If you’re a fan of Martha Stewart and crazy about gift wrapping, chances are you’re familiar with Baker’s Twine. The colorful little string wrapped around food, gifts and décor is a growing trend among decorators and event planners. You can wrap practically anything in this cotton, earth friendly twine. And it comes in a variety of colors for a special occasion. Whether you’re wrapping holiday presents, baking edible favors or putting the finishing touches on your wedding invitations; Baker’s Twine is the easy accent that transforms your party from simple to elegant.
 {Photo Source: Urban Influence, Style Me Pretty, Baker’s Twine from Koyal Wholesale, Whipper Berry, Koyal Wholesale, Mindy Mae’s, U Create Crafts, Martha Stewart}
Looking for ways to decorate with Baker’s Twine? Any of these colorful creative accents can be used for a wedding, birthday or party. For invitations, use Baker’s Twine tin a matching color to wrap a few strands around your invitation. This is a great way to tie together matching pieces to avoid papers getting lost. If you’re planning multifaceted stationery, use Baker’s Twine to string each piece together. You’ll save money on postage and still have a colorful trendy invitation.
For gifts, you can use the same technique: wrap plain packaged items with multiple strands with Baker’s Twine. Using a hole-puncher, create gift tags and string onto the twine. Then when you wrap the twine make sure the name tag sits on top of the gift. You’ll never have to worry about gifts being confused because the tag is attached! This is great for wedding favors because you can include a small thank you note to let your guests know how much you appreciated them attending your big day. Simply measure one strand the desired length of your favor. Then cut your strands all at once to save time. Add a tag to each strand and voila, you’ve created personalized favors by hand!
Baker’s Twine makes crafting embellishment easier than you thought. With 11 colors to choose from, you can create a fun project for an occasion. Mix and match colors for a woven bracelet, use a needle to embroider wedding invitations, or simply tie a few hostess gifts with twine. Whatever project you have in mind, Baker’s Twine is a great way to add a playful accent without breaking your pocketbook!
 He’s popped the question. She’s wearing her diamond solitaire. Your minds are racing with wedding details. One of the first steps you take may be to find a wedding coordinator or event planner to help you with the big day.
However, before you even meet your wedding planner for your first consultation, there are some important things to finalize. This list is based off of the advice of dozens of wedding planners, who just wish their brides knew these simple but important wedding details before the first meeting.
Here are top 10 things you should know, have or do before you meet your wedding planner:
10. Understand all of the events involved in a wedding, and know which ones you want to participate in (e.g. Rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid tea, morning-after brunch, mehndi party, sangeet for South Asian brides, and so on).
9. Select your preferred venue, and some other venue options.
8. Think about your deal breakers and share them upfront (e.g. no alcohol at the wedding, no meat during the reception, etc.).
7. Know who will be in your wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.).
6. Provide a collection of photographs, sketches or magazine clippings that reflect the style and vision for your wedding.
5. Select your colors, and provide swatches.
4. Set your guest list (and stick to it!).
3. Have a date picked out, or at least several date options.
2. Have a theme or a focused decor vision about your wedding.
1. The number one thing all wedding planners want you to know: Your true budget.
Thank you to all who have contributed to this list, including all of our incredible Facebook-fan event planners, wedding coordinators and contributors.
 {From top to bottom: Tissue Paper Pom Poms, Diamond Rhinestone Ribbon Wrap, Glitter Cupcake Wrappers, Cupcake Stands, Charger Plates, Vintage Paper Drinking Straws, Decorative DIY Trim} Have you fallen in love yet? These wedding supplies are all some of our best selling products that are affordable and budget friendly!
A wedding is the first big purchase a couple will make. There are plenty of costs that go into putting together the ultimate dream day for the bride and groom. From the wedding favors to the wedding cake, everything costs a chunk of change the moment you mention “wedding”. When it comes to saving money and staying within budget there are a few ways to stretch your pocketbook. After all, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a relaxing honeymoon or purchase a home, after the beautiful wedding has been paid for? Here are our top ten ways to spend less on your big day:
- Sustainable Centerpieces: Plantable centerpieces are the biggest rage for budget-friendly brides. Instead of dropping money on floral arrangements for each table, use planted succulents, herbs or flowers for a sustainable Eco-friendly centerpiece that doubles as a wedding gift.
