So you’re at that stage of the wedding planning process when everything is beginning to take shape. You’ve made some tough decisions, but you’ve come out on the other side! You’re ready to start creating your wedding website and communicating all the exciting plans to your guests. This is when everything starts to feel VERY real and SUPER exciting!
When creating your wedding website, always try to put yourself in your guests’ shoes and pretend you know NOTHING about the day. Of course, you know every single detail, but some of your guests know absolutely nothing, so as easy as it is to get carried away with making the website look amazing, it’s essential that you include all the necessary details for your guests to ensure they get where they need to be on time and with ease.
From the minute they tap the link or scan the QR code, your wedding website will be the go-to resource for your wedding guests to refer to before the big day. As a result, wedding websites should serve as a one-stop shop to find out information such as the location, timings, dress code, and other essential wedding details. You want to cover all of the practical elements while also making guests feel excited to celebrate your big day.
Read on for a rundown of all the information you need to cover and some you might have already forgotten to include on your wedding website… You’re welcome!
The Essentials
There’s a lot going on in your head, and you’re more than likely juggling many things right now, so it goes without saying but please don’t forget to include your wedding date, timings, and wedding location. Give as much information as possible when it comes to the wedding venue location to ensure no one gets lost; full addresses and maps are your best bet.
Adult-Only Announcements
If you’ve decided not to include kids at your wedding, that’s fine. Some couples prefer to host an adults-only wedding, but we’d recommend avoiding direct mentions on your wedding invitation. Instead, address the envelope or email to exactly who it’s meant for. (For example, write “Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” not “The Jones Family.”) Your wedding website is the perfect place to announce that you’re keeping the party a grown-up affair.
Dress Code Details
Whether you choose a laid-back, festival-themed wedding or an elaborate black-tie affair, your guests will need to know what to wear to avoid feeling underdressed or overdressed when the big day comes. It’s also worth considering whether your guests will need a change of clothes or footwear, especially if part of your wedding is outdoors or you plan on hosting fun activities like games in the garden.
Gift Registry Information
People will want to get you wedding gifts to celebrate the happy occasion regardless of the size of your wedding. With this in mind, make it super simple for them by including a link to your wedding gift registry that tells them exactly what you would like, or if you’d rather, a donation towards a charity or a house fund/honeymoon of a lifetime, for example.
A Rough Schedule
Your guests may not want (or need!) a minute-by-minute breakdown of the day, but a basic schedule describing major parts and timings will ensure there are no surprises (unless, of course, you want some!). This allows your guests and family to make some plans ahead of time, such as bringing jackets if they know they’ll be outside in the evening or getting a bite to eat before the ceremony if the dinner isn’t until later in the day.
Social Media Rules
Consider your wedding website to be the place to come for social media guidelines. If you want to encourage social media posts, share your wedding hashtag so that all of their photos and videos can be found easily online. Alternatively, if you’re planning an unplugged wedding, share this on your website so guests can be informed before the big day and know what to do to respect your wishes.
Health and Safety Guidelines
Reassure your guests of what you and your venue will be doing to ensure their health and well-being on your wedding day. The great thing about a wedding website is that any information can be readily updated, so make sure your guests are aware that you will be keeping the site up to date if requirements or conditions change.
FAQs
If you’re planning a large or complicated wedding, an FAQ section might be a valuable addition to ensure that your guests know what to do at every eventuality without having to contact you over every single detail. Some examples could be: Is there wheelchair access? Is there parking near the venue? What time will the party end?
Catering
Your wedding party will appreciate you noting what food will be provided and when it will be served so they don’t finish the day on an empty stomach if you eat late. After all, no one wants hangry guests! When your guests confirm their attendance via their RSVP, ask them to list any allergies or dietary preferences they may have. This will save you a LOT of time and stress ahead of and on the big day itself.
You should also inform your visitors about the drink situation: will there be an open bar? Should they bring cash? Or if the bar only takes cards.
RSVP Date
A wedding website’s ‘confirming your attendance’ part is perhaps one of its most useful elements. It will save you from having to organize responses from lots of different sources and will keep all of your RSVPs in one place. We recommend setting an ideal RSVP deadline so you don’t have to spend precious time chasing down late RSVPs.
Transport and Accommodation Options
If you’ve reserved hotel rooms or wedding day transport, provide all these details on your wedding website. Your out-of-town guests will appreciate it if you’ve reserved room blocks at a nearby hotel or arranged for scheduled cars to and from the ceremony and reception venue, so make sure your website has all the information they need and remember to include any critical details regarding this on your FAQs.
Things to Do for Out-of-Town Guests
Adding local recommendations for guests is one of the best ways to personalize your wedding website. Make the most of your website by giving local recommendations for food, drinks, and local attractions to help your guests when planning their time away. This is especially important to include on your destination wedding website if the majority of your guests are traveling from far away. They’ll be grateful that you took the time and effort to assist them with a fun-filled itinerary of events.
