Description:
With a client list that ranges from corporate heavyweights Morgan Stanley and Marriott Hotels to style-setters Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole to Elton John and the Prince of Wales, David Tutera's party-planning prowess is indisputable. A Passion for Parties, his first book, reveals the secrets of the Tutera touch, so now partiers of all stripes can benefit from his decadent aesthetic. In 10 chapters that cover everything from choosing the date and the invitation to design concepts and the icing on the cake, Tutera distills his years of creating gloriously unrestrained events into practical advice for artful entertaining. Whether planning an intimate dinner for four, a formal wedding, a New Year's Eve gala, or a Memorial Day clambake, the key to a successful party is, of course, passion. Tutera addresses the basics of organizing and hosting various types of parties, and throughout shares colorful anecdotes and "Tutera Tips" that vary from the obvious ("If you use open flame candles, make sure you keep the flame away from flowers, tablecloths, and other flammable materials") to the conscientious ("Leftover food from your event can be donated to a local homeless shelter soup kitchen"). Menu ideas, flower arrangements, table settings, and more are discussed in detail, and photographs from Tutera's occasions demonstrate his special flair and provide plenty of inspiration. If Martha's too New England and Colin Cowie too L.A., Tutera's touch could be just right for you. --Rebecca Wright
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