People will always have questions about your wedding. But, you won’t always have time to answer them. A wedding website gives you the ability to put all your information in an accessible place.
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Unless you’re eloping, you will have guests to manage. And there will always be someone asking about location of the ceremony. Someone else asking if there’s a gift registry. An out of town guest asking about accommodation options. When you’re in the final countdown to the wedding, the last thing you need is a bunch of questions that you’ve already answered. But, you also want to make sure that people have all the information they need to get to the wedding and enjoy a stress-free day.
With the accessibility of the internet, a wedding website or portal is the way to make it happen.
What are the wedding website options?
Depending on your IT savviness and timeframes, there are multiple options available.
Pre-made sites: Places like TheKnot.com offer free wedding websites. They have a range of functionality, such as matching invitations, registry options, RSVP options, and they are all available using templates. These are incredibly simple to set up and operate. However, while they may look free, some of these sites will charge for some functionality, and they aren’t completely customisable.
A Facebook page: A Facebook event can be incredibly easy to set up. Invite who you need to, throw up all the information you think you need to, and voila, you’re done. There’s also the benefit of being able to crowd-source answers. If someone needs a ride to the venue, they can pop up a query and someone will volunteer to pick them up. If an out-of-towner can’t find suitable accommodation, other guests can suggest options.
Facebook is also awesome because people can upload photos afterwards, making it super easy for you to find all the gorgeous, candid photos of your big day.
However, not everyone has a Facebook page. The pages aren’t that customisable outside of the profile and banner pic, and they have no added functionality like online RSVP.
Build-your-own sites: From a WordPress to a Wix site, there are options for the more tech-savvy options. Pay a small fee for your URL, personalise a template (or build from scratch if you need to) and add plug-ins to get everything done you need to. This can include online RSVPs, Google maps, meal preferences, wedding registry information, and even a countdown ticker.
Photo-sharing apps: If you don’t want a whole huge website and just want easy access to wedding photos that your guests take, choose a wedding photo sharing app. Some are free, some have a small fee, but they all allow your guests access to upload photos directly from their phones; no hashtags, no hassles, just all your photos sent to you before you even fall asleep that night.
What to include on your wedding website
How much information you put up is entirely up to you. The basics should include:
- Venue information and a link to Google Maps if possible
- Times and dates
- Dress code, if any
- Gift information/ registry details with links
- RSVP deadline
- If children are invited
- Parking availability
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Hotel information, especially if there are a block of rooms reserved for guests
Extras to think about
A password protected site: There’s no guarantee who can see your site and if you’re keen to keep it private, a simple password that guests can easily remember will keep unwanted people out. The easiest passwords to remember are simple, funny, and probably based on your names.
Your love story: Who doesn’t love reading a mushy, romantic love story? Open your site with how you both met and your journey to the aisle. Photos, anecdotes, and rambling stories are welcome.
Tour guide: If you have out of town guests, they may need a bit of extra information. This can include helpful information about the nearest chemist, supermarket or car rental place. Or, maybe you can list the best restaurants in the area (bonus points for relationship milestones woven in, like ‘this Italian restaurant, at the table in the far back left, is where we had our first date!’), museums, tourist attractions and other things to do.
Meet the dream team: An introduction to your wedding party. Inevitably, people won’t have met everyone else, and a photo of your bridesmaids and groomsmen along with a brief bio could be helpful, and lovely for guests to feel a bit more involved on the day.
Deal with tricky subjects: This is where you can time and space to create patient, strategically worded subjects. i.e:
- We want you to have an amazing night without worrying about if your kids are faceplanting into the cake or crawling under the tables. This is our list of babysitting services that we recommend.
- Because we are on a tight budget, the bar is cash. Bring your EFTPOS card, enjoy the first class of champagne on us, and then choose from our fully stocked bar to suit your tastes.
- We request you don’t upload any wedding photos to social media (other than selfies of your beautiful selves). We want to wait for the professional photos so we know that everyone’s most flattering angles will be on display.
Should you bother with a wedding website?
It’s entirely up to you, but a wedding website is super helpful for out of town guests in particular. You can make sure all questions are answered so you’re not interrupted while you’re knee-deep folding origami table settings.
If you have time to set one up, you and your guests will probably find it really helpful. So pick a website option you’re technically comfortable with, and get information up before the invites go out.