Disposable napkins are a staple for many caterers and wedding planners. You can order personalized disposable napkins or leave them plain. Most personalized cocktail and wedding napkins have an embossed monogram or message. You can also print napkins with full-color ink, but this is a more expensive option.

It's important to keep a ball-park figure of the pricing and costs of disposable napkins on hand, to give your clients a fair estimate of the cost. It's also important to recommend the correct amount of napkins to your clients. Most companies suggest ordering three to four napkins per guest. In your search for pricing estimates, consider the following:

1. Find vendors that offer color printing for personalized cocktail napkins.

2. Locate discount vendors of embossed wedding reception napkins.

3. Keep a supply of plain napkins on hand.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get quotes for personalized cocktail napkins

Personalizing disposable napkins is not as expensive as you would think. Companies generally require a minimum order of 1,000 for napkins with full-color printing. As with many products you purchase wholesale, the larger the quantity you order, the smaller the price tag. Full-color print disposable napkins start around $100 for 1000, with prices decreasing per 1,000 that you purchase.

I recommend: Absorbent, Ink. is a provider of full-color printed napkins. It requires a minimum purchase of 10,000 napkins for full-color prints. Napkins-Only is another wholesale provider that sells cheap personalized napkins. It has a minimum order of 12,000 personalized napkins.

Find out pricing information for personalized wedding napkins

Personalized wedding napkins are a nice way to add a personal touch to a disposable napkin. Many wholesale vendors include embossing in their pricing. Purchasing personalized napkins from wholesale vendors is best when they are for a large party, as there is often a large minimum order. The average price for a personalized wedding napkin is $25 to $50 per 100 napkins.

I recommend: CustomLabels4U.com offers wholesale pricing on its imprinted wedding napkins. It offers a variety of options for personalizing wedding napkins. Print Appeal is company that sells cheap wedding napkins. A valid sales tax exemption or credit application must be on file to order from this company.

Use solid-colored, cheap napkins for the best value

It's a good idea to have a large supply of solid-colored, cheap napkins on hand. Many clients prefer to save money with regular napkins. You can find discount wedding napkins from $2 per 100 napkins up to $10 per 100.

I recommend: Catering Supplies is a discount provider of disposable napkins and other wedding supplies. It sells discount wedding napkins for a fraction of the price of other vendors. Party at Lewis is a discount provider of higher-quality disposable napkins. It sells the Better than Linen brand of disposable napkins.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Compile a list of contacts that offer embossing services. This will allow your clients to purchase cheap napkins on their own and still have them professionally embossed.

Wedding planners, caterers and other individuals who handle wedding receptions may find benefits from handling wedding napkins for their clients. Disposable napkins, like wedding cocktail napkins, are commonly used at many receptions and are often customized for the couple with their initials, wedding colors or other items. Many couples purchase their own cheap wedding napkins, but your business may benefit from offering them to clients as part of your package.

1. You’ll save the couple from having to hunt down cheap napkins on their own.
2. With discount wedding napkins, you can make a little extra money on top of the napkin cost.
3. You can make sure the wedding napkins get ordered and get ordered correctly, rather than having to scavenge for cheap napkins when the couple’s don’t show up.
4. The extra service can give you a boost over the competition.

Discount wedding napkins can make your reception packages and presentation more professional and complete. Couples will love not having to handle this detail on their own and you get to control the quality and shipping details of the disposable napkins so you won’t get caught without them.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Cultivate relationships with a few cheap wedding napkins providers

Using the same providers for the napkins will often result in better service. You'll get to know the company and they'll be more likely to work with existing customers to solve any problems that might arise.

I recommend: We Do Wed has many color and print combinations for both cocktail and dinner disposable napkins. Choose from linen-look napkins or other disposable napkins in various sizes and colors from Catering Supplies.

Let the wedding couple personalize their napkins

Give the couple the same personalization choices that they'd get if they were doing the ordering on their own. Work with vendors that offer a number of colors and design options to give you clients the most choices.

I recommend: Try the endless combinations of personalization on designer napkins from Jean M. Your clients will also love the personalized wedding napkins they can get from Antonia Rose Printing. Horchow sells linen-looking napkins with monograms in a few color combinations.

Keep some generic discount wedding napkins on hand

You never know when you may need extra wedding napkins. Your clients may decide to order their own napkins and then not have them show up. Keeping some generic napkins on hand will allow you to be ready when an emergency hits.

I recommend: Coordinate emergency table wear with disposable napkins from Wedding Reception Ideas. Absorbent Printing has different sizes and colors to choose from as well as the ability to customize the napkins with a monogram or message.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep in mind that you'll need at least double or triple the amount of napkins than the total number of guests. Wedding cocktail napkins, in particular, disappear quickly as people may take a new one with each new drink or appetizer.

