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Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography
It's the smallest things about a wedding that people remember the most. Guests will often be able to recall special little details, such as customized cocktail napkins, more than they'll be able to remember, say, the beaded design on the bride's gown. When planning your dream wedding, you might want to put a little extra consideration into these small things to really make your reception stand out.
Customized cocktail napkinsare an excellent place to start. Paper goods, like napkins, aren't too much of an extra expense, and there is so much you can do with them: you can keep it simple with your initials or monogram, add lots of color with an illustration, or do a personal touch, like inside jokes.
Not sure where to start? We've put together some amazing ideas from real weddings for special cocktail napkins that you just might want to borrow for your own big day.
Simple Initials
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Photo by KT Merry
Go for something more minimalist, like these cocktail napkins that just show the initials of the happy couple. They're simple, but such a nice detail.
Try Out Trivia
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Photo by Jose Villa
Give your guests a great conversation starter with some trivia questions about you and your spouse-to be. At a Montecito rehearsal dinner, one couple added an extra touch of humor to this idea. “Our cocktail napkins had a series of trivia questions about us along with punny answers involving our names," shares the bride.
Matching Details
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Photo by Kurt Boomer
Personalized cocktail napkins like these, which feature the names of the newlyweds, their wedding date, and their monogram, are a beautiful addition to a reception. Match them to other personalized items like cups and stirrers.
Puppy Love
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Photo by Dana Fernandez
Show some love to your furry family member by using an illustration of them on your cocktail napkins as this couple did. This adds a touch of whimsy to any wedding.
Late Night Pairing
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Photo by Jessa Schifilliti
Serving up late-night snacks is always a fun gesture to guests after a night on the dance floor, but this couple went the step further for their Newport celebration. Slices were served up with custom napkins that said “I Love You With Every Pizza My Heart.”
Black and White
Photo by Jana Williams
The custom napkins this couple chose prove you don't have to stick with just one design. A variety of white and black is elegant and fun, and these include their names, wedding date, and wedding hashtag.
One Liners
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Photo by Norman & Blake
Show off your bond like this couple did. They opted for cocktail napkins that showed off some of their favorite inside jokes, which are so unique and fun.
Linen Napkins
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Photo by Joel Serrato
For this modern Lake Tahoe wedding, the couple gave out linen cocktail napkins, which added a fancy touch. They also turned their initials into a design that was used throughout the reception in various details (like their napkins!).
Say Cheers
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Photo by Natalie Bray
Send a toast along to each guest with a simple napkin design for your bar that says “cheers” along with your names and wedding date.
An Elegant Touch
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Photo by Lauren Fair Photography
Sophisticated and simple, these large monogrammed cocktail napkins still make a statement. The colors of the initials on these match the colors throughout this wedding in Aspen.
A Musical Note
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Photo by KT Merry
For this Palm Springs wedding, the couple decided to make custom blue cocktail napkins. They stood out because they included song lyrics that were special to them.
Western Feel
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Photo by Jake Anderson
For a Western rehearsal dinner, one couple decided to design cocktail napkins featuring cowboy boots branded with their initials to set the tone of the event.
Pet Portraits
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Photo by Rebecca Yale
These gorgeous and colorful cocktail napkins featured this California couple's cat, Leo. They also added drink puns like "hair of the cat."
A Dog Tribute
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Photo by Caroline Lima Photography
Can't bring your dog to your wedding? Do the next best thing: put an illustration of them on a cocktail napkin!
Play With Palette
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Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography
We love how these fun custom napkins take on the warm tones of the wedding’s palette.
Pretty Picture
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Photo by Gracie Byrd Jones
At Lindsey and Connor’s colorful wedding, they had a friend create a watercolor drawing they infused throughout their reception design from the bar backdrop all the way down to the napkins.
Cool Caricatures
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Photo by 515 Photo Co
A couple can really have their personalities captured in their cocktail napkins with caricature images of themselves in the design like at this modern Toronto wedding.
Create Multiple Designs
Photo by Katelyn James
You don’t need to limit yourself to one custom cocktail napkin. This couple created two designs at their Austin wedding. One had a playful take on the wedding date, while the other had a fun drawing depicting their dog.
Couple Facts
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Photo by Twah Dougherty
To help your guests learn more about you and your spouse-to-be as a couple, write up some fun facts to share on your napkins at cocktail hour. They can serve as great conversation starters, too.
Bright Ideas
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Photo by Meg Smith Photography
For their fun fact napkins, one couple decided to create the designs in their bright neon color palette and even included an illustration of their dog.
Embrace Tie Dye
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Photo by Jodee Debes Photography
Infuse your palette in a unique way with a tie dye-inspired cocktail napkin. The mix of hues was the perfect backdrop to these custom napkins with conversation starters at a Napa wedding.