal, speaks too much, announces a song, decides to get people up on the dance floor by [raising] their voice, is just wrong for a wedding.

W hat makes a good DJ?

I like a DJ that understands the music that the couple is expecting. I always ask for playlists. If you’re playing great music and it’s shifting through the wedding, it changes the energy and mood of the setting. So it’s actually an inexpensive thing with a very big reward.

If couples need to save money, where should they scrimp?

I think people spend too much money on cake. I think people spend too much money renting expensive tabletops — glassware, flatware, charger plates, linens, chairs. You can use what the venue already has to avoid additional expenses from having to rent from a vendor. Favors

A harpist floats above a fog-covered floor in this ethereal event Tutera staged at Newport’s Castle Hill Inn.

are not a necessity; those are not memorable, and you want to spend your money on things that are going to be remembered for a lifetime.

Any suggestions for dressing a table without spending a lot of money?

I would do low centerpieces with florals that are in season, not out of season, because that costs more. Sometimes people put so many florals into a centerpiece that you don’t even pay attention. We did an event in Newport where we showcased the simplicity of flowers: Just a couple of unique stems, a couple of orchids, some interesting greenery, and some really sleek candles with a great container. Visually, it was breathtaking — very simple and understated.

W hat are other trends in florals right now?

We’re going back to a more romantic approach to flowers. Viburnum, tuberose, lycianthes — anything with a petal count in soft tones is very in. But I also see the opposite side of this: a lot of use of succulents and really interesting foliage, mosses, mushroom pods. It’s a much more modern approach to a wedding. Some people don’t get it, but I think it’s actually really interesting when executed beautifully.

Competition for venues is really intense right now. If you’re stuck with a bland banquet hall, what can you do to make the space more interesting?

If you’re going into a venue that’s not visually desirable, do a subtle drapery around the perimeter of the room, and then do simple uplights to illuminate the space. Drapery doesn’t cost a ton of money, depending on what you pick, how tall the ceilings are, and how large the room is. Then you focus solely on the table settings, and you can turn something that’s not pretty at all into something very romantic and lovely. There are a ton of drapery companies in Newport that can help you install it. It’s not a big expense, but visually, it’s a massive change.

You’ve even talked about introducing new technology like holograms into weddings.

We do a lot of really interesting technology. You can do a hologram of the couple, you can do a hologram of the cake — it’s something I would do when you’re moving from cocktails to dinner. You can place LED panels around the perimeter of the [reception] space, where you’re showcasing some beautiful scenery and it’s moving from panel to panel. It’s expensive to do, but it can replace some of the traditional decor like flowers on the ceiling or big, high centerpieces. It gives you this immersive experience, so guests don’t feel like they’re just stuck in a room.

You have your own line of wedding gowns. Do you have any advice for picking a dress?

You need to know your body type: hourglass, pear… Then you need to know the silhouette of the gown. Is it an A-line? A trumpet? A mermaid? All those names have to sync up to the woman’s body type. Do your homework,

“You want to spend your money on things that are going to be remembered for a lifetime.”

which is very easy to find online. And it’s really important to work with a bridal boutique salesperson who will put you in the right silhouette for your body type.

W hat about grooms?

Today, everybody wants to stand out a little. I think a groom gets that more when they really look traditional. A pocket square with a punch of color is always great; great cufflinks; great shoes. But keep your suit or tux really classic. Your photos will always look like [they were taken] today. I think that’s really important.

So no plaid jackets with wide lapels?

Do it for your rehearsal dinner, definitely not for your wedding.

W hat about for the mother of the brideor groom?

Moms should have their own personalities. They should pick a dress that they would want to wear … to an elegant event, or if it’s a casual wedding, a casual event. You shouldn’t try to stand out so you’re more seen than the bridesmaids, or you’re overstepping the bounds of the bride. It’s a really important dialogue that many families don’t have until the day of the wedding.

I see fewer couples opting for a big wedding cake these days.

I think it’s fine if you don’t want a wedding cake. Quite frankly, wedding cakes cost thousands of dollars, and by the time the cake is cut, most people are either too many drinks in or have left early, and no one’s really appreciating the cake.

Are digital invitations environmentally responsible or tacky?

Not a fan. A digital invite … feels like you just don’t care as much.

Aside from digital invitations, what would you say is the most common mistake couples make when planning a wedding?

Having a ring on your finger and a partner you’re getting married to doesn’t equate to all of a sudden knowing everything that’s needed to run a wedding. Instead of hiring an expert and taking their advice, they’re telling the expert what they should do. That has been a very big shift in our industry over the past 10 years. It causes chaos.

O ther common mistakes?

Not being fully aware of what things cost, and understanding that as the guest count goes up, the budget increases.

Is there a best day and time to get married?

For 30 years, there was always the same answer: Saturday night is the best night, and Sunday is a secondary good night. Right now, any day that someone can get is a great day. I think we’re going to see that issue straight through 2022.

Speaking of CO VID-19, what are your feelings about requiring tests for guests?

We have done COVID testing for guests; we hire companies that do it. Everyone has to get rapid testing when they arrive. You don’t do it in advance, you do it onsite. I think it’s smart. I don’t know if it’s needed today, but if it’s needed again tomorrow, we know it’s there.

How do you feel about vaccine mandates?

I think it’s brilliant, and I think everybody should be doing it. That has to be [explained in] a letter that is sent by the family to all of the guests. I would not include it in an invitation — it would be a separate mail-out.

Do you think weddings will ever go back to the way they were before?

It could go back. The one thing that doesn’t stop is celebrations. People may not be getting the event that they had fully wished for, but the moment and emotion of being together for these people’s weddings is even more powerful than it would have been three, four or five years ago.

Tutera ups the tablescape drama with gray, black and white.