Printed napkins are a practical, fun and affordable party accent.  They are a fabulous way to set the tone for the affair and bring in a theme or special color.   And determining the number of napkins that are needed for your event is very easy.

When entertaining, the number of napkins or guest towels needed depends on the type of affair you are hosting.  Whether your event is casual or formal, the recommendations below provide a guideline to the number of napkins typically ordered.  So whether you are planning a wedding, bridal shower or cocktail party, or a bar mitzvah,  baby shower, or birthday party, ordering the correct number of napkins will make your event easy to plan and outstanding to attend.

Formal Events
From black tie Weddings to beautiful Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Award Ceremonies or Corporate Affairs, we recommend that you purchase three to four Beverage Napkins per guest to be used for the cocktail hour and appetizers.  If you are having a sweet table, add in one to two extra Beverage Napkins per guest or you can consider Luncheon Napkins for a dessert table. Typically there will be a cloth napkin used for the meal.

Semi-Casual Events
For celebrations such as Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Birthdays or Anniversaries,you will need two to three Beverage Napkins per guest to be used for beverages/cocktails and appetizers.   If you are having a sweet table and would like to lay out Beverage Napkins for that, add in one to two extra napkins per person.  Some like to use Luncheon Napkins for a dessert table and the quantity needed would be the same.  If you are providing a sit-down meal, you will need one Luncheon, Dinner or Guest Towel size napkin per guest for the meal, unless you are providing cloth napkins.

Casual Events
For these types of events, such as Picnics, Backyard Parties, Pool Parties, Bar-B-Ques or Family Holidays, we suggest ordering two to three Beverage Napkins per guest to be used for beverages and appetizers.  If you are having a special dessert table add one extra Beverage Napkin per guest, or you can use a Luncheon Napkin for the dessert table.  If serving a meal, you will also need to add one Luncheon Napkin, Dinner Napkin, or Guest Towel per guest, unless you are providing cloth napkins.

Cocktail Parties
For Cocktail Parties, order four or five Beverage Napkins per guest as these affairs usually involve heavy appetizers and drinks throughout the evening.  If you are having a dessert table or passed desserts, add one or two extra Beverage Napkins or order one or two Luncheon Napkins per guest. If you are offering a sit-down meal, add one Dinner Napkin or Guest Towel per guest for the meal, unless you are providing cloth napkins.

Washrooms
If you have a private washroom for your event, Guest Towels are typically used in the restrooms. Purchase one to two Guest Towels per guest for the restrooms. You can place more guest towels in the women’s washroom than in the men’s washroom.

Special Note

If you are offering passed appetizers, request that your servers pass out a napkin each time they serve an appetizer for the kindest service. If you are offering appetizer stations, request that your napkins are available at each station.

Printed napkins are one of our favorite accents for all types of celebrations.  They set the tone, they set a theme, and of course, they are very useful! Our Design Your Own Personalized Napkin offers a flexible product where you can determine your favorite imprint from text only, a monogram, or add a design. Our Design Your Own Printed Guest Towel is our most flexible guest towel.  And now it’s easier than ever to pick your color theme, pick your style and order the proper number for your event.

Remember to order napkins two to three weeks ahead of time.  Many napkins are printed within one week or less but you do want to be sure to allow time for delivery and time to bring your napkins to the venue.