When it comes to setting up an impressive tablescape for a wedding, napkins are extremely important. While it might seem like a minor detail, table napkins serve both functional and aesthetic purposes at a wedding. This simple accessory can enhance the appearance of your wedding table and add a refined touch to your event while providing comfort to your guests as they eat and drink to their satisfaction.
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So, how many napkins do you need to order? Truth is, deciding how many napkins to order for a wedding can be slightly tougher than you have imagined. It’s okay to order in excess since you can always reuse what’s left. But you don’t want to run out of napkins because you ordered too little. That will leave your guests with soiled hands and messy faces! In this article, we’ll provide some guidance for estimating the number of napkins needed for a wedding and how to save money in the process.
Do You Need Napkins at a Wedding?
Napkins may not be the top item on your list of wedding essentials, but it’s a must for every event. It is something you have to get not only because it looks good on your tablescape, but also because guests need it to wipe their hands, faces, and clothes at your event.
A wedding reception is often characterised by eating, drinking, and merriment. It’s a time to party, which also means things will get messy multiple times during the event. This is why you have to have multiple napkins in different areas of your reception venues and have enough for all your guests to use.
There are several types of wedding napkins. But the three most common ones used at weddings as lunch napkins, dinner napkins, and cocktail napkins. Here’s a brief overview of each of them and how they’re used.
Lunch napkins: lunch napkins are medium-sized paper napkins typically used for lunch or brunch receptions. They are square-shaped with an average length of 6.5 inches. You can place lunch napkins at the reception table or buffet table alongside the plates and utensils.
Dinner napkins: these can be either cloth or paper napkins. It measures about 8.5 inches, which means it is the biggest type of napkin you’ll have at your event.
Cocktail napkins: a cocktail napkin is also known as a refreshment or drink napkin. As the name suggests, the cocktail napkin is placed at the bar and each guest gets one along with their drink. The cocktail napkin is the most popular napkin type used at wedding parties. It is also the smallest type, with an average length of 5 square inches. The cocktail napkin may also be placed on the cake table for guests to use when they take the cake and other desserts at the event.
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How Many Napkins Do You Need for a Wedding?
So how many of these napkins do you need to order for a wedding? To determine the number of napkins wedding guests need, you’ll need to have an idea of the number of guests you are expecting at your event. This is why it is important to have your guests RSVP well ahead of the event. This way, you can easily estimate the exact number of napkins or serviettes wedding guests will be getting at the event.
As a general rule of thumb, you need between 3 to 5 napkins per person for your event. Since each napkin type discussed above serves a slightly different purpose, the three or four napkins you estimate for each person will consist of different types of napkins.
In your bar area, you should estimate 2-3 napkins per guest and multiply this by the number of guests you’re expecting. This means if you are expecting 100 guests for your event, you’ll need to place stacks of 200 to 300 cocktail napkins at the bar.
Cocktail napkins are also used for cake tables. Here, you should have at least one napkin per guest since most of them will only take one piece of cake. However, you may plan for more if you have more desserts at the table.
If you’ll be serving a sit-down lunch or dinner, then you’ll need to have lunch or dinner napkins at the table too. For this, estimate 1-2 lunch or dinner napkins per guest. However, if you’re serving particularly messy food, such as barbeque or lobster, you may want to order more napkins since people will need more than usual.
To sum it up:
Get three to four cocktail napkins per guest
Get one to two lunch/dinner napkins per guest if you’re serving sit-down food.
Personalising your wedding napkins is one of the ways you can add a unique touch to your wedding. You can have the napkins customised with the couple’s names, their initials, and favourite quotes or lyrics to their favourite songs. Personalised cocktail napkins look awesome and can be designed in colours that tie in with your decor. They also tend to be of high quality and can be made in your choice of style.
How to Save Money on Napkins for Weddings?
If you’re on a tight budget, the idea of buying 3 to 4 napkins for all your guests might sound too expensive for you. However, since wedding napkins are a must-have, you just have to figure out how to save money while still getting sufficient napkins for your event. Here are a few tricks you’ll probably find helpful.
Use Linens and Napkins Available at Your Venue
Some wedding venues will provide linens and napkins as part of your rental package. To save money, you can simply use this. In most cases, they’ll provide dinner/lunch napkins to go with the meals. This means you only need to buy cocktail napkins for the drink and dessert.
Buy New or Used Tablecloths and Napkins and Resell Them After the Wedding
You may be able to purchase used table linens and napkins at a lower cost. Since your wedding is a one-time event, you can simply sell off the unused accessories after the event. This way, you get to recover part of the cost.
Don’t Customise All
If you are having your napkins customised, it’s best to only customise half or two-thirds of the total number of napkins you need while keeping the rest in plain colour. It helps you save money and you can keep the leftover plain napkin for another use in the future.
For instance, if you need 300 napkins in total, you can customise 150 or 200 and leave the rest plain. Put the customised pieces forward while the plain ones can be kept on standby. This way, the customised napkins will be used up first. You can reuse or sell the plain pieces after the event.
Use Paper Napkins
Paper napkins are generally cheaper than cloth napkins. If you want to save costs, you can go for paper dinner napkins over the more expensive cloth napkins. Of course, you still have to consider other factors, like the nature of your event (formal or informal) and the types of dishes you intend to serve.
Conclusion
Napkins are a must-have for every wedding. You’ll need to get the estimate right so you’ll have enough for your event. The trick is to consider how the napkins will likely be used by your guests, and then you can estimate the total number of guests you’re expecting. Make sure you add a few extras too so you’ll have enough for your event.
