Everything You Need To Know About Wedding Websites
Photo Credit: Stephen Ludwig Photography
If you are planning a destination wedding, creating a wedding website is a great idea! A wedding website’s primary function is as a resource for your guests. It’s a great way to compile and organize all the information about your big day into one place. You may be thinking “can’t I include all that info in my invitations?” But let’s be real, your wedding invites can only fit so much information before the content starts to overtake the design. Also, you’ll be able to keep your guests updated on any last-minute changes or additional information that you think of closer to the date.
Wedding websites can also make RSVPing easy and paperless. With a website, you can gather more detailed information and faster responses from your guests than sending out traditional RSVPs.
Aside from the functional benefits of having a wedding website, it's also a great way of setting up the tone for your wedding. We recommend choosing a design that mimics your invitation design or your overall design aesthetic. Also, this is often the best platform for you to share your love story and more about the two of you as a couple.
Last but not least, you will appreciate being able to direct guests to your website to answer the multitude of questions you are likely to get in the days and weeks leading up to your big day.
Wedding Website Platforms We Recommend
Photo Credit: Chelsea Abril Photography
There are a number of wedding website builders online at your disposal. Here are our top 3 picks.
Zola
Price: Free, $14.95 to purchase custom URL
Pros: User-friendly, easy to set up, a large variety (250+) of website designs, includes RSVP function, mobile app available
Cons: Basic customization options (can’t change font or text layouts), limiting if you aren’t using Zola registry as well (add all gifts manually, one by one)
Joy
Price: Free
Pros: Multiple admins can collaborate on the website, paired to a mobile app (for both couple and guest), “Moments” timelines collects guests’ real photos (in real-time at the wedding)
Cons: Limited number of templates (mainly floral or nature-themed), only two website layout options, no custom URL option
AppyCouple
Price: $49 for “boutique” option, $149 for “luxury” option
Pros: Large variety of modern and chic website designs (500+), a mobile app for guests, send digital save the dates matching your website
Cons: No free option, guests will need a mobile app for all features to be fully functional
What to Include on Your Wedding Website
After considering what wedding website platform to use, the next step is to think about what to include on your website. Most wedding websites will have pages for the following:
Welcome Page
You’ll want to send out your wedding website link with your save-the-dates. At this point in the planning process, your website probably won’t be complete and you won’t have much to share yet other than the location and date ... and that’s completely fine! You can update and add to your wedding website as you go. But sending out the link as early as your save-the-dates ensures that all your guests know about this resource from the get-go!
Initially, your welcome page should have a welcome message. This usually consists of the couple’s names, their picture and a short message from you to the guests. When you initially send out the link, your website’s welcome page should also include a message to your guests inviting them to check back later for more info.
Photo Credit: Sarah Jual Photo
Wedding Info
First and foremost, make sure to include your wedding date, venue and time. Specify the times for your ceremony and reception. Also, make sure to include specific addresses and maybe even a map. This is a feature that most wedding websites already include.
If you’re providing transportation services for your guests, make sure to include the specific times for that as well. Creating a basic timeline or a schedule for your guests to easily refer back to is always a good idea.
This would be an appropriate place to outline the dress code for your event. One of our favorite ways to convey the dress code is through visual examples or adding a link to a Pinterest board you created with examples. Aside from the specifics of the dress code, be sure to include any bits of info that might be useful for your guests to know. For example, typical weather or venue conditions (outdoor, grassy, etc.).
Photo Credits: Aria Studios
Your Love Story
Sharing your love story is a great way to connect with your guests. Guests who may not know both of you will want to know how you met, how long you’ve been together, your shared passions or hobbies, etc.
One way to share your love story is through a timeline of your relationship. Start from when you both met and lead up to your proposal highlighting milestones throughout your relationship. You might also consider sharing your love stories from your own separate perspectives.
