Having a wedding website has become just another part of the wedding world, for good reason! They are an easy and convenient way to communicate essential wedding day details. All of your event information can be stored in one place that guests can easily reference for many months ahead of the wedding. Wedding websites are a great addition to your invitation suite as they are able to communicate all the extra details that won’t fit on your invitations.

There are quite a few different options when it comes to companies to create your wedding websites with, but we recommend The Knot, Minted, Zola, and Joy. All four are great, free options to host the site for your big day.

The Knot Wedding Website Design Options

When it comes to wedding websites, we’ve seen quite a few in our line of work. What you choose to include is up to you, but we have some guidelines we think can help when figuring out what to cover.

WEDDING WEBSITE MUST-HAVES

1. Schedule

There are a few items on your wedding website that you just can’t neglect: the who, what, when, and where. Include the important details like the wedding date and time and the venue and address. Everyone needs to know where to be and when so they can make their plans. It’s a good idea to include a map, a link to the venue’s website, and anything else that will make finding the location as simple as possible. Include any other events that all guests are invited to attend, like a Farewell Brunch or Welcome Party, along with the start time and location.

You can also include the RSVP deadline as a reminder. Be sure to let your guests know if they can RSVP directly if they’ve forgotten to send or have misplaced their physical mail card.

2. Travel/Accommodations

If you’ve arranged hotel blocks or wedding day transportation, share these details. Your out-of-town guests will appreciate it if you’ve reserved room blocks at a nearby hotel or arranged for scheduled shuttle services to and from the ceremony and reception venue, so include all the information they need on your website.

If you have arranged a hotel block, include the booking information. A link to the hotel’s website and/or a booking link along with any booking code or group rate information they may need when contacting the hotel is necessary, too. Don’t forget to let your guests know the book by date in order to receive the discounted rate!

If you are expecting a lot of out-of-town guests, you’ll want to offer suggestions on the best airports to fly into, as well as any recommended transportation, taxi, shuttle, and/or ferry services.

3. Registry

Wedding invitations are no place for your registry information since it’s not mandatory for guests to give you a gift. Leave all implied gift requests to your site so it doesn’t look like you’re expecting presents. All you need to include is the names or logos of the stores where you registered; your guests can figure it out from there.

4. FAQ

This is the page to provide short and sweet answers to questions your guests will inevitably have. 

Dress Code – When guests are getting ready to attend a wedding, there’s one key detail they want to know: what to wear. Help them avoid a faux pas by making the dress code very clear, so everyone’s at an appropriate level of formality.

Weather – You may also include tips on how to dress according to the weather of your wedding location. This way, guests are comfortable throughout the ceremony and reception.

Parking – Are there parking restrictions, such as cars cannot be left overnight at the venue? Will there be a valet service, a parking lot, or a designated parking area? Should the allotted parking fill up, where can guests park? Be sure to list all options, especially if transportation is not provided.

Children/No Children – Are you planning a kids-free wedding or are children welcome? Whether or not you want a kid-free wedding is totally a personal preference – but it may have some impact on who will attend. If you have specific accommodations for children, like a play area or childcare, this is a good place to mention that as well.

Plus Ones – If you choose not to invite plus ones, some guests may not get the memo from their invitation. Be sure to make clear what your expectations are. 

Accessibility – Is your venue wheelchair accessible? If there is a long or uneven path between the ceremony and reception spaces, will there be some sort of transportation provided?

If you think there may need to be some clarification about any part of your event, make sure to include it in your FAQ!

5. Contact

Provide a way for your guests to reach out for any follow-up wedding related questions. This doesn’t have to be your own email address. You may want to ask a family member or someone from your wedding party to be in charge of guest questions. This can reduce stress leading up to your wedding day. Just be sure to make it clear who the contact information is for. As your wedding planner, feel free to include my information, too.

Once you have the must-have information covered, have fun with your wedding website! Here are a few additional things you can include on your site.

WEDDING WEBSITE FUN-TO-HAVES

1. Love Story

Make sure your guests know that this is your wedding website! Consider telling your “love story,”  how you met, how the proposal happened, etc. It’s also fun to showcase a gallery of photos celebrating the journey through your relationship.

2. Things To Do

For all of your out of town guests, this page will be super fun and helpful. Especially if they’re not familiar with the area.

If you’re picking a location with special meaning for you two, be sure to share some of those personal highlights and your favorite hangout spots. Consider including area attractions like wineries, historical locations, nature trails, and “kid-friendly” activities for guests who need to occupy their children (or tucker them out). You can also include restaurant recommendations here.

3. Song Requests

To ensure your guests will be keeping the dance floor full all night, give them the opportunity to request songs that will get them up on their feet.

4. Video Message

You can take it one step past the photos and add personalize your wedding website with a video message. Be sure to tell your invitees how excited you are to see them and have them there for such an important milestone!

5. RSVPs

While not a “must-have,” RSVPs on wedding websites are becoming more and more popular. This is a convenient way for your guests to indicate their attendance or decline to your wedding. By digitally collecting and managing the event RSVPs, meal preferences, dietary restrictions, and more, you’re creating less of a headache for yourself and your guests. This option takes away the clutter from your wedding invitation and saves postage and trees!

At the end of the day, your wedding website can be both fun and functional, so lean into both! Taking advantage of this opportunity to answer all of your guests’ questions in one place feels like a no brainer. So my recommendation as a wedding planner is to make a wedding website. 

What are your thoughts on wedding websites? DM me on Instagram and let me know your thoughts! And if you have any questions about these sites that I didn’t cover, ask away, I’m here to help.