The Party Planner [Hardcover]

David Tutera (Author), Charles Maring (Photographer), Jennifer Maring (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2005

As the host of the Discovery Channel's popular show Party Planner with David Tutera, leading lifestyle expert David Tutera lends his expertise to people looking to throw an unforgettable party on an everyday budget. In this lavishly illustrated companion book, Tutera lays out his approach to ten theme parties. The examples he presents here include summer and winter cocktails, a wine-tasting gathering, a harvest feast, a Christmas dessert party, a Chinese New Year celebration, and special occasions such as a birthday party for kids, a wedding proposal, and an enchanted anniversary dinner set in a forest. Tutera urges readers to consider the five senses when planning an event-the taste, the look, the sound, the scent, and the touch-and throws in his own personal suggestions, favorite songs, cocktail recipes, and other handy ideas. He also includes plenty of "Tutera Tips" for invitations, entertainment, room transformation, decor, menu ideas, table settings, and floral arrangements. David Tutera is a highly regarded event planner and designer with many celebrity clients. However, as he demonstrates in this book, it doesn't take a lot of money and extravagance to throw an extraordinary party. With David Tutera's fresh, original twist on time-honored traditions, anyone can throw a fabulous-yet easy and affordable-party for any occasion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tutera has honed his party-throwing skills with books on the subject and with his new Discovery Channel show The Party Planner with David Tutera. This book, based on the show and loaded with photos of Tutera smiling as he decorates a cupcake or toasts a marshmallow, covers cocktail parties, dinner parties, holiday entertaining and special occasions, showing two examples of each that Tutera has thrown for his clients. In every case study, Tutera concentrates on engaging each of the senses, with thematic decor, scent (from flowers and candles to aromas from the kitchen), tabletop displays, food and music. For example, for a party to celebrate a couple's new boat, Tutera planned a cocktail party on a dock, with striped beach towel blankets (he includes instructions for making them), mini-burgers on the grill, salty fries, bite-size lobster rolls, summery drinks and a playlist loaded with Beach Boys tunes. Each of the book's sections offers tips, though some are quite vague (e.g., Tutera suggests garnishing a Snowy Cosmopolitan with a snowflake-shaped apple slice but gives no instructions for doing so). And the author's role as party planner to the stars (clients include Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and Star Jones) may account for the extravagant tabletop decorations, which may not appeal to everyone (or their budget). Still, the book can provide inspiration for parties at any level. 210 color photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The author, a famous event planner, has a new Discovery Channel show called The Party Planner with David Tutera, to which this book, obviously, is a companion. The large format and sumptuous illustrations do him proud as he profiles 10 specific parties, for which he designs the decorations. The featured parties include a wine-tasting event, a Christmas dessert party, and a wedding anniversary dinner. His tips, fully described in vivid text, lead readers to certainly more than simply throwing some shrimps on the barbie. No, his parties are quite lovely, quite involved, quite elaborate, but quite stunning in the final effect--and can be accomplished without spending a fortune. A beautiful and helpful book to consult and be encouraged by time and again. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (April 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821261657
• ISBN-13: 978-0821261651
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #92 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Entertaining

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grain of salt, January 15, 2006

By 

Karen Tiede (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Party Planner (Hardcover)

My questions on reading this book were, "who GOES to these parties?" and "who THROWS these parties?" If you can get your mind around those questions, the book is useful.

Point: These parties are expensive. Period. Forget "budget" in any shape, even if you are spray painting your own lanterns laquer red for a Chinese New Year's party, or making table decorations from ToysRUs toys. You could feed a family or two in India for a year with the budget for ANY of the parties in this book, and that might just bother you.

However: I liked this book better than any other party planning book I've ever flipped through because it's about PLANNING, not cooking. He doesn't waste space on recipes, and except in one instance, only gives menu suggestions. I don't cook. My parties are catered from Sam's Club, or potluck. I don't need recipes. I DO need help with thinking through the planning, and suggestions for creating an atmosphere, and pulling it all together to make a memorable event on a $200 budget, and David has suggestions a-plenty. I will definitely do more with my invitations come my next garden party in June.

I hope the people who attend these parties really do have a warm wonderful intimate time. It's also possible they go home and think, "OK, I have to double the budget for MY next party to top that..." But I think that if I dragged David to WalMart with my budget and my guest list, he'd be able to do a pretty respectable job, and that's the sign of a good party planner.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Helpful!!, June 8, 2005

By 

M. Bolognese (Middletown, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Party Planner (Hardcover)

The atmosphere that David creates for every one of his parties is absolutely amazing! He has every base covered, from all of the five senses to the helpful Tutera Tips on every party highlighted in the book. When first looking at the photos I thought that these parties were out of reach for me to re-create, but he shows you how easy it is to create certain staples of the parties. This book was so helpful in pointing out the little things that most people forget in throwing a party, but things which are important to helping the event run smoothly for the host and the guests. Even if you haven't thrown a party before, this book will take you step by step through a fantastic event!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get Ready to Party, May 11, 2005

By 

Vannie Ryanes "Vannie Ryanes/VSR Book Review" (South Orange, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Party Planner (Hardcover)

In The Party Planner, David Tutera shares his event and party planning expertise on paper as well as he does on his Disney Channel television show "The Party Planner with David Tutera".

This book reads like Tutera is sitting in your living room talking to you about your next event. He becomes that involved. You can almost hear him explaining that each of the five senses he brings into play are necessary to make your party work. He talks about the look, the scent, the touch, the taste and the music. Each component is important and relative to the other. For instance for a dinner party he calls Ya-Ya Sisterhood, a beautiful outdoor garden party is planned with pale colors, lots of flowers and delicate china. I admit that this touches my southern girl heart. Among the music he suggests is Bette Midler's "Miss Otis Regrets". Tutera's attention to small details can make any party special; he bought wind chimes for the garden.

Several of the party ideas are a bit lavish for modest pockets but most of his ideas can be reasonably adapted. You will find that you don't always find a 'how-to' after an idea or tip has been given. However, that's not a real problem because the photographs by Charles and Jennifer Maring, are not only beautiful they also give you guidance.

David Tutera appears on ABC's The View as contributing entertaining expert. His clients include Star Jones and Elton John. However, if you have a question concerning your next party you can talk to Tutera online in the The Party Planner forum on the Discovery Channel.

Vannie(~.~)
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