Custom Napkins for Rehearsal Dinners: One Design, Two Nights
Custom napkins for rehearsal dinners usually get ordered on their own, weeks after the wedding napkins.
That habit costs more than it should. Two orders mean two proof rounds, two FedEx boxes and, sometimes, two printing plates.
There is a simpler way. Plan the rehearsal dinner napkins and the wedding napkins as one project.
It sounds obvious. The details are where it pays off, because one small change in the design decides whether you save or pay twice.
Here is how to plan both nights at once, and which choices keep the savings intact.
What are custom napkins for rehearsal dinners?
Custom napkins for rehearsal dinners are printed paper napkins with the couple’s names, monogram or a line such as “The Night Before”. Napki prints them from 20 units in Full Color or 100 in Deluxe. Delivery takes 10 business days from proof approval with FedEx Priority, or about 14–16 with Economy, US customs clearance included.
The rehearsal dinner is usually smaller than the wedding. Close family, the wedding party and a few out-of-town guests. That makes the low minimum useful: a dinner for 30 does not need a 500-napkin order.
It is also often a seated meal. So the napkin goes on a lap or a plate, not under a cocktail glass.
Which size works for a rehearsal dinner?
A seated rehearsal dinner calls for a dinner napkin. A cocktail-style evening calls for a cocktail napkin. Many couples order both.
| Rehearsal dinner style | Napki size (open) | Folded, in inches | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome drinks before dinner | 20×20 cm | about 3.9 in | Small, sits under a glass |
| Bar or lounge setting | 24×24 cm | about 4.7 in | Close to the US beverage napkin |
| Casual family-style dinner | 33×33 cm | about 6.5 in | Standard dinner napkin |
| Formal seated dinner | 40×40 cm | about 7.9 in | Large dinner, fine dining |
| Place setting with cutlery | Kangaroo fold | pocket holds cutlery | Napkin and cutlery in one piece |
The 33×33 cm napkin is the most popular dinner size for restaurants. The 40×40 cm size suits a formal dinner, and it is also the base for the Kangaroo fold. The napkin sizes guide shows open and folded sizes side by side.
One tip if the dinner is at a restaurant: ask the venue first whether you may bring your own napkins. Most will say yes, but it is better to know before you order.
How do you plan both nights in one order?
Send both designs at the same time and approve both proofs together. Production, shipping and customs then run once, not twice. The napkins arrive in the same delivery, ready for both evenings.
This saves on three fronts:
- One proof cycle. You get a free digital mock-up within 24 hours and up to 2 rounds of changes. One round of decisions covers both nights.
- One shipment. FedEx charges per box, not per napkin. One larger box often costs less than two small ones.
- Possibly one plate. With Deluxe printing, the plate is tied to the design. The next section explains when it is shared.
Approve both proofs about five weeks before the wedding. Delivery takes 10 business days with FedEx Priority, or about 14–16 with Economy, US customs clearance included.
There is no express service for US orders, so a single early order also removes a second deadline from your list.
Same design or a new one: what changes the cost?
The print method decides it. Full Color has no printing plate, so each night can carry different words at no extra plate cost. Deluxe needs one metal plate per ink and per design, at $49.09 per ink.
That gives you a clear choice:
- Same monogram, same print size, both nights, in Deluxe. One plate covers both. Napki reuses a plate for the same design at no extra cost.
- Different wording for the rehearsal, in Deluxe. “The Night Before” next to your monogram is a new design. It needs its own plate.
- Different wording, in Full Color. No plates at all. Full Color prints on white napkins only, from 20 units.
The printing inks page has a decision matrix for every case. The Deluxe napkins page explains how plates work.
Deluxe also lets you print on colored napkins, and in metallic gold or silver. If both nights use a gold monogram on a colored napkin, the shared plate is the efficient route.
Want to see both designs side by side? Send your monogram and the rehearsal wording together. Two free mock-ups come back within 24 hours. Calculate your price in 30 seconds.
What should you print for the night before?
The rehearsal dinner can be a little less formal than the wedding. The napkin can say so.
Ideas that work well:
- “The Night Before” with your names or initials underneath.
- The wedding monogram on its own, as a preview of the next day.
- Your names and both dates: the rehearsal and the wedding.
- A short toast, such as “Cheers to tomorrow”.
- A small drawing of the venue, the city skyline or your dog.
Keep it short. A dinner napkin folded in four still shows only one quarter. Put the design on that quarter and read every letter twice before you approve.
Which paper should you choose?
Match the paper to the dinner, not to the wedding. A relaxed family dinner can use a lighter paper than a black-tie reception.
| Paper | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 2-ply | Two soft layers | Casual dinner, pizza night, backyard barbecue |
| 3-ply | Three layers, thicker | A step up for a sit-down meal |
| Double Point | 2-ply with an embossed border on two edges | Restaurant-style tables |
| Airlaid | Cloth-like specialty paper | Formal dinners and the wedding itself |
Airlaid is the wedding favorite. The paper qualities page compares all four. If you want to feel them, the free sample pack includes 5 printed napkins in 3 finishes. The sample is free; you pay only the FedEx shipping as one small box: Economy $138.00 or Priority $184.00.
How much does shipping add?
Shipping is charged per FedEx box. How many napkins fit in a small or large box depends on the size and paper quality. Rates cover the 48 contiguous states. Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are quoted separately.
| Box | Napkins per box | FedEx Economy | FedEx Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Depends on size and paper | $138.00 | $184.00 |
| Large | Depends on size and paper | $161.00 | $224.25 |
A worked example. A couple plans a rehearsal dinner for 40 guests and a wedding for 150. They order 150 dinner napkins for the rehearsal and 450 cocktail napkins for the wedding. Both carry the same gold monogram at the same print size, in Deluxe 1 ink. One plate covers both: $49.09. The 600 napkins travel in one shipment, so shipping depends on the number of boxes, from $138.00 with Economy. Two separate orders would each have paid for their own boxes, from $138.00 each.
Orders ship DAP. Napki charges no VAT, because the order is an export. The buyer pays import duties, the Merchandise Processing Fee and any state or local taxes when the box arrives.
The wedding napkins page shows how dinner and cocktail sizes combine on the wedding day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for rehearsal dinner napkins?
20 units in Full Color on white napkins, or 100 units in Deluxe for colored napkins and metallic inks.
Can we order rehearsal and wedding napkins together?
Yes. Send both designs at once. They go through one proof cycle, one production run and one shipment.
Do we pay for a second printing plate?
Only if the Deluxe design changes. The same design at the same print size reuses the plate at no extra cost. Full Color needs no plate.
How far ahead should we order?
Approve both proofs about five weeks before the wedding. Delivery takes 10 business days with FedEx Priority, or about 14–16 with Economy, US customs clearance included.
Is there a rush option?
No. Napki has no express service for US orders. FedEx Priority is the fastest shipping option.
Who pays duties on arrival?
The buyer. Orders ship DAP, so import duties, the Merchandise Processing Fee and state or local taxes are paid on arrival. Napki charges no VAT or sales tax.
What if the napkins do not match the mock-up?
Napki reprints them free of charge.
Plan both nights now, approve both proofs once
One design can carry you through two nights. Send the rehearsal wording and the wedding monogram together, and you save a proof cycle, a shipping box and often a printing plate.
Start today. Two free digital mock-ups arrive within 24 hours, with up to 2 rounds of changes. You only pay if you go ahead. Napki has printed napkins for more than 800 weddings, at its own facilities in Spain since 1986.
Calculate your price in 30 seconds on the home page. Or message the team on WhatsApp at +34 650 50 43 39.