Sell Back Your Copy
For a $2.66 Gift Card
Trade in
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining [Hardcover]

David Tutera (Author), Laura Morton (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.



Book Description

September 18, 2001
Truly great parties cast a powerful spell. They delight the senses, lift the spirit, and enchant their hosts as well as their guests. No one wants them to end, and in fact they never do, as the best ones live on as cherished memories. But how exactly do you produce one of these magical gatherings?

The first thing you do is consult David Tutera's "A Passion for Parties." One of the world's premier event planners, Tutera produces extraordinary parties for such disparate luminaries as the Rolling Stones, Tipper Gore, and the Prince of Wales. Now, in this lavishly illustrated entertaining guide, he reveals his trade secrets and helps you stage your own unforgettable event.

As inspiring as it is informative, "A Passion for Parties" is a comprehensive guide to planning any kind of party, on any size budget. Tutera begins with the basics: how to find a location; select the invitation; choose a theme; and make decisions about menus, table settings, music, lighting, flowers, and decor. Then he shows you how to apply those basics to a variety of events: intimate gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, formal celebrations, and holiday entertaining. For the major events, he guides you through the technical details -- what to know if hiring a caterer, live band, valet parking, or tenting service -- and pulls in specialists like wedding cake expert Sylvia Weinstock and culinary master Wolfgang Puck.

Best of all, Tutera identifies the key elements of all parties, large or small, and offers a dazzling array of possibilities to make each party special. Throughout the book you will find dazzling photographs that bring all of his ideas to life. So whether you are planning a romantic fireplace picnic, a ladies' breakfast, a tented bat mitzvah bash, a New Year's dinner party, a Memorial Day clambake, or the wedding to end all weddings, David Tutera helps you throw the party with your own personal flair.

As lighthearted as it is invaluable, David Tutera's "A Passion for Parties" is sure to become your party bible.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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

About the Author

David Tutera is one of the biggest names in the wedding industry, renowned for his wedding design and production firm that has catered to the bridal needs of celebrities like Star Jones and Antonio Pierce of the New York Giants.  And, while not for weddings, David Tutera has also counted Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Elton John, and Barbara Walters as satisfied customers. David will debut his own line of wedding dresses in Fall 2009 at bridal retail stores and boutiques nationwide. Additionally, “Disney’s Couture Wedding Collection by David Tutera” is a line of four wedding decor packages designed for Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California. David has been featured as a wedding expert on several television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Bonnie Hunt Show, The View, TBS’s Movie and a Makeover, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and Fox and Friends. David is often featured in magazines and in printed publications, from Town and Country to The New York Times, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and more.  

Laura Morton is the author of twenty-three books and has written seven New York Times bestsellers, including books with Melissa Etheridge, Joan Lunden, and Marilu Henner.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 18, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743202287
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743202282
  • Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #575,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Authors

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
5 star:
 (17)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book, September 12, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining (Hardcover)
I usually do not review items, but this book, A Passion for Parties, I felt I had to. I saw David on "The View" several times and decided to order his book. I am sure glad I did.

This is one book I have absolutely enjoyed from page 1. David gives great advice for planning an event. He covers all the finest details on throwing a party from invites right down to how much liquor to order according to your guest count.

He also adds humorous stories from his experiences in the industry and very informative tips throughout the length of the book.

I recommend this book highly to anyone who throws a party. I can only hope that Mr. Tutera is working on another book to keep me updated on the latest trends.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars not much useable info, August 4, 2002
By 
Julie Gallaher "jazz singer" (sacramento, ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining (Hardcover)
i was quite disappointed. i had hoped for a few things i could incorporate into my own party giving. but i consider it to be a guide to working with a party planner. no recipes, no how tos. for instance the section on music suggest that you ask the DJ for a list of the types of parties he's worked. i'd prefer a list from david of the best jazz cds to serve at brunch.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars All About Working With Party Planners, October 16, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining (Hardcover)
I expected a book on how to plan your own parties, nice doable tips - not at all what this book is about. If you want tips on hiring a party planner or other party services, this is for you. If you like to do things yourself, ie. cook, plan, decorate, look elsewhere.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
As a party planner and event producer, I have the opportunity to work with many different people on a variety of budgets, from excessive to insufficient. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
tented party, tented space, charger plate, parts vodka, party space
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York City, Design Concepts, Swan House, Grand Marnier, Formal Celebrations
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:





Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject