Let’s talk event linens! The canvas for your food stuffs, the center of your dinner conversations, and a must-have item unless you’ve splurged on solid wood tables. Table linens will come in and out of vogue on occasion, but we believe a well-placed linen never goes out of style. With a thoughtful mood board and resources in hand, your linens can bring the room and theme of your event together with very little effort. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ORDERING LINENS.

You need to have a floor plan handy.

Without knowing how many pieces of furniture go where, you will have a hard time listing how many linens you will need for your event. Create your floor plan with your estimated headcount first, then write down your list of linen needs.

Plan for overage.

Napkins will hit the floor. Drinks will be spilled. So when it comes to linens, plan for a little extra. We recommend ordering 5% extra on table linens and 10% extra on napkins. Worries about waste? No problem--caterers will often use linen overage to wrap pitchers, fold around bread or buffet items, and frame displays. 

Know that you can adjust. 

Most rental companies will ask for a deposit, credit card, and pick-up or delivery information. From there, most companies allow you to make as many adjustments as you need up until a week or two before your celebration. So estimate high with your rentals to reserve what you need, then reduce and amend as you go.

Expect local sources to be less expensive than non-local options.

Getting married in a remote location? Chances are there is a rental vendor out there who carries linens in house or has a third party connection that can cover the basics. Getting married in a metropolitan or suburban area? Chances are a linen company in your local city that has a solid inventory to choose from. As a general rule: the more local you go, the less expensive your linens will be (with a bonus of more eco-friendly practices!).

Not every rental company carries specialty items. 

There are a few ways to think about local rental companies and their offerings.

• There are larger rental companies in urban and suburban areas that carry a larger inventory of linens. They may have both basic items in a lot of colors and specialty items and finishes. Often, they do not carry bespoke or trendy items, but instead carry the more popular and frequently used items for large events.

• There are smaller local rental companies in suburban or rural areas that carry a limited inventory of basic items to cover local wedding needs. This might look like a single type of linen in a limited palette of colors, as well as a single plate or silverware line, etc. Often, these companies are the greatest value for the dollar if you aren’t picky about style or averse to more neutral linen options.

• There are bespoke or boutique rental companies in urban and suburban areas that carry of-the-moment items. They may have hard-to-find linen types in more trendy colors. Often, these companies have curated inventories with limited selection, so finding them and locking them in is important if you have a specific aesthetic in mind.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LINEN SIZES (from our friends at Creative Coverings):

Table Cloths for Cocktail Tables

Runners for Standard Tables

Table Cloths for Standard Tables

RESOURCES FOR LINENS.

Here are our favorite local linen companies to the Pacific Northwest:

• CORT Party Rentals

• Pedersen’s Event Rentals

• Alexander Party Rentals

• Grand Event Rentals

• Linen Sensation

• Creative Coverings

Here are our favorite specialty linen companies with shipping options:

• Nuage Designs

• La Tavola

• BBJ Linen

— Kate Faoro Wright, Tapestry Creative Director