Red, crystals: must-haves for brides in fall, winter

For those dreaming of a perfect and unforgettable wedding this fall or winter, consider classic red and sparkling crystals, says a star wedding planner in the U.S.

“The color for late 2011 and 2012 is definitely going to be red. Red is glamorous, classic and very stylish,” David Tutera, a celebrity wedding and event planner in the U.S., said in an email interview with The Korea Herald.

Brides can also accentuate their wedding theme with their dress and accessories by adding bling-bling.

“Consider Swarovski crystal headbeads, brooches, and pins to incorporate into your wedding day ensemble,” he said.

Tutera is one of America’s most famous wedding planners, having planned a number of special events for A-list celebrities there. The list of his celebrity clients includes Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barbara Walters and Star Jones. He has been awarded “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner” by Life & Style Magazine.

Tutera is now providing wedding Dos and Don’ts for Korean brides-to-be with his own show “My Fair Wedding with David Tutera,” premiering on WE TV Channel, one of cable networks here, today.

Tutera is a successful businessman and bridal fashion designer who started off in the event industry singing telegrams in costume. His talents were acknowledged when he happened to create centerpieces for a small budget event. “This led to referral after referral and resulted in me creating my company years later,” he said.

The 44-year-old planner has also written a number of books on parties, events and weddings including “A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining (2001)”; “The Party Planner (2005)” and “My Fair Wedding (2011).”

In his show, Tutera works with a different bride each week to help transform her often crazy ideas into a dream wedding.

His challenge will be to make some serious transformations in order to create the memorable wedding day these brides-to-be have always dreamt of, and surprise wedding guests and families at the same time.

“The most challenging part of my job is to make sure that the bride and groom’s dreams are not only met but far exceed,” he said.

The show will feature a bride-to-be who is passionate about gambling and wants a casino wedding with light-up dice; another dreams of a cake topped with frogs and a party you could swear was inside of a swamp. The planner also meets a fianc with a pirate-themed destination wedding; and hears from a butterfly-obsessed bride whose wedding day visions sound more like a bad B-movie, his agency explained.

The show is likely to amuse the growing number of Korean couples who plan to make their wedding not just a one or two-hour event but something special.

Industry sources say clients are asking local planners or event companies to add more personal touches, thanks to Korean celebrity couples who have brought the latest styles from the U.S. and Europe.

For those on a tight budget, the star planner advises establishing your riorities and then sticking to them.

“Brides that have a general idea of what they want to spend end up far exceeding that number because wedding planning is fun,” he said.

“Expenses add up quickly. Set your budget with your fianc at the start and stick with those numbers,” he added.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)