Here are some other topics you might want to share:
Where/when/how you met
First date
Shared interests or hobbies
Milestones, experiences together
Favorite memories
What you love about one another
Proposal story
Photos
Sharing your photos has the same effect as sharing your love story. Guests who may not know you both will want to see you two together. Your photos will also help to tie the whole website together. You can add 5-10 of your favorite photos. They can be your engagement photos, or just your favorite photos you have together. Keep in mind if you haven’t taken engagement photos yet, you can always add them in later.
Travel & Accommodation
Having a travel & accommodation page is highly recommended for a destination wedding. Many of your guests may have never been to your wedding destination before and they are going to need some guidance.
Photo credit: Ashley Goodwin Photography
The first piece of information your guests will need is what airport to fly into! It may be common sense to you, but it never hurts to be extra clear to avoid any confusion. It’s also helpful to explain the airport’s proximity to your suggested accommodations.
In regards to accommodations, the first thing you may want to consider is where you will be staying. Most guests will want to spend time with you in the days before and after your event and suggesting accommodations near yours is the best way to facilitate that. We always recommend suggesting a few high end, mid priced and budget friendly options. Depending on the rates available to you, you may consider setting up a room block for your guests. Wedding Wire has a great tool to help find room block rates for your event here (include live link).
Lastly, you may also want to share some information about fun things to do in the area. Many of your guests will lean on you to be their local guide. We always suggest a few indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. It’s also helpful to include a schedule of any planned activities in the days leading up to the wedding. This gives guests an idea of what their days will look like and where they might want to plan additional activities.
Registry
Whether or not you want or need wedding gifts, many guests may be adamant about gifting something. If you don’t provide a few suggestions, be prepared to get several crockpots...lol. The easiest and least obtrusive place to list your registry is on your wedding website. This way you don’t need to get a registry card printed to go with the invites and guests won’t need to remember another website address or save another link.
Here are some registry websites we recommend:
Honeyfund: Honeyfund is a crowdfunding site used for weddings and honeymoons. Guests give monetary gifts to help pay for the costs of your honeymoon or anything else you are saving up for. You can create “gifts” like dinner for two or a couples massage. That way guests feel like they are contributing to something tangible versus just gifting cash.
Zola: On Zola, couples can add items to their registry the same way they shop for products on any other online store. If you can’t find it on Zola, you have the option to add gifts from another store as well. Similar to Honeyfund, Zola also creates cash funds for couples as well.
Amazon: Curate a registry filled with items from Amazon’s endless selection of products and brands. And if you have things in your registry after the wedding, Amazon will offer you a 10% discount on the remaining items or 20% off if you’re a prime member.
The Good Beginning: An online registry for charitable donations. You can browse through their charity database. you can’t find the specific one you want, they’ll add it in for you. The Good Beginning lets you pick up to 5 different charities and track the donations as they come in.
RSVP
As mentioned earlier, RSVPing on your wedding website is quicker and easier than traditional methods. Not only that but guests can RSVP for multiple events (rehearsal, brunch, group outings, etc.) all at the same time. You can get information about their meal choices, dietary restrictions, and take count of any kids meals you’ll need. If you plan on organizing transportation or welcome bags for guests, this is also a great way to gather their accommodation information.
Photo Credit: John Hook Photography
Additional Tips
Stick to your wedding vibe when choosing a website design or template. It will subconsciously set the tone for your wedding. Shouldn’t have a casual site for a very formal wedding.
Don’t write a novel. Keep everything short and sweet. Also be careful not to give away any exciting details. You want to keep your guests informed, but still leave some of it a surprise.
Remember you can always go back and add more info later! The hard part is getting started.
Send out your wedding website url with your save the dates. This way your guests know about your website from the get go!
For destination weddings, give your guests suggestions. Where you love to stay, eat and explore.
Include contact info for all wedding related things. We suggest creating an entirely new email to keep all this info in one place.
We hope our tips and advice come in handy when creating your wedding website! While these are our best suggestions, don’t shy away from taking your own creative liberties. Stay true to your identity as a couple and to do what works best for you!