- Buy Bulk Wedding Supplies: Sure you might not need the extra couple vases but the ‘per price’ wholesale prices will save you money and you can incorporate the glass vases into your home décor.
- Buy Reusable Products: Speaking of reusable products, use Eco-friendly wedding favors to cut costs and reduce your carbon footprint. Practical favors will be useful for household items.
- Edible Favors: Instead of practical favors, use edible favors to stretch your budget. Design your wedding desserts in the form of a dessert buffet and offer take home cupcake boxes and favor bags. Guests can load up their favorite desserts or bulk candy for a take home treat.
- Invite Less, Party More: You don’t have to invite the whole world to your wedding. Being choosey with your guest list means stretching your pocketbook for other details. Hosting an intimate wedding reception can be just as memorable.
- Press Play: Instead of hiring a live band, make a playlist of all your must have song choices. You’ll save money and only have to listen to your favorite songs.
- Skip the Tux: Dressing up may seem like a fun for a bride but not every guy dreams of suiting up in a tuxedo. Instead of renting a tuxedo, consider spending the money on a sharp outfit your groom will wear again for special occasions.
- Buy, Don’t Rent: This may sound backwards, but you’ve probably heard the expression “Spend money to save money”. Buying wedding supplies will assure you have enough supplies for your big day, plus you can sell or donate them afterwards. If you rent, you have to pay fees and might not be guaranteed your deposit back if something goes wrong.
- Skip the Paper, Save a Tree: Instead of printing wedding programs and menu cards, many brides are opting out of unnecessary paper for a chalkboard or poster. A large decorative chalkboard with an artistic font can show your guests the schedule or menu without wasting paper. Hang chalkboards on the back of guest chairs for visibility.
- High Tech RSVP: Instead of sending out dozens of envelopes, get rid of the inner envelopes for wedding RSVPs and use email or an online website instead. You’ll save money on envelopes and postage. Not only will your invitations be lighter you won’t have to pay for return postage!
These are only some of our favorite ways to save money on your wedding. Keep in mind you don’t have to plan a lavish over the top affair to host a beautiful wedding. More money is not mandatory when it comes to having a memorable time. Incorporate these helpful hints to save money on your wedding supplies and reception décor!
Comparageddon
When planning a wedding, comparison is inevitable. We compare our dresses, hairstyles, makeup, centerpieces, favors — every detail — to those of our closest friends, relatives and even celebrities. We will plan the most perfect nuptials our peeps have ever seen. We will look beautiful. We will have fun. And we will be thrilled that the entire romantic affair has been caught on tape.
Scary Tale
That day arrives, and inevitably things go wrong. We immediately spiral into sadness: Our comparison led to expectation, and expectation led to disappointment.
When we realize that our hair wasn’t quite as elegantly poofy; that the dress didn’t fit quite as glove-like; that many of our good friends never showed up, and that our table centerpieces, decorations, reception hall and photographs were a complete mess, we throw our hands up, with tears rolling down, and exclaim, “That’s so unfair!” Our big day, the one we’re told only comes around once in a lifetime, has been ruined.
Envy Ivy
When you finally receive the photos and video of your big day, you realize the dress wasn’t as bad as you had first thought: It was worse. You lock these items away and vow they’ll never see the light of day, politely brushing off the enthusiastic requests of friends and family to “send some photos!”
As the days and weeks pass, and the fairy tale like photo albums and videos of other brides make their way into your gaze, an intense jealousy spreads across you. Envy envelops you entirely and you hold it together long enough to run out of the room and burst into tears. You avoid wedding blogs. And then you don’t. You gaze away. And then you’re right back in there again. You degenerate into a constant cycle of comparison.