If you run a restaurant or other food business, you've probably at least considered looking into disposable napkins supplies and equipment. Disposable napkins save on laundry costs and water use; and since they are for one-time use, they are also sanitary. But disposable napkins don't have to be ordinary. There is a wide variety of cheap napkins available in today's marketplace.

Napkins say a lot about your business. Plain white, thin napkins tell customers your food should be cheap. Disposable napkins with a bit of a design say you care about details. Personalized cocktail napkins say your business has class. So before you grab just any old napkins off the shelf, take a few minutes to consider the various types available and what sort of equipment you'll need to go with them. This includes:

1. Standard disposable napkin types, including those in colors
and with simple designs,

2. Personalized beverage napkins,

3. And dispensers for disposable napkins.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at standard disposable napkins in all their varieties

Most businesses using disposable napkins choose plain white, bulk, industrial-style napkins, such as are commonly found in fast food restaurants and diners. Only a little more expensive, but considerably more attractive, are bulk napkins in solid colors or simple patterns like moire and checks, which are great as cheap wedding napkins or restaurant napkins. There are even paper napkins made to look like linen, suitable as both restaurant and wedding napkins.

I recommend: Catering Supplies sells bulk industrial napkins, plus napkins in plain colors, moire patterns and more. My Paper Shop.Com offers linen-like paper napkins, recycled white napkins and disposable napkins in a variety of colors.

Consider personalized paper napkins for your bar, restaurant or wedding business

Custom napkins used to be standard for better restaurants, hotels and bars. Since vintage is stylish again, why not reintroduce this classy trend? Cheap personalized napkins are available from many sources and appear more expensive than almost any plain napkin. Personalized napkins are also ideal for your catering business as discount wedding napkins.

I recommend: Absorbent offers custom, white single-ply napkins with embossed edges. Napkins-Only provides custom napkins in nearly any size, color and style.

Don't forget dispensers for disposable napkins

Napkin dispensers, whether for your staff or customers, are essential. Stainless steel styles are the most commonly seen, but you may also choose chrome, plastic or wood in many shapes and styles. Be sure to have plenty on hand, and you'll save your employees and customers a good deal of frustration.

I recommend: ReStockIt.com sells wood, chrome, plastic and stainless steel napkin dispensers at wholesale prices. Central Restaurant Products offers disposable napkin dispensers in colored plastic, a high-capacity dispenser on a stand, plus other, standard types of dispensers.

When you hold a business event, or organize an event for a client, you need to make sure everything is perfect, down to the disposable napkins. Although disposable napkins are invariably cheap napkins, you don't want them to look that way.

This is why it's important to consider several disposable napkins types and styles. That extra touch of personalized napkins could be enough to close that sale or get a call back or referral. Here are some styles to consider:

1. Personalized paper napkins that are printed with patterns, letters or other designs;

2. Die cut napkins that don't have the traditional square shape;

3. Napkins that are not customized, but just one solid color.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at personalized paper napkins with patterns, letters or other designs

Cheap personalized napkins don't have to be boring. You can order them in prints that will look perfect for your event. If you haven't decided on a theme, you can choose a napkin you love first and then design the rest of your decor around it.

I recommend: Look at the gorgeous napkins available on Ann’s Bridal Bargains. While they are meant to be cheap wedding napkins, you can customize them with whatever image and text you like. Then check out Absorbent, Ink's collection of logo napkins. You can get personalized cocktail napkins, personalized beverage napkins or dispenser napkins to leave on restaurant tables. Catering Supplies offers lots of square napkins in bright, themed prints.

Consider a die cut disposable napkin

If you want your disposable napkins to really be different, consider going with a die cut napkin. These napkins have custom cut shapes instead of the traditional square.

I recommend: Check out PartyPail's discount wedding napkins in the scalloped lace die cut shape. Another option is Coasters Plus' assortment of die cuts. It has everything from poker hands to giraffes.

Check out cheap napkins you can use for more than one event

If you're looking for cheap napkins that are very versatile, the best option is to get napkins that are solid colors. The most popular color, or lack thereof, is white. But bright colors can really make the room, especially if everything else is subdued. If you have room, you can keep them in storage until the perfect occasion comes along, since minimum orders tend to be for several hundred napkins.

I recommend: Catering Supplies sells solid paper napkins in four different sizes and more than 25 colors. You can order all of the napkins in the same color or mix them up for a more contemporary look. Another place to look is My Paper Shop. This merchant sells solid three-ply cocktail napkins in hard-to-find colors such as peach and sage green.