Tutera - My Fair Wedding: Finding Your Vision . . . Through His Revisions!

Gallery Books
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Copyright 2011 WE: Womens Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved. This book is based on the original WE tv series, My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. WE tv and My Fair Wedding are registered trademarks of WE: Womens Entertainment LLC.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Gallery Books hardcover edition January 2011

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Designed by Jaime Putorti

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tutera, David.

My fair wedding : finding your vision... through his revisions! / David Tutera.1st Gallery Books hardcover ed.

p. cm.

Based on the WEtv series My Fair Wedding.

1. WeddingsPlanning. 2. Weddings. I. My fair wedding (Television program) II. Title.

HQ745.T883 2011

395.22dc22

2010045541

ISBN 978-1-4391-9539-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-9541-3 (ebook)

To all of my girls, whether you are a bride or a bride-to-be, remember to always dream about your fantasy wedding. Never let anyone tell you otherwise because each and every one of you is beautiful and deserves your hearts fondest wishes. From the girl wrapping herself in a bed sheet to create her wedding gown carrying her very own paper bouquet... to the nervous mother of the bride searching her attic for the perfect something borrowed... to the grandmother sharing her wedding album with her granddaughterthese cherished moments help create who you are and how you spend lifes most precious moments. Every woman deserves to dream bigso dream bigger!

Wanda and Bert/Season 1

Mandy and Mike/Season 1

Quiana and Michael/Season 2

Christina and Ed/Season 2

Nicole and Ted/Season 2

Caroline and Rob/Season 2

Bernadette and Lawrence/Season 2

Varneka and Anthony/Season 2

Nicole and Dwayne/Season 3

Kimberly and John/Season 3

Theres one very important thing you should know about me. I love weddings! Ive been a celebrity wedding planner for nearly twenty-five years, and doing my thingconsulting with brides, listening (really listening) to their big-day ideas, and then offering my guidance and interpretations to help bring their wedding dreams to lifeis what I live for!

Every wedding needs to tell a storythe unique story of the bride and groom. It explains who they are individually as well as who they are as a couple. My job is to help tell that tale through imagery, design, sound, lighting, food, and (of course!) all the marvelous little details that make the couples wedding their wedding, evoking their personalities. I like to think of it as taking their short story and turning it into a novel. And by jumping into the pages of the bride and grooms story, each of the wedding guests become a part of it too.

When WE tv approached me about doing a reality TV show, Ill admit I was hesitant. But once I heard the creative pitch for My Fair Wedding, I fell head over heels in love with the concept. In each episode, I drop in on a bride in need and spend quality time with hermy goal being to get inside her head and uncover her bridal style (which is sometimes very different from her personal style). When budgetary constraints or other factors (say, a brides obsession with spiders) lead to questionable decisions, thats my cue to get started on my revisions. I adore all of my brides, and I want to guarantee that each one looks back on her big day with zero regrets.

The fact that my team and I (and, of course, our fabulous vendors) will be pulling off these weddings in a mere three weeks only adds to the excitement. It may seem like mission impossible, but remember: Ive been doing this a long timeI can practically do weddings in my sleep! I hope that the following pages will help inspire you with ideas and elements that you can use for your own wedding and that youll enjoy the months of planning for your big day.

My Fair Wedding is a modern-day take on George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion, which inspired the musical My Fair Lady, about a girl whos taught how to sound and act ladylike. Similarly, I teach my brides about style and etiquette, and how to present what is special about them, their personality and style, in a fashionable way, and show them how to exude confidence from the moment they sashay down the aisle until the last song plays at their reception. Whats most touching of all is that, by the end, these women come to realize how all their lessons learned can affect their lives even beyond their big day.

Take one of my brides from the show who I called my Candy Bride. She had rarely worn makeup before her remarkable makeover at Eve Pearl, a makeup studio in New York City. She put her family and day-to-day schedule first, and hadnt taken the time and effort to invest in her own beauty. And dont we all know the power of looking your best? This makeover gave Candy Bride the chance to see a side of herself (a stunning one!) shed never seen before, matching her inner beauty with her outer beautythe beaming smile on her face afterward said it all.

Then theres Wanda, who lacked the self-confidence to speak or dance in public. After a series of professional salsa lessons and some coaching from yours truly on giving a proper toast, Wanda surprised her guests with not only a choreographed number with her groom for their first dance as husband and wife, but also an oh-so-eloquent toast to thank her family and friends.