Tutera is not only an amazing planner, he’s a fabulous designer. He created a beautiful Mexican inspired wedding for Christina, whose Riviera Maya destination wedding had to be canceled. His first stop was to check on the decor at the hotel where the reception would be. His team was already doing a great job; he added a few more touches to the look.

Next he visited the bride who was in the process of getting her hair and make-up done.

Never a private moment on a TV show.

This is when he reminded Christina of the 3 dresses she tried on. He is about to tell her which one he chose for her. (This also happens to be one of my fave moments each episode of the show. I can’t help loving that they don’t know which gown he chose. The suspense is super fun. And while most women wouldn’t want someone else to chose this most important of all dresses, I actually would have loved it. I had such a hard time figuring out what to get.)

Before and during the ceremony, there is tons going on both behind the camera and in front of the camera. These portraits show how David is working to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch. Before the ceremony he is checking to see everything is in place. As guests arrive, he greets them and helps them get where they need to be. During the ceremony, he is watching here, there and everywhere.

Being on a public Staten Island beach with lots of cameras, the wedding was sure to draw a crowd.

Still, the crew was pretty inconspicous during the ceremony. One team all the way back and two teams on the side at the front. No guests’ views were interrupted. As photographers, we pride ourselves on putting the wedding first. After all that’s why we are all there. So it is really nice that Tutera’s team also has this in their mind, even when their work is for TV.

After the ceremony, whether for TV or not, David brings his couples into the reception hall before all of the other guests, so that they can actually take a moment to enjoy the space he has created for them. So they can check out the details they have thought about and planned with him. Christina and Ed are clearly enamored with their colorful chocolate cake.

Their first dance in the dreamy tropical space.

One question we get about the show and working with David is: Is he really that nice? The answer is absolutely 100% yes. He is a truly down-to-earth, caring gentleman AND he likes to have a good time. He doesn’t dance at every wedding but when appropriate, he will enjoy the party with the couple and their guests. Enjoying a moment with the bride.

Dancing with a bridesmaid.

Clearly he felt a connection with this group and they with him. They even invited him into their group hug.

The folks who make it a televsion show. Yup, that’s a lot of paparazzi.

And finally, David and David.

What a great day to be a part of! We are so thankful to David Tutera and his team for asking us to photograph this My Fair Wedding episode.

Here’s a few pages from Dave’s Chapter in the book. Yup, a whole chapter. Did I mention I was proud? He photographed Christina and Ed’s Mexican dream wedding. They had initally planned a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico, but had to change their plans suddenly. With no time whatsoever, they were at a loss. David Tutera created a stunning Latin inspired wedding in Staten Island. They were even able to wed on the beach. Amazing!

And now a few details that actually aren’t in the book for those who want more.

Christina’s dress was one of the first from the David Tutera by Faviana bridal collection. It’s perfect for both the ceremony and the reception; the skirt below the flowers can be removed for a fun party dress.

If you’ve watched My Fair Wedding, you know that David makes the decisions. The brides can voice their opinions, but in the end, the buck stops with Tutera. Once he decided on the Latin theme, he included it at every turn. The bridesmaids dresses, for instance, were light, airy and supremely colorful.

As I mentioned, they were able to host their ceremony on the beach. It was quite breezy.

David transformed this corner of the beach into an oasis with tropical plants, orange and yellow roses, green turf and gold chiavari chairs.

The string ensemble enhanced the mood with beautiful music.

Blue skies and puffy white clouds with an oceanview. Oh my!

In the distance, the clouds weren’t quite as playful, but I love the bridge peaking through them. And a chance to see what was going on nearby at the beach.

Everyone went inside the hotel for the reception. The colors and theme were carried through into these spaces as well.

Cocktails with fruit.

A Mariachi band started off the party with Mexican flair.

A very romantic, warm dinner table. Roses dripping from everywhere and amber plates and glassware.

Candlelight always great for ambiance.

Bringing in the tropical flowers and more vibrant colors on a chocolate cake. Mmmmmm…..

