Personalised wedding napkins in the UK: the decision couples leave too late
Personalised wedding napkins are one of the last things couples order and one of the first things guests pick up. The printing is quick. The part that catches people out comes earlier, and it decides whether the napkins match the rest of the day.
What are personalised wedding napkins, and when should you order them?
Personalised wedding napkins are paper napkins printed with your names, initials, wedding date or a small motif, in colours chosen to match the day. With Printed Napkin you can order from 100 per design, the design is free, and production and delivery anywhere in the UK take 10 working days from payment. Order once the design is settled, not the week before.
That last part is where most couples come unstuck. The printing itself is quick. The decisions before it are what take time: which size goes where, which shade of sage is actually your sage, and whose spelling of the surname is the right one.
So here is the order to make those decisions in, starting with the one people leave until last.
Which napkin size do you need for each part of the day?
Most weddings need two sizes, sometimes three: a small napkin for drinks and canapés, and a larger one for the meal. The size also changes how many you get through, because guests use more small napkins than large ones.
These are the six sizes we print and what each one is for, with the per-guest guide from our napkin sizes, colours and inks page:
| Size | Best moment at a wedding | Folded size | Typical use per guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 × 20 cm (XS) | Drinks reception, bar, cake | 10 × 10 cm | Around 4.5 |
| 24 × 24 cm (S) | Canapés and finger food | 12 × 12 cm | 3 to 4 |
| 30 × 30 cm (M) | Evening buffet, sandwiches | 15 × 15 cm | 2 to 3 |
| 33 × 33 cm (L) | Wedding breakfast | 16.5 × 16.5 cm | 1 to 2 |
| 40 × 40 cm (XL) | A formal sit-down dinner | 20 × 20 cm | Usually 1 |
| 40 × 40 cm (XL, 1/8 fold) | Laid on the plate or beside the cutlery | 10 × 20 cm | Usually 1 |
A common pairing is a 20 × 20 cm napkin with your initials at the bar and a 40 × 40 cm napkin at each place setting. The slim 1/8 fold of the 40 × 40 cm napkin, popular in à la carte restaurants, sits neatly next to a place card.
The minimum is 100 per design whatever the size, so a small wedding of 60 guests can still have its own printed napkins without ordering pallets of them.
How many should you order?
Multiply your guest count by the per-guest figure for each size, then round up. For 120 guests with drinks napkins and dinner napkins, that is roughly 540 of the 20 × 20 cm and 120 of the 40 × 40 cm. Any left over can go in a memory box or out at the morning-after brunch.
Which paper quality suits a wedding table?
We print on three qualities, and the right one depends on how close the napkin sits to the guest's hands and how formal the meal is.
- Tissue, 2-ply or 3-ply. Ultra-soft cellulose and the widest choice of sizes. A sensible choice for the bar, the cake table and the evening food.
- Double point embossed tissue. Noticeably softer and spongier in the hand, thanks to point-to-point embossing. Available in 20 × 20, 33 × 33 and 40 × 40 cm, including the 1/8 fold.
- Airlaid dry tissue. Our best quality and the closest thing to a cloth napkin while staying disposable. This is the one to choose for the wedding breakfast if you want the table to feel finished. Available in 20 × 20, 24 × 24 and 40 × 40 cm.
All three start at 100 units, so you can mix them: airlaid at the table, tissue at the bar.
How do you get your wedding colours right on paper?
Your colours will only match if someone checks them on real paper before the run is printed. A screen shows you an approximation, and an ink printed on absorbent napkin stock shifts again depending on the napkin colour underneath it.
This is why we work from a chart of 37 inks, each flat colour with its Pantone reference, plus metallic gold and metallic silver. If your colour is not on the chart, we can mix it. And for a critical colour, the shade on your invitations or the bridesmaids' dresses, we send a physical sample before printing the run.
There are also up to 28 napkin colours to print on. A deep green napkin with gold initials and a white napkin with sage text create two very different tables, so tell us the napkin colour you have in mind and we confirm which sizes and qualities carry it.
Want to see how your initials would look in gold before deciding anything? Send us your names and colours and we prepare the design for free.
Deluxe® or full colour: which printing suits your design?
Choose Deluxe® for names, initials, dates and line drawings; choose full colour CMYK for watercolour florals, photographs and gradients.
Deluxe® is our own flat-ink printing system, built for the sharpest detail and the deepest colour. It suits most wedding designs, because most wedding designs are lettering and a small motif in one or two colours. It is also how metallic gold and silver are printed.
Full colour CMYK is four-colour process printing, for artwork that a flat ink cannot hold: a watercolour wreath, a soft gradient, a photograph of the venue. If you are unsure, send us the artwork and we will tell you which method it needs.
You can browse finished napkins in our examples of printed work to see how lettering and motifs come out on paper.
What should go on a personalised wedding napkin?
Less than you think. A napkin is small and usually folded, so the design that reads best is short and centred on the visible quarter.
- Your first names, or your initials, with an ampersand.
- The date, written in full or as numerals.
- One small motif from your stationery: a sprig, a crest, a monogram.
- For the bar, a short line such as the name of your signature cocktail.
- A QR code that takes guests to your wedding website or a shared photo album.
Our designers prepare the artwork and every amendment you need at no cost, and you see the finished design before you pay anything. Use that to check the spellings twice, ideally with someone who is not the couple.
How far ahead should you order personalised wedding napkins in the UK?
Work backwards from the date. Production and delivery anywhere in the UK take 10 working days from payment, on orders of up to 10,000 units. Before that, allow time for the design and any changes, and for a physical colour sample if your colour is critical.
- Settle your colours and stationery first, so the napkins match them.
- Ask for a quote with your quantity, sizes and the date you need them by.
- Review the free design and ask for changes until it is right.
- Approve and pay. The napkins arrive within 10 working days.
Tell us your wedding date at the start. We confirm we can meet it before you pay, so you are never left guessing.
If you are also printing coasters for the bar, they carry the same 100-unit minimum and can be quoted alongside the napkins. For logo files and artwork formats, our guide to personalised napkins with a logo covers what to send.
Ready to see your names on the table?
Send us your wedding date, your guest numbers and the colours you love. We come back with a free design and a firm price, with no commitment either way. You can change the design as often as you need, you approve it before paying anything, and if the order is not right, our 100% satisfaction guarantee means we collect it and refund you. From 100 napkins per design, delivered anywhere in the UK within 10 working days of payment.
Get your free wedding napkin design
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for personalised wedding napkins?
100 napkins per design. The minimum is the same whatever the size, paper quality or printing method, so smaller weddings can still have their own printed napkins.
How long do personalised wedding napkins take to arrive in the UK?
Production and delivery take 10 working days from payment, anywhere in the UK, on orders of up to 10,000 units. Tell us your wedding date when you ask for a quote and we confirm it before you pay.
Do I have to pay for the design?
No. The design and as many amendments as you need are free, and you see the finished design before you pay anything.
What if the colour does not match our wedding colours?
We print 37 inks with Pantone references, plus metallic gold and silver, and we can mix a colour that is not on the chart. For a critical colour we send a physical sample before printing the run, because screen colours are only an approximation.
Why don't you show prices on the website?
The price depends on the quantity, size, paper quality and number of ink colours, so 100 napkins and 2,000 napkins are not the same product. Send us your details and you receive a firm price along with the free design, with no commitment.
What happens if we are not happy with the napkins?
Our 100% satisfaction guarantee applies: if you are not happy with the result, we collect the order and refund you in full.