Wedding Table Linen Size Calculator

Tablecloth size is arithmetic, not guesswork

Linen is one of the few wedding decisions with an unambiguous right answer. The cloth has to be large enough to cover the table and drop the distance you want, and if it is short the error is visible in every photograph for the rest of the evening. Rental companies will not size it for you without your table dimensions, and most couples do not know them.

Select your table type and drop length below. The calculator returns the exact cloth dimensions and converts them to the nearest standard rental size, plus fabric yardage if you are making them yourself.

The formula

For a round table, add the drop to both sides of the diameter. For a rectangular table, add it to both the length and the width.

Round: cloth diameter = table diameter + (drop × 2).

Rectangular: cloth length = table length + (drop × 2), and cloth width = table width + (drop × 2).

Then round up to the next standard size. Rental linen comes in fixed increments — 54, 60, 72, 90, 108, 120 and 132 inch rounds, and 54×72, 54×96, 54×108 and 54×120 inch rectangles — so a calculated 82 inch cloth becomes a 90 inch one, not a custom 82 inch one.

Round tables

A 60 inch round (seats 8). A lap drop of 11 inches each side gives 82 inches, which rounds up to a 90 inch round cloth. A 15 inch mid drop gives exactly 90 inches — the same cloth, and the most common rental in the industry. Floor length at a 30 inch table needs 120 inches. A puddle drop of 36 inches needs 132 inches.

A 72 inch round (seats 10). A lap drop needs 94 inches, which rounds up to 108 inches. A mid drop needs 102 inches, also 108. Floor length needs 132 inches. The jump from 90 to 108 inches is the one couples are most often surprised by, and it is a meaningful rental price increase.

Seating numbers assume a standard place setting. If you are using oversized chargers or a wide centrepiece footprint, check the layout before committing to a table size.

Rectangular tables

A 6 foot banquet table (72 × 30 inches, seats 6). A lap drop gives 94 × 52 inches, which rounds to a 54 × 96 inch cloth. A mid drop needs 102 × 60, which is where the standard rectangle range runs out — see below.

An 8 foot banquet table (96 × 30 inches, seats 8). A lap drop gives 118 × 52 inches, which rounds to 54 × 120. That is the largest standard rectangular rental, so a lap drop is the practical limit for an 8 foot table.

Where the standard sizes stop. Standard rectangular linen is 54 inches wide. On a 30 inch banquet table that yields a maximum drop of 12 inches per side, which is a lap drop. Any drop longer than that — a 15 inch mid drop or a 30 inch floor length — requires a 60 inch or 90 inch width, which is a special size rather than a stock item. Floor-length banquet linen is typically quoted as 90 × 156 inches or supplied as a shaped, pleated cloth. Ask your rental company directly rather than assuming the standard list covers it, and confirm the price difference before you commit to floor length on rectangular tables.

Drop length is a design decision with real consequences

Lap drop (10 to 12 inches). The most common choice and the most comfortable. Guests can sit without fabric in their lap, and it is the cheapest option because it uses the least linen.

Mid drop (15 inches). Reads as more considered and slightly more formal than a lap drop. Costs more and, on rectangular tables, is where special sizing begins.

Floor length (28 to 30 inches, matching table height). The formal standard, and the one that hides ugly table legs, stored boxes and the venue's mismatched chairs. It uses dramatically more fabric, which is why floor-length linen is often the largest single line in a rental budget.

Puddle or sweep (34 inches and beyond). Fabric pools on the floor. Beautiful in a ballroom and a genuine trip hazard in a tent with a soft floor, and it cannot be reused after a wet outdoor event.

Making linen yourself

For round tables, yardage on 54 inch wide fabric is approximately the cloth diameter divided by 54, multiplied by the diameter divided by 36, rounded up. A 90 inch round cloth comes to about 5 yards, and a 120 inch round cloth to about 8 yards.

For rectangular tables, multiply length by width in inches and divide by 1,944, then round up. A 54 × 96 inch cloth is about 3 yards, and a 54 × 120 is about 4 yards.

Add generous seam allowance and remember that fabric has a usable width, print repeat and a direction. Buy from a single dye lot for the entire set or your tables will not quite match under evening light.

Frequently asked questions

What size tablecloth fits a 60 inch round table?

A 90 inch round cloth for a lap or mid drop, a 120 inch round for floor length, and a 132 inch round for a puddle drop. The 90 inch round is the most commonly rented size.

What size tablecloth fits a 72 inch round table?

A 108 inch round for a lap or mid drop, and a 132 inch round for floor length. The step up from 90 to 108 inches noticeably increases the rental cost.

What size tablecloth fits a 6 foot banquet table?

A 54 × 96 inch cloth for a lap drop. Anything longer than a lap drop needs a wider cloth than the standard 54 inch stock, so expect a special-order price.

Should I choose floor length or lap length linen?

Floor length looks more formal and hides table legs and stored items; lap length costs much less and is more comfortable to sit at. Many couples use floor length on head and guest tables and lap length everywhere else.

How much fabric do I need to make my own tablecloths?

About 5 yards for a 90 inch round cloth, 8 yards for a 120 inch round, and 3 to 4 yards for standard rectangular banquet cloths at 54 inches wide.

Related planning tools

Work out how many tables you need in the first place with the Guest Table Layout Calculator and configure the top table using the Head Table Seating Configurator. Decide what sits on those tables with the Centerpiece Style Quiz, add the candle volume using the Candle Quantity Estimator, and confirm the rentals fit the room with the Venue Viewing Checklist.