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buying vs. renting napkins?

geriknelsongeriknelson member
First Comment
in Texas-Austin
Hello knotties!!

I am debating whether or not I want to purchase linen napkins wholesale rather than renting them.  I am going to have a buffet style meal, but would like to have napkins at the place settings folded with a pocket and inclose a "menu card" in the fold, with a favor box on top.

I am worried that if I rent them, I will not be able to have them folded like I want and I don't see the point in spending $.60 each on RENTING a napkin.  True, I won't have to clean them, but I have a large washing machine and I figure if I purchase them, and collect and clean them afterwards, I could potentially sell to recoup some of my money. 

I wanted to see if anyone had experience with this, and if you had any thoughts regarding buying / renting napkins.  All the table linens already come with the venue, so I would have to rent them separately.  Also, if I purchase, I can take time BEFORE the wedding to fold how I'd like them and insert any cards, etc, which wouldn't take very much time to put on the tables.

Plates will be with the food, so I wanted to have the napkins and silverware at the place settings to distingush each seat, along with the favor box.  I am looking at around 200 for my reception.

THANK YOU so much for all your help! :)
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Re: buying vs. renting napkins?

  • BabyBlueNTexasBabyBlueNTexas member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hmm... really I think it will be personal choice. The only thing I can offer, is for you to look at the for sale sticky at the top, to see how many brides try to resale the things they don't use. I am not sure how successful they are in selling, but some of the posts have been up for months. So really, it is more of a question, if you buy them, and don't resale them, are you going to be upset with your new loot of napkins, that you may never use again?

    Personally, I would rent them or go with a paper napkin that you can throw away. :)
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  • reddie36reddie36
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I bought napkins for my wedding and did the menu in them like you are saying at each place setting. I then laundered and resold them after the wedding for half of what I bought them for. Great deal to someone else, great deal for me since it was less to buy them in the first place than renting them, THEN I still got half of that back! It's a little extra work for sure - but IMO worth it if you are on a budget and/or just want a specific color napkin.

    I bought mine from www.efavormart.com and highly rec them to anyone - great quality. (I also bought chair sashes & table runners from them which I sold after the wedding too!)

    HTH!
    ~ Trish Finfer
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  • geriknelsongeriknelson member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thanks Trish!  I did see efavormart.com, and was very impressed with their selection.  We should meet soon!  We apparently have a lot of the same ideas :) and since you got married at the PEC, you know exactly what I am trying to accomplish :) 

    Where did you up selling your items?  I was thinking either Craigslist or eBay.  I'm pretty awesome at selling things after I use them :)

    Thank you again for all your help!

    ~Leslie
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  • MnMShawMnMShaw member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Ditto Reddie.  I also bought from efavormart and resold mine for 3/4th the cost.
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  • reddie36reddie36
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I KNOW - right?! Yeah, I actually put a listing on here with everything I'd be selling after the wedding like a month before the wedding date and had about 2/3rd of it spoken for from fellow knotties who all came to pick it up after we got back from honeymoon. The rest I took photos of, put it on Picasa in a gallery then posted a craigslist ad for it and sold almost everything else. I have some stuff left like the photobooth frames and other odds-and-ends, but for the most part sold all the big stuff pretty quick and easily.
    ~ Trish Finfer
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