You’ve chosen your wedding colors, selected your reception decor, and found the perfect personalized napkins. Now comes the fun part: deciding what to put on them.
From funny wedding napkin sayings and romantic quotes to monograms, pet portraits, and signature drink designs, there are countless ways to customize your napkins and make them uniquely yours.
If you’re wondering what to put on wedding napkins, we’ve rounded up more than 100 wedding napkin ideas, sayings, quotes, and examples to inspire your celebration. Napkins are one of the easiest things to personalize for your wedding (and guests love them as much as wedding favors.)
Need help choosing the right style? Before you order, check out our complete guide to custom wedding napkins for sizing, styles, and ordering tips.
Wedding Napkin Trends for 2026
The biggest wedding napkin trends we’re seeing right now include pet portraits, custom venue sketches, signature drink illustrations, embossed initials, photo cocktail napkins, and fun facts about the couple. Couples are increasingly choosing designs that feel personal and spark conversation among guests.
What Do You Put on Wedding Napkins?
The most popular wedding napkin designs include:
- Couple names
- Wedding date
- Fun facts
- Monograms
- Funny sayings
- Romantic quotes
- Pet illustrations
- Signature cocktail names
- Venue sketches
- Wedding hashtags
- Custom artwork
Wedding Napkin Etiquette: What Is Appropriate to Put on Wedding Napkins?
There are no strict rules when it comes to wedding napkin wording, but most couples choose designs that match the tone of their celebration. Formal weddings often feature monograms, names, or wedding dates, while casual receptions may include funny sayings, pet illustrations, or signature drink designs.
When in doubt, keep your wording short and easy to read. Most cocktail napkins have limited space, making simple designs the most effective.
► Place the napkins at the bar near your personalized matchbooks and personalized cocktail stirrers, if you have them.
Wedding Napkins with Names
The most classic option is simply printing your names on the napkins.
- Emily & James
- The Andersons
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Sarah + Michael
- Together Since 2020
Wedding Napkins with Your Wedding Date
Adding your wedding date turns your napkins into a meaningful keepsake.
- June 12, 2027
- Established 2027
- 06.12.27
- Forever Begins Today
- Best Day Ever • June 12, 2027
Monogram Wedding Napkin Ideas
Monograms never go out of style and work beautifully for formal receptions.
- A & J
- AB
- The Andersons
- Classic crest monogram
- Interlocking initials
► Check out our top picks for personalized wedding napkins.
Funny Wedding Napkin Sayings
- We Waited X Days for This, Party Accordingly
- Open Bar. Bad Decisions.
- Drunk in Love.
- Tears of Joy.
- Sip Happens.
- Marriage Is Brewing.
- Here for the Cake.
- Let’s Get This Party Started.
- Cheers, Y’all!
- Eat. Drink. Get Married.
- Shaken, Not Stirred.
- Til Death Do Us Party.
- Drink Up, Buttercup.
- Love Is in the Air. Also Tequila.
- It’s About Time.
- Finally!
- Worth the Wait.
Future Internal Link: Create a post called Funny Wedding Napkin Sayings and link this heading to it.
Romantic Wedding Napkin Sayings
- Better Together
- Forever Starts Today
- Happily Ever After
- All Because Two People Fell in Love
- You Are My Person
- Love Always Wins
- Cheers to Love
- To the Moon and Back
- Our Greatest Adventure
- The Best Is Yet to Come
- Forever & Always
- You Had Me at Hello
- Lucky in Love
- Written in the Stars
- Love Never Fails
Signature Drink Napkin Ideas
If you’re serving signature cocktails, customize your napkins to match.