Compare This!
If you’re among the 1000s of brides thoroughly saddened, disgusted, or depressed by some aspect of your wedding day, then this post is for you. Here, we present the 100 top most unfair stories we have ever come across. (Yes! I am actually attempting to ameliorate your post-wedding depression via some of the most sad and triumphant tales ever heard! More on that at the bottom.)
 By all accounts. those affected in these stories have every right to wallow in self pity, and decry the seeming unfairness that has ruined a special moment in, or the entirety of, their lives. Instead they choose to move on.
While we may not have had the perfect wedding day, while things may have seemed depressingly unfair, in the end, in fact, it may all just balance out.
1. The Hockey Player Who Lost the Gold: In the 1950s, Herb Brooks was a hockey player at the U of Minnesota. He thought he had made the US Olympic team in 1960, but at the last minute, Brooks was cut just one day before the team left for the Olympic games. As Brooks watched from the sidelines, his team won America’s first gold medal in ice hockey. “Well, it looks like coach cut the right guy, didn’t he,” Brooks father exclaimed. Brooks went on to become the best college hockey coach in the country. And he carried on further: He became the head coach for the 1980 US Hockey team who won the Olympic gold medal against the Russians in what is known as the “Miracle on Ice,” considered by Sports Illustrated to be the Top Sports Moment of the 20th Century.
2. The Chef Who Lost His Sense of Taste: “In 2007 Grant Achatz’s star was on the rise. He’d been named one of the best new chefs in America and was running one of the country’s most wildly innovative restaurants. Just as the culinary spotlight hit him, so did the diagnosis: Stage four squamous cell carcinoma: tongue cancer. Aggressive treatments followed. Achatz lost peeling layers of skin in his mouth and throat — and lost his sense of taste.” How did the Chef carry on?” [more via Pavithra Mehta]
3. The Brain Scientist Who Suffered a Stroke: “At 37, Jill Bolte Taylor was a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist with a promising career. Until one fateful morning, when a blood vessel detonated in her left hemisphere. With the dispassionate curiosity of a true scientist she bore incredible witness to the breakdown of her brain functions.” How did this scientist carry on? [more via Pavithra Mehta]
4. The Surgeon With Crippled Fingers: “Born in a village of southern India, Govindappa Venkatswamy lost several cousins to complications during childbirth, all before his tenth birthday. There were no doctors in the village, and these early losses steeled his resolve to become a surgeon when he grew up. He steadily worked his way to and through medical school. Then in his early thirties, just as he was about to embark on his lifelong dream of specializing in obstetrics, he was struck by the dire symptoms of acute rheumatoid arthritis. A disease that drastically twisted and froze his fingers permanently out of shape, like the gnarled branches of an old tree.” How did the Doctor carry on? [more via Pavithra Mehta]
Stay tuned for more inspirational accounts of the seemingly unfair.
You want your life to lose all hatred, jealousy and envy,
and to look instead for courage and love.
You want to surrender absolutely to the divine, to perfection,
to whatever you may want to call it.
You do not want anything egotistical within you.
It is an experiment you are constantly conducting.
- Dr. Govindappa Venkatswamy, lovingly called Dr. V
This Sunday, April 22nd, is Earth Day and in honor of the earth friendly celebration we are helping brides put together their green weddings. Inspired by the Eco-friendly decoration ideas for Earth Day parties, we are drawn to arranging earth friendly wedding centerpieces with faux bark garland and bark vases. Whether you’re planning an Earth Day party with all your friends or hosting a wedding on April 22, 2012, incorporate some of these Eco-friendly ideas for a beautiful table setting.
 {Photo Source: Juicy-Bits, Forget Me Knot Weddings, Green Wedding Supplies from Koyal Wholesale, Green Wedding Shoes, Ruffled Blog, Green Weddings, Honey Suckle Life, Ruffled}
- Faux Bark Garland: Drape your table with faux bark garland for a table runner. Or wrap around candles for a beautiful DIY wedding piece. Garland is an affordable way to decorate your table with a natural effect.
