When it comes to wedding planning, many trends come and go quickly. While it can be hard to keep track of what to include on your big day, celebrity planner David Tutera breaks down his 2024 do-not-do list.
Tutera, 57, has designed lavish events for Elton John, Shannen Doherty, Star Jones and rum heiress Erica Bacardi, and also hosted the WE TV series My fair wedding. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, he has seen many trends. Below, he weighs in on what to avoid when planning your wedding.
Neon signs
According to Tutera, illuminated decor does not “elevate” your wedding. “These are better suited for a bachelorette party or Bar Mitzvah,” he adds. If you still want the look of the sign, he suggests “creating the same image out of flowers.”
Tossing the garter
This ancient tradition is a big no for Tutera. “Guests can quickly become rude and uncomfortable watching this nonsense,” he says. “Just don’t do it.”
Getty
Choreographed dance point
“It’s rare to see a well-executed choreographed dance performance at a wedding,” says Tutera. “Sweet idea, but nine times out of ten it doesn’t work. Rehearsals and planning take so much time and I’ve seen it fall apart too many times. Unless it was the entire bridal party Dancing with the stars then skip it!”
Light bulb printed letters
Tutera says this may be – depending on execution. “It’s all about the style that makes the difference,” he adds. “Adding drip flowers (real or fake) can dress up the decor and can be a great addition to arrival cocktails or an after party.”
Champagne Tower
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(761x199:763x201)/2024-wedding-trends-122123-1-a2718181c06b44c19283dded95e12855.jpg)
Getty
“Overdone and outdated,” he says. “This concept is also overused and doesn’t really add anything to the wedding. I would rather have an amazing installation of champagne glasses built into the walls that guests can reach for their champagne glass.”
Tutera adds that planning your wedding “should be fun, exciting and magical,” but it often turns into stress and problems with family members.
He says that “preparation and organization” are the two most important factors when trying to pull off the perfect wedding. “Making decisions and sticking to them is a must.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
To make the experience more enjoyable, Tutera also suggests that couples take moments to simply “breathe and step away from planning. Give yourself time to reset, because this is a magical time where you should be having fun.”
But before the planning process begins, the first step should always be budgeting. “You can’t really achieve much if you don’t know what you can afford for your wedding,” he says.
Tutera also suggests choosing a wedding friend. “Pick one person outside of your bridal party and lean on them for advice. They may be able to calm you down when times seem overwhelming,” he offers.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education