- His Old Fashioned
- Her French 75
- The Bride’s Margarita
- The Groom’s Mule
- Love on the Rocks
- Mint to Be Mojito
- Something Blue Spritz
- Happily Ever After Martini
- Blushing Bride Cocktail
- The Perfect Pair
Wedding Hashtag Ideas for Napkins
- #MeetTheAndersons
- #ForeverSmith
- #FinallyTheFishers
- #CheersToTheNewlyweds
- #BestDayEver
- #HappilyEverAnderson
- #ThePerfectMatch
- #LoveInBloom
- #JustMarried
- #TheBigDay
Pet Wedding Napkin Ideas
Many couples include their pets on wedding napkins, especially if their dog or cat can’t attend the celebration.
- Custom dog portrait
- Custom cat illustration
- Drink names inspired by your pet
- Dog wearing a tuxedo
- Pet silhouette with names
- Pet paw print monogram
► Want more ideas? Check out these dog napkins.
Photo Wedding Napkin Ideas
Photo napkins continue to trend because they’re personal, memorable, and often hilarious.
- Engagement photo
- Baby photos of the couple
- Proposal photo
- Pet photo
- Funny candid picture
- Parents’ wedding photo
- Vintage family image
Wedding Napkin Quotes
- “Where there is love, there is life.”
- “You are my today and all of my tomorrows.”
- “Grow old along with me.”
- “Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.”
- “Home is wherever I’m with you.”
- “The adventure begins.”
- “Love brought us here.”
- “Forever looks good on us.”
- “Still falling for you.”
- “This is only the beginning.”
Unique Wedding Napkin Ideas
- Venue sketch
- Embossed names
- Custom family crest
- Star map from proposal night
- Coordinates of wedding location
- Handwritten vows excerpt
- Custom illustration of the couple
- Favorite travel destination
- Meaningful song lyric
- State outline where you met
- Minimalist line art portrait
How Many Wedding Napkins Do You Need?
As a general rule, order more cocktail napkins than you think you’ll need. Guests often use multiple napkins throughout cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing.
- 50 guests: 100 to 150 cocktail napkins
- 100 guests: 200 to 300 cocktail napkins
- 150 guests: 300 to 450 cocktail napkins
- 200 guests: 400 to 600 cocktail napkins
Many couples also order separate napkins for the bar, dessert table, coffee station, and signature drink display.
What Color Should Wedding Napkins Be?
Most couples choose napkin colors that coordinate with their wedding palette, bar setup, or reception linens. Popular options include white, ivory, black, sage green, dusty blue, terracotta, blush, and champagne. Foil-stamped lettering in gold, silver, or rose gold remains a timeless choice.
Where to Buy Personalized Wedding Napkins
Etsy remains one of the best places to find personalized wedding napkins because many sellers offer custom wording, monograms, foil stamping, pet portraits, photo designs, and rush production options.
Browse our top picks for personalized wedding napkins here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should wedding napkins say?
Wedding napkins can feature names, initials, wedding dates, monograms, funny sayings, signature drinks, pet illustrations, or romantic quotes.
Do wedding napkins need a wedding date?
No. While many couples include their wedding date, others choose names, monograms, custom artwork, or funny sayings instead.
Are personalized wedding napkins worth it?
Personalized wedding napkins are one of the most affordable ways to add custom details to a wedding reception and are often used throughout the event.
What size cocktail napkins are used for weddings?
The most common size is a 5-inch square cocktail napkin, though larger beverage and dinner napkin sizes are also available.
Whether you choose a romantic quote, funny saying, custom illustration, or simple monogram, personalized wedding napkins are one of the easiest ways to add personality to your celebration.
The best wedding napkin wording reflects your style as a couple while giving guests something memorable to enjoy throughout the reception.
Still shopping? Browse our favorite personalized wedding napkins and discover custom designs you’ll love.
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
Emma Arendoski
Emma is the CEO of Emmaline Bride (est. 2009) and published author of two wedding books: "The Handcrafted Wedding" and "The Inspired Wedding" (Sellers Publishing, Inc.) She is a leading wedding expert, coordinator, wife, mother, and coffee lover. Read her latest book: The Inspired Wedding. Follow on Emmaline Baby for baby + kids inspiration.