- Bark Vases: If you can’t decide what table cloth to use, opt for beautiful bark vases with white floral arrangements. Natural wood vases can be filled with your favorite wedding flowers for a simple way to incorporate Earth inspired decor.
- Burlap Table Cloth: Looking for an easy way to dress up your table? Burlap table cloths and burlap table decor is all the rage right now. Burlap matches lace, pearls and plenty of other feminine touches that can dress up your table.
- Wooden Boxes: Succulents and floating candles are perfect fillers for a classic wooden box. You can adorn your centerpiece with paint, diamond rhinestone wrap or decorative moss for an easy way to transform a simple wooden box into Earth inspired centerpieces.
- Reusable Candles: Thinking of turning on an Eco-friendly theme with candles instead of lights? You’ll need plenty of reusable battery operated candles for a stunning centerpiece. We love the clustered candle look and you can decorate your table with a similar look using glass vases and pillar candles. Whether you choose to use real pillar candles or battery operated votive, you’ll be saving money on electricity and helping the environment!
Any of these simple Earth friendly centerpiece ideas will help you host a stunning Earth Day wedding. If you’re looking for more creative ways to help the environment with an Eco-friendly wedding, consider purchasing carbon footprint offsets that will offset your wedding’s impact on the environment. Many Eco-friendly brides are opting out of floral arrangements for potted plants, sustainable local fresh food and other great Earth friendly ideas. For more Eco-friendly wedding ideas, be sure to follow our blog!
 Everything about him exudes excellence and luxury. Starting with his “Cha Cha Cha” catchphrase, to his interior design; the style and creativity certainly raises the bar. Colin Cowie designs are showcased all over the world: hotels, weddings and special events. After all, creating new trends and breaking the mold comes naturally to the talented event designer. Celebrities, athletes and rock stars ask for him by name.
Colin Cowie Background
Born and raised in Kitwe, Zambia and educated in South Africa, he didn’t move to the United States until he was 23. With $400 in his pocket, he set out to take Hollywood by storm. Only weeks after he arrived in Los Angeles, he was hired for a benefit to the stars. That’s where it all began! In addition to his design and events, he’s been featured on television shows and written eight books. Colin has created respected businesses built on his award winning brand and design. Colin Cowie Lifestyle creates designs you can see, touch, taste and hear. Built on years of experience, knowledge and an impressive resume, Colin Cowie Lifestyle and Colin Cowie Weddings cater to some of the top parties in the industry.
Colin Cowie’s Elite Clientele
 They don’t call him “Mr. Wedding” for nothing. In 1989, Colin transformed Hugh Hefner’s wedding into a lavish affair. He was so successful, the title became his nickname in the wedding industry. Now he regularly brushes shoulders with the top celebrities in the industry. Oprah, Holly Robinson Peete, Kenny G, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis; the A-list goes on and on! It’s no surprise he is one of our favorite go-to designers for ideas and inspirations. His Colin Cowie Weddings site has plenty of inspirations for how to create a budget friendly wedding that is glamorous and fashion-forward. Our favorite tips? He advises to add plenty of personal touches, such as jewelry, bridal accessories and heirlooms, rather than going over the top on extravagant budget-breakers. “Splurge on five items” instead of trying to squeeze all the must have items you want. You’ll be happier with quality wedding supplies rather than trying to make your budget accommodate everything. His advice is great for brides on a budget or brides with unlimited pocketbooks.
Follow his beautiful Colin Cowie Weddings site and like our pages on Facebook for tips and advice we share online.
 When it comes to celebrities and their parties, no one plans it better than Preston Bailey. Have you ever wondered how Oprah puts together such lavish affairs? Or how do celebrities organize the perfect party with thousands of guests? He is the talent and creative genius behind some of the biggest parties in Hollywood and his portfolio proves it. Four books, numerous endorsement deals and art installations are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the enormous success and style that Preston Bailey has achieved.