Intro to Your Wedding Party
You probably won’t have enough space to include full bios of your wedding party on your invites, regardless of whether you’re sending paper or digital invitations. But with unlimited space on your website, why not include brief bios of bridal parties, groomsmen, and other VIPs? Include memorable photos, how you’re related, or how you met. This is a lovely, personal, entertaining touch and will mean those who don’t know many people will be able to spot some familiar faces on the day.
Your wedding website will naturally end up being your guests’ one-stop shop for your impending wedding day. It will be the main place where they can find out all the info they need when it comes to knowing where to be and when. Of course, it’s your choice how much detailed information you want to include on your wedding website, but remember to keep the essentials on the homepage so they are easy to locate.
If your wedding website is acting as your formal wedding invitation as well, it’s a must that you include information such as the wedding date, wedding location, dress code, wedding registry, and a FAQ section. The more information you include on your wedding website, the less you will be bombarded with questions in the run-up to your big day!
With the increase in destination weddings and wedding weekends, creating wedding websites has never been such an essential and useful tool for wedding planning. Not only do you have the luxury of space to include extra information, such as travel suggestions and accommodation recommendations, but you can also include multiple event details that guests can RSVP to separately, such as the rehearsal dinner or bridal shower.
So you’ve nailed the basics and included all the necessities; why not add some fun bits to your website that will set yours apart from the rest? Here are our top 5 unique things to include on your wedding website.
1. Create a Who’s Who, Including Photos
A fun touch is to let your guest list know who’s who when it comes to family members, groomsmen, and members of the bridal party. Include a photo, a short summary of how they are related to you both, and a bit about them. This will eliminate any questions from guests, such as, “Who’s that?” or “Is that the bride’s sister?” etc. It’s also nice for guests who are attending alone to turn up and be able to recognize some familiar faces that they can speak to during the wedding whilst having a few conversation starters up their sleeves, allowing conversations to flow as they already know a little bit about the bride’s sister beforehand.
2. Ask Your Wedding Guests to Make Some Song Requests
Depending on your entertainment choices throughout the day, you may want a bit of a helping hand when it comes to creating an awesome party playlist. It’s surprising how many half-hour or hour slots you have to fill between the band, DJ, or during your cocktail hour, for example. Take the pressure off of creating multiple playlists and ask your guests to give you their favorite song to play. Not only will it help you when you’re creating a playlist, but you’ll more than likely get more people up dancing if you’re playing their favorite floor fillers!
3. Let Your Guests Know How You’ve Made Your Wedding ‘Green’
We’re increasingly aware of doing ‘our bit’ for the planet these days, so if you’re trying to make your wedding more green, don’t be afraid to shout about it! Letting your guests know why you’ve chosen seasonal food from local suppliers will not only help them understand and appreciate your choices, but it might also inspire them along the way. If you’ve specifically chosen a wedding venue due to its sustainability promises, let your guests know that your wedding venue is doing its bit to save the planet too. It may be that they grow their own produce, upcycle their wedding decor, or perhaps have solar panels installed to create some renewable energy.
Don’t forget that a wedding website is also helping you create a more environmentally friendly wedding. With formal invitations come multiple trips to the post office, they take more time to design and print, and they cost a lot more, too, compared to going digital.
4. Create a Unique URL and Wedding Hashtag
Think of your site as the information hub for your whole wedding. You want guests to be able to access it easily on a desktop or mobile device and quickly remember where to go in case they need a refresher. Come up with a fun, creative, easy-to-remember wedding website URL for your site that’s quick and easy to type.
The URL for your wedding website can even double up as a fun hashtag for your wedding. When you use funny or memorable hashtags, you can easily search for wedding-related posts and pictures from your wedding guests online. Include the hashtag in various places on your site, on your invitations, and throughout your chosen wedding venue as well. This will help remind your guests to use it and have fun!
5. Create a Virtual Guest Book
How often have you seen a guest book at a wedding party and not had the chance or forgotten to sign it? Well, including one on your website is a surefire way to get more lovely well wishes and messages from your nearest and dearest. It’s a great way to let guests feel like they are a part of your experience, and adding a virtual one to your wedding website is a great way to help guests feel included. They can even personalize their messages by adding photos to really bring their kind messages to life.
You can also use your virtual guest book to invite family and friends to leave you a piece of marriage advice or a funny anecdote that’s included on your site. Think of it as a virtual marriage advice column. You’re sure to get some wise, endearing, and even hilarious responses!
In Summary
Have fun while creating your wedding website; you’re setting the tone for your big day, so it’s the perfect place to drum up excitement ahead of the main event. Of course, it’s essential to include all the important details, but get creative and add some fun elements too.
Remember, your wedding website is your tool to ensure your guests have all the information they need and feel excited about your special day. Whether it’s practical details like venue and RSVP information or fun extras like guest bios and virtual guest books, each element adds to the overall experience for you and your guests.
