By Lori Acken
For the third season, premiering Sunday, June 6, at 10pm ET (following the Season 7 premiere of the network’s signature series Bridezillas), Tutera is leaving the metro New York area that he calls home and taking the show on the road.
“I’m very excited that we’re traveling for this season — two weddings in Dallas and five in the L.A. area,” he says. “It’s really been great to see the diversity of weddings across the country. And we are loading the episodes with many more surprises — and over-the-top weddings, as well!”
Tutera knows a thing or two about unusual requests, having worked in earlier episodes with a candy-crazed bride, a tattooed Marilyn Monroe impersonator and a woman who did all of her wedding shopping at the dollar store.
“I must say that it’s hard to surprise me — but there have been a few moments when I thought I was being Punk’d!” he admits. “This season we have a bride that was obsessed with frogs and wanted a swamp theme for her wedding! I was certainly surprised.”
Tutera says he hopes brides-to-be who watch his show find inspiration in his ideas and offers them this vital piece of sanity-saving advice: “Select one or two people at the most to turn to for guidance and help if you can’t afford a planner.” But if you do have a few extra bucks in the budget, “at a minimum, hire a planner for the day of the wedding so that you can relax and enjoy the wedding day.”
And though he’s been a guest at countless weddings in his 25 years on the job, Tutera says there’s still something memorable about each one.
“One very special moment this season was that one of my brides surprised me at her wedding by giving me a thank-you toast that was so special and she and her groom made a donation in my name to one of the charities that I support, the Prevent Cancer Foundation. That truly touched my heart.”
Photo: Credit: WE tv