Stories, guides & honest advice from The Wedding Academy.
Jac Bowie, Owner & CEO of The Wedding Academy, on why wedding planner burnout usually comes from the business model, not the weddings — and the boundaries, pricing and systems that fix it.
A page-by-page guide to wedding planner website copy — what to write on your home, about, services, portfolio, process, FAQ and contact pages to turn visitors into enquiries.
How to handle wedding planner overtime — define coverage hours, write a fair overtime clause, talk to couples kindly and protect your team when weddings run late.
How to build a wedding planner portfolio with no past clients — styled shoots, assisting work, sample documents and process case studies, plus what to include and the honesty rules to follow.
How destination wedding planner fees are structured — flat, percentage, hybrid and à la carte models, what to itemise separately, and how to write it into a proposal couples understand.
How to get wedding planner press features — choosing the right wedding blogs and magazines, building a submission pack, writing the pitch email and following up.
A step-by-step wedding planner client onboarding process — contract and deposit, welcome pack, questionnaire, kickoff meeting, boundaries and templates that keep couples confident from day one.
An honest guide to wedding planner referral fees and vendor commissions — the common models, why there’s no universal standard, what to disclose to clients and how to set your own policy.
How to work out your destination wedding site visit cost and charge clients for it — what to include, three billing models, contract wording, a site visit checklist and how to report back.
Testimonials aren’t the only proof that books clients — here’s the wedding planner social proof to post instead, from behind-the-scenes and vendor tags to case studies, and where to use it.
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Leading Wedding & Entertaining Expert, David Tutera is hailed as an artistic visionary whose ability, uniquely creative talents and outstanding reputation have made him a tremendous success in the lifestyle arena. Tutera has created a name for himself by taking his passion for designing spectacular events and transforming it into a lifestyle.
He continuously exceeds the expected with an unmatched level of inspiration, imagination and innovation to create the latest trends in entertaining. Tutera’s grandfather, a successful florist, first noticed his grandson’s artistic ability at an early age and encouraged David to pursue his destiny. At age 19, with the sound advice of his grandfather and only one client, David opened his own event planning business.
Today, David Tutera presides over an award winning company built from experience, dedication and Tutera’s natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision. David Tutera has a natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision.
Honored by Life & Style Magazine as “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner,” David’s impressive client list includes Jewel, Star Jones’ wedding, Real Housewife Taylor Armstrong’s wedding, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul’s wedding, NY Giants Antonio Pierce’s wedding, Shannen Doherty’s wedding and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Brandy and Ray J, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Lil’ Kim, the Official Post Grammy Parties in New York City, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the Rolling Stones, Nancy Reagan, Prince Charles, The White House, private events for the Vice President, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Susan Lucci, The John F. Kennedy Center, as well as countless film premieres and celebrity parties for royalty, politicians and socialites.
Tutera has also designed events for several charities including the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. David has made guest appearances on Today, Extra!, Good Morning America, The View, CNN, The Rachael Ray Show, The Talk, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams and many more. In addition People, USA Today, In Touch, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, In Style, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Bridal Guide and Town & Country have all featured his work.
Tutera has also made special television appearances in the popular daytime soap, The Young & the Restless and TV Land’s The Exes. David lives in Los Angeles with his husband Joey, daughter Cielo and their rescue dog Lucy.
