Creating your own personal wedding website has certainly become more the norm these days and with more people more digitally connected than ever before. A wedding website can be a one stop info hub for your guests  which may ultimately save you some stress by avoiding getting bombarded by guest questions – that’s win, win if you ask me!

A wedding website is more than just a portal where guests can access all the information they need in advance of the big day. Your website is a space to tell your love story, a bit about your bridal party, your wedding-day schedule, information on your gift list/registry, details on your venue, how to get there, and accommodation.

Another huge pro is you can collect RSVP’s which not only saves time and energy when it comes to addressing envelopes and paying for postage. But it can be really convenient when it comes to the not so simple task of your seating chart.

What information do you need to include on your wedding website?

Make sure and include the below details on your wedding website and you will be off to a flying start!

Key Details

Make your names, wedding date and location be the immediate thing you see on your website

Schedule of Events

If you are having more events that just your main wedding such as a rehearsal dinner, day two brunch or BBQ, add info with times in here for your guests so they know where to be and when.

Wedding Day Timeline

Help your guests know where you want them to be and when. Include details of your ceremony, drinks reception and call for dinner time. If you plan to have speeches at a specific time or a sparkler photo op, keep your guests informed.

Contact Information

This could be you for the most part in the run up to the wedding but make sure and put another person down such as a friend who can field any questions on the day while you are doing another very important job – getting married!

Your Love Story

Give guests a fun peek into your love story like how you met, what made you fall in love with each other and a snippet about your proposal but keep it short and sweet. Give you guests a light-hearted 1-2 minute read and avoid going down the novel route. Include some nice pics of the two of you, did you do an engagement photo shoot? Now is the time to show off those photos.

Wedding Party

Include details of each bridesmaid and groomsman (maybe a fun fact about how they are important in your lives). Include a photo of them if you have it too!

RSVP

You can let your guests know if they should RSVP directly on your website or if they should expect an invite with RSVP by post and they should confirm their attendance this way.

Are Kids Invited?
You can inform your guests if you are having an Adult-Only celebration or not. If you are including little people, let parents know what is planned in terms of entertainment, catering and seating which will give them a steer in terms of what plans to make for their kids.

Plus Ones

There will always be the question of… ‘Can I bring my new boyfriend/girlfriend (of one week!) so having information on your website about your Plus One policy can help keep your guests in the loop. Websites such as www.joy.com can help you in this domain by allowing you choose whether your guest can rsvp with a plus one or not in advance which is a very handy feature.  

Catering

This is the perfect opportunity to collect dietary restrictions from your guests as well as letting them have a sneak peek into what to expect on the day to whet their appetite!  

Travel Information

Whether your celebration is local or you’re having a far-flung destination wedding, there will be non-local guests coming, so it’s a good idea to give them the all the details on travel and accommodation. Include information about the nearest airport or the best way to get to your ceremony/venue location. If you have a wedding at a venue where most guests will need to stay nearby, include details if you are include a shuttle to get guests back to their Hotel/B&B at the end of the evening.

Accommodation

If you are getting married in a venue with limited accommodation, give your guests a list of nearby accommodation with links so they can get everything arranged in good time.  Make sure to include the websites, phone numbers, and booking codes if you have secured accommodation for your guests and they just need to ring up and book.

Dress code information

Your dress code gives your guests a hint at the formality of your event. Dress codes can bring about many questions from guests so let them know what is expected of them in terms of attire and where parts of your celebration will take place. If your Day Two celebration is taking place in a garden, your female guests will thank you for giving them that information in advance.

Unplugged Policy

If you plan to have an unplugged ceremony this is a good spot to include your request to your guests. You will most likely need to create a separate welcome sign at your ceremony or in your ceremony booklet reminding guests of this but no harm to include here too. If you want a more ‘plugged in’ experience, let your guests know your social media hashtag in advance!

Gift List

If you are having a link to your gift registry, this is a really handy place to include it. If you do have a list, include direct links to your online registries so guests can simply click through and hit “buy.” Many couples who don’t have a registry per-say might choose to have a honeymoon fund – if you go down this route, give your guests some details of what you plan to do on your honeymoon and what kind of experiences their gift would allow you to enjoy. You can also use your website to request a charitable donation or indeed let your guests you do wish to have any gifts.

Local Activity Information

While you will spend your wedding morning in a while whirlwind of makeup brushes, hair spray and prosecco many guests might have a few hours to spare before heading off to the ceremony. Include some local activity recommendations for non-local guests by including your favourite locations and things to do in the area.

Fashioning a wedding website is a handy tool for many modern couples, but do not feel you have to do it if it becomes another area of added stress. There are some great sites like the ones below that do a lot of the heavy lifting for you so all you need to do is plug and play!

The Knot – TheKnot.com

Joy – withjoy.com

Hitched – Hitched.co.uk

Zankyou – Zankyou.co.uk

Wix – wix.com

Happy Wedding Planning!

Love,

Jill x