To end the day, what could be better than fireworks?

The bride and groom were definitely surprised and happy with this ending!

Congrats to my hubby, Dave Lee; to our friend and fellow photographer, Critsey Rowe, who is also published in the book; and of course, to the man behind it all, the extremely talented, warm, and charming, David Tutera. It is such an honor and pleasure to work with David and his team- consummate professionals and creative geniuses!

Check back soon for a behind the scenes look at the making of this season 2 episode of My Fair Wedding.

If you want seriously useful and helpful advice in the meantime, check out The Big White Book of Weddings: A How-to Guide for the Savvy, Stylish Bride. In honor of the opening of the MFW season and in celebration of the new year, we thought it would be fun to give away one of these books. As it happens, the copy we have for one lucky winner is extra special as David even signed it. Very cool indeed!

So how can you win aforementioned signed copy of Mr. Tutera’s book? We have set up a special area on our facebook fanpage devoted to the contest. All you have to do is:

1- Become a fan of Allegro Photography on Facebook.

2- Leave a comment in the David Tutera MFW Celebration Gallery telling us which wedding in this gallery is your favorite.

Best of luck! and Happy New Year!

I’ll be honest I can’t tell you all about the article our work is part of, because, as you would expect, it’s in Japanese, but what I can gather is that they were highlighting several vendors celebrated in the international wedding industry. They focused on florists and event planners, in particular. And David Tutera, whom we have worked with on several occassions, was number one on their list. It’s no surprise as his work is astounding- it completely captivates all of my senses.

Our image was taken during a wedding at The Fairmont’s Plaza Hotel in New York City. The whole concept was based around crystals and they were everywhere. The ballroom sparkled.

If you want to see more of David‘s work, definitely check out:

David Tutera’s Metropolitan Club Wedding
Tutera’s Gotham Hall Wedding

Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Inspiration

More of David’s designs still to come from a fall episode of My Fair Wedding.

We submitted images from this fabulous Plaza Hotel wedding in New York City. It was designed by the trend-setter David Tutera and his talented team. With his table decor, he not only defines the space around a table, but creates a feeling like you have been transported to whole other world. All of your senses are enticed. It’s an amazing experience. We are thrilled that we could share one of his signature designs with Grace Ormonde readers.

If you would like to see more from this wedding, definitely check out our story from the wedding.

And if you would like to see other David Tutera wedding designs and ideas, check out these posts- NY Metropolitan Club Wedding, NY Gotham Hall Wedding, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Inspiration. More of David’s designs still to come from an episode of My Fair Wedding.

Cover image by Jade Studio Productions.

The event got kicked off with a performance by Nuttin But Stringz. This rock violinist duo totally captivated me. I love their music and their performance- they are clearly influenced by world music, classical, rock and hip hop. Check out their sound on their website and check out their moves below.

Then we were treated to a fashion show of David’s new line of wedding gowns. So different sitting in the seats rather than the press area, like we have when we were shooting for Lucire magazine. I could see just enough to develop some strong favorites. The concept behind the gowns is that they are all inspired by red carpet dresses worn by celebrities, refashioned into something glamorous for your wedding day. There is definitely something for everyone in this line, both in terms of style and body type.

My favorites? Let me begin with Eva. This dress starts off full-length with gorgeous tafetta roses directing the eye along a woman’s curves. The lowest part of the skirt can be removed to reveal a short party dress with an assymetrical hemline. A little surprise when the bride returns for the party. A fun, flirty, vivacious dress. I also really liked Charlize and Fergie, another dress that turns into a cocktail dress- totally wearable.

Gwenyth, below, was simply stunning. I loved the color imbued in this dress- champagne, ivory, gold, crystals reflecting the light- along with the lines and the empire shape. Beautiful, simple, elegant.

And another favorite was Olivia. It actually reminded me of something from the movie Titanic. Really soft with antique touches. And you have to love the cap sleeves bejewelled at the edges. So pretty.