Preston Bailey Background
Born and raised in Panama, Preston Bailey has taken the wedding industry by storm. He has come a long way from beginning as a fashion model at the young age of 19. His style and eye for design has helped him evolve into a renowned event and wedding planner. When he’s not shooting television appearances or speaking at public events, Preston is styling and planning events for celebrities such as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and plenty of other royalty, socialites and business moguls. He is known for his keen sense of style and ability to create one-of-a-kind events.
Why We Love Preston Bailey
 His events become beautiful works of art instead of mere occasions. Taking a raw open space and turning it into a themed wedding or special birthday is a talent to be admired. Preston’s events often showcase hanging chandeliers and large centerpieces. Tall vases with beautiful floral arrangements are popular for elegant formal wedding receptions. He transforms floral arrangements into beautiful floral sculptures such as fruit, animals and structures. We’ve never seen someone build and sculpt flowers into such beautiful figures such as floral peacocks, pineapples or a weeping willow, like Preston Bailey.
If you’re looking for great honest advice for wedding planning, event planning and business tips, we can’t say enough about Preston’s blog on his website. His information is a must for wedding industry professionals anyone who owns and runs their own company. Whether you’re interested in hiring an event professional or simply looking to learn more about floral sculptures and decoration ideas, Preston Bailey is someone to follow.
For more information on Preston Bailey or more photographs, visit www.prestonbailey.com.
When it comes to brainstorming popular wedding themes, certain television shows definitely catch our attention. Movies seem to take center stage when it comes to bold dramatic wedding themes but who’s to say TV theme weddings can’t capture our imagination as well? We’re quite smitten with everything Mad Men and the 1960’s wedding theme is quickly catching on with 2012 brides. If you’re a fan of vintage décor, retro style and tea-length attire, a Mad Men theme is definitely in your future.
Mad Men is set in the 1960’s in New York City, with a main focus on the life and character of Don Draper. We’ve developed quite the love hate relationship with Don Draper due to his ‘shadowy past’ and questionable relationships. But that doesn’t stop us from falling in love with the characters and beautiful cinematography. We’re full of creative ideas for how to incorporate a Mad Men style into your wedding theme and reception décor.
 {Photo Source: Beu Weddings, Ruffled Blog, Style Me Pretty, Bridal Accessories from Koyal Wholesale, Wedding Chicks, Green Orchid Events, Marry You Me, Rock N Roll Bride}
- Cigar Bar: Lure the men into your wedding reception with a cigar bar. Treat your man to a personalized cigar humidor for a wedding present and fill it with all his favorites. Then during the cocktail party your groomsmen can light a match to celebrate Mad Men style.
- Photobooth Theme: Decorate a photo booth with plenty of white gloves, fedora hats and pearl accents. Your guests will have a great time dressing up like their favorite Mad Men characters and you’ll have plenty of memorable candid photos you’ll laugh at for years to come.
- Dessert Bar: A modern dessert station with plenty of vintage props is a great way to skip the traditional wedding cake. Set up mini pies, mousse shot glasses and plenty of bar themed accessories for an office style dessert stand. Don’t forget retro cupcake wrappers and sparkling cupcake stands.
- Hotel Venue: A chic downtown hotel or rooftop patio is the ideal place for a wedding reception. The brick buildings and hanging chandeliers will create the perfect retro chic venue.
- Modern Touch: Don’t forget to decorate with modern wedding décor. For seating on a rooftop patio use contemporary benches instead of chairs. Typewriter and office décor is a great way to tie together the Mad Men office space.
- Office Space: Speaking of office décor, if you have access to a modern art gallery or loft venue, it can create the perfect office chic wedding. After all, Mad Men is heavy on the executive office vibe so a lot with plenty of retro furniture can create a wedding venue reminiscent of the advertising agency itself.
