Wedding Blog
Up until recently, I never really gave much thought to the linens we’ll have at the wedding. Our venue provides white or ivory tablecloths and napkins as part of the package price. They offer a few choices for napkin colors, but the only green they have available is a dark, hunter shade, which doesn’t scream, “spring wedding” to me. So, white or ivory it is!
But settling on a basic napkin color doesn’t mean that the napkins can’t be a decorative part of the tablescape. There are a variety of creative ways the napkin can be folded to add to the elegance of each place setting. And lately, I’ve been falling in love with creative napkin folds.
So what turned this girl on to the art of napkin folding? A Christmas gift from my parents in the form of a set of four napkins and this book:
The Practical Guide to Napkins and Napkin Folding by Rick Beech
The book has a variety of techniques and even the ones labeled as “complex” aren’t hard to figure out. I really think this book is pretty cool and very helpful. Not only does it give you great step-by-step instructions for napkin origami, it provides information on the history of napkins, napkin etiquette, placement, choosing fabrics and laundering, as well as instructions for making your own napkins and napkin rings.
I was trying out some of the folds and was surprised at how easy some of them were and how nice they looked. Now I’m debating if I want to rally my troops for a pre-wedding napkin folding lesson and session. I think our venue only does basic folds that resemble fans, so this would be one project we would have to take on ourselves.
Here are some of my favorite folds: (Clicking on the source link will take you to the instruction page.)
The Rose
The Lover’s Knot
The Pinwheel
The Knot
The Tulip
Are you having fancy-folded napkins at your place settings?
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I love the rose and tulip! Since the napkins belong to the venue, are you asking your venue to do the fancy folds? If so, do you think they will charge you extra?
I love love LOVE the rose fold. I am getting married in March and I am going to email it to my reception coordinator to see if they can do it. Thank you!
@Megan: I’m thinking about asking, but if they think the fold I decide on is too complicated, I’m considering asking if they’ll let me have the napkins a day early so I can do them myself. I think our venue contact said they fold the napkins like fans.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one thinking about napkins. The catering manager at our venue kept going on and on about fan folded napkins in a water glass… uhh, no thanks! So we are going to use shell leis (the favors) as napkin rings. 
ooh I love the rose! I think it probably only looks great with a flower in the middle though- the fan is always a classic too, I guess!
These are so cute! Our napkin layout will depend on all of the printed stuff we want to have on the plates (menu, favor tag, share your photos etc).
Oooh, those would dress up the table nicely. I really like the lover’s knot fold.
the pinwheel kick ass! napkin folding is SUCH a great way to dress up the table without excess waste and cost (if you can diy or get helpers!).
@Miss Taffy: The book has some super cool ideas for folding napkins to hold menus and place cards. I couldn’t find any photos of them to go along with the post (sorry), but maybe I could do a post later and try to demonstrate how they are done.
super cute napkins. any of these would add good flare to the table setting. the tulip reminds me of the look of a folded paper boat.
If you pick one that can lay flat, you can do them all ahead of time and the height that they give the tables will look wonderful when you walk in to the
reception room.
Also, I asked my venue coordinator ahead of time what napkin folds they do on a regular basis. You might be surprised, and they might have something you want already in their repertoire.
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Mrs. Deviled Egg, Pittsburgh
Age and Occupation: 27, Public Relations
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Accounting
Engagement Date: December 24, 2007
Wedding Date: May, 2009
Blogging Since: October 21, 2008
Venue: Historic auditorium and meeting hall in one of Pittsburgh's commuter cities
About Me: I am obsessed with all things crafty, especially scrapbooking, knitting, jewelry-making & cake decorating. I also love being an aunt, wrapping presents, watching football (Go Steelers!), shopping at yard sales and consignment stores, procrastinating, singing and learning to play the guitar. When it comes to wedding planning, I'm excited about working on DIY projects and finding creative ways to stay under budget. Of course, nothing is more exciting to me than knowing that the wonderful Mr. Deviled Egg will be my husband.
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