They concluded with the grand finale dress- the Platinum Gown. This dress was dripping with 33 carats of diamonds, white keshi pearls and more than 145 carats of aqua marine. The dress was pretty, but honestly I liked the other styles better. I guess that’s a good thing because the Platinum Gown retails for over a half million dollars. Wow!

The last walk…

With David and Faviana- the model in the back is wearing the Platinum Dress…

One more note about the fashion show, Dave and I were totally laughing because we recognized all of the music. I don’t know a lot about music artists and I am not really up on what’s popular, so this is definitely a rare thing for me. (Dave actually does know this stuff- he is way more hip than I am.) But these songs were all the fun songs we hear at weddings. So of course, I knew them and they were totally appropriate.

After the fashion show, David (Tutera) introduced the premiere of Season 2 of My Fair Wedding.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with Quiana and Michael’s wedding. Quiana is so lovely, offers up surprises at every corner. And you can see how much she appreciated this opportunity. Totally fun moments from the viewing, which unfortunately I am pretty sure won’t happen in your living room, they shot butterfly confetti out at us when David revealed the ceremony space and the reception space to Quiana and Michael. Such fun!

I am so excited to see the episode that Dave photographed, now. It must be really different to watch the event unfold on the day, almost like slow motion, versus the edited version where everything happens in a whirlwind.

Okay and just to give you a sense of what Gotham Hall looked like last night. Love the lighting design.

A few young girls who had to get in on the runway action.

Dave photographed David Tutera’s decor from a wedding at Gotham Hall earlier this year and we always love seeing a space used in different ways. Set up for the fashion show was definitely different.

After diving into the dessert bar upstairs- yum!, we had to see what it felt like to be on the other side of the camera and stand in the lights. Aren’t we glam!

Thank you to David, Liz, Ashley, Nora and Nicole- you guys put together another amazing event- no surprise there- and we had a really great time celebrating with you. Congrats!

When the guests first arrived, they were greeted by a security detail and serenaded by violinists.

They entered the Grand Ballroom of Gotham Hall to find their escort cards laid out on this beautiful table. Then took their seats for the ceremony behind it.

At the top of the entry, you see the full view of the ceremony space. The aisle lined with elegant floral arrangements on pedestals. But the Chuppah was simply out of this world. I love the view from the inside looking out. This is one canopy I would gladly start the rest of my life under, and for that matter spend the rest of my life under (assuming the flowers wouldn’t die).

And a close up…

And you can get the full awesomeness of the scene, as the bride takes her first steps done the aisle…

Another amazing aspect of this wedding was the food- the presentation was simply a work of art. The champagne was chilled in ice sculptures.

An array of sushi in every shape, size and color.

The bride and groom were Russian Jews so the food also needed to pay homage to their roots. Each guest received a rainbow of caviar at his seat.

And the piece d’resistance, the stunning cake designed by Sylvia Weinstock. The craftsmanship, technique and attention to detail that goes into her cakes are exemplary.

During the cocktail hour, the David Tutera team transformed the space from the ceremony arrangement you saw above to the reception arrangement below. I think they had just over an hour to get it all done.

They turned the Chuppah into a canopy for the sweetheart table. This is the bride and groom’s view (looking to the right) during the reception.

And another view (straight ahead), where they can see the dance floor.

Some of the tables were arranged in a criss-cross patern. In the center was this tall arrangement with roses, willow branches, and all kinds of flowers pouring out of the urn and the pedestal.

These displays of calla lillies, roses, and crystals were placed throughout the hall and reached way into the sky.

The whole look was stunning. A huge thank you to David Tutera and his team. We are so thrilled that we could be a part of this beautiful design and capture these images for you.

Want to see more? Check out the slideshow.

Dave captured this at the Westchester Ritz Bridal Show while photographing for David Tutera, who was speaking and displaying his work.

Check out more from the show here.

Dave captured this at the Westchester Ritz Bridal Show while photographing for David Tutera, who was speaking and displaying his work.

Check out more from the show here.

Dave captured this at the Westchester Ritz Bridal Show while photographing for David Tutera, who was speaking and displaying his work.

Check out more from the show here.