Any of these creative ideas can be personalized for your wedding colors. We suggest a fall wedding mainly because of the classic brown and red outfits. The dark tones are popular wedding colors for a fall evening wedding but you can certainly incorporate a Mad Men theme into any wedding season. This theme really makes us wish we were walking down the aisle again, just to play dress up in a chic tea-length dress and retro heels! For more ideas, check out our Mad Men theme Pinterest board!
 If you’re a fan of WEtv or popular wedding shows, chances are you already know who David Tutera is. The award-winning planner has taken the wedding industry by storm. His books, television show and bridal designs are only a few of his note-worthy accomplishments. Everywhere you turn in the wedding industry, there he is with his spunk and style. He even designs a wedding dress collection for Mon Cheri. There’s nothing this fashionable wedding guru can’t do.
David Tutera Background
David got his start at age 19, when his grandfather, a well-known florist, encouraged David to pursue his natural artistic talents. David opened his event planning business, and never looked back. He was named by Modern Bride Magazine as one of the Top 25 Trendsetters of The Year, and was awarded “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner” by Life & Style Magazine.
Now, as the popular host of WEtv’s My Fair Wedding with David Tutera, David features wedding makeovers from brides in desperate need of a style upgrade. Whether you’re at a loss for how to transform your theme into an elegant affair or simply looking for ways to add a little bling, David Tutera is the wedding expert to follow. His popular television show is in its fourth season and continues to amaze us with new trends and themes. He is the ultimate trend-setter for wedding décor. For example, David Tutera featured Koyal Wholesale’s tissue paper pom poms in one of his recent episodes and now they’re flying off the shelves! It’s no surprise our special line of David Tutera wedding supplies are among our top best selling wedding products.
David Tutera’s Celebrity Client List
When it comes to planning a wedding, David Tutera sure knows how to put together a spectacular event. His over the top style transforms humdrum weddings into beautiful elegant affairs. And he doesn’t stop there: He has designed events for presidential candidates, newscasters and celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Barbara Walters, and Star Jones’ wedding. He’s well known for his work for charity events as well, having planned soirees for The Nature Conservancy and the Alzheimer’s Association.
When it comes to lifestyle, design and weddings, David Tutera is an unending source of knowledge and influence. For more on his partnership with Koyal Wholesale, check out our David Tutera wedding products!
P.S. David’s 46th birthday is coming up on April 23! Do you think he’ll plan a more understated affair, or go all out?
Have you ever attended a parade and wondered how such beautiful floats come to be? It takes talent and creativity to create a sparkling float for a memorable parade. Now you can incorporate that same talent into your special event décor. Vinyl floral sheeting is the hidden secret you can’t find at your local art store. Don’t be fooled by the word “sheeting”, this shimmering material can be draped, glued and rolled into any design you can imagine.
 Made of a thin sheet of vinyl, the dimensional die-cut “petals” reflect light to illuminate your table or surface. With a few Floralytes you can light up your table with a glowing masterpiece. Combine the silver floral sheeting with a few pink and red Floralytes for a simple red wedding table. Chandeliers, paper lanterns and candles can all be used to create different themes.
Our favorite way to decorate with vinyl floral sheeting? Using a plain linen table cloth, create a spectacular table runner with a strip of vinyl floral sheeting. You can decorate with any color combination of table cloth and floral sheeting. Cut each strip to be a foot wide and drape across each wedding table, then complement with matching charger plates and linen table napkins. You can adapt this for any color scheme you want to decorate with. We’ve seen these popular decorations at weddings, anniversary parties and birthday parties. For a pretty in pink birthday party or a sweet sixteen bash, hot pink vinyl floral sheeting with pink balloons will create an over the top girlie bash. Don’t forget our themed floral sheeting patterns for special events, such as the Fourth of July and Mardi Gras.
The first thing that people see when they walk into your reception is the table décor. Catch their eye with these beautiful shimmering floral sheets for a wedding reception they’ll always remember. For more ideas, be sure to follow our Hot New 2012 Wedding Trends pinboard on Pinterest.
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