There was a time, not so long ago, when only the most geeky would create a personal website for their wedding.  Today it’s probably the norm for couples preparing to tie the knot. 

So do you have to add this to your already dauntingly long “to do” list?  No, it’s not obligatory.  And yes, it will take a bit of effort to set up and manage.  But you won’t regret it. 

On the one hand it’ll provide an easily accessible hub for all the important information and save you having to answer the same questions repeatedly; “When’s the wedding?” “Where should I stay?” “Where are you registered for your gifts?” “Can I bring the kids?”.  On the other it is a great way to share the love, help everyone get more engaged with the preparations, make the event itself more magical and capture all the wonderful memories.

But I’m not a web designer!

No problem.  Companies like Wix and Squarespace have created super successful businesses by making the whole process simple enough for the most digitally challenged.  They offer a huge variety of templates, advice and support that makes it possible for the complete novice to put together a website that looks totally professional and utterly gorgeous. 

In this post we focus on what content you need – the must-have stuff you should include plus some ideas on nice-to-have stuff as well.

Remember the main reason for the website

It’s easy to get so wrapped up in choosing everything from the food and wine to the dress and the cake, deciding on a photographer and booking a venue, designing the stationery and finalising the guest list, that you lose sight of what information your guests really need to know.  Because that’s the primary purpose of your wedding website – to communicate important practical stuff that everyone needs to know.  You don’t want to be remembered as the bride who sent out her Save the Date note but forgot to give anyone the location!  Or the one who shared a thousand words on the true meaning of love but forgot to share the details of her gift registry!

What’s the essential need-to-know stuff?

Make sure you clearly cover these points:

·         How to get to the ceremony and the reception – easy to follow directions

·         A schedule for the day so everyone knows when to turn up and how much time is allocated to the different stages of your big day

·         Details of the gift registry you have set up and a list of items you’d like

·         A rough idea of what to wear – is it going to be super formal, smart casual, boho, rustic…share the theme so people know what to expect

·         Details about the food, including menu choices and how people should place their orders

·         Whether it’s a cash bar or not

·         Information about accommodation and whether you have made a hotel block reservation

·         Any other transport information – parking, taxis, is there a shuttle bus between the ceremony and the reception venue?

 Once you covered all of this practical information in sufficient detail you can get onto the more fun and romantic stuff.

Tell Your Story

You will be asked, time and again, “how did you meet?”   To begin with you’ll probably love recounting the tale in full but you may get to a point where you’d rather give them a shortened version and direct them to your website for the longer one.  So it’s a good idea to have an “our story” page where you can gush to your heart’s content!  Actually it’s two stories that become one, so you might want to each tell your own side of the story separately then bring them together at the end.

Of course some people will already know your story.  But they won’t know all of it.  And there will be guests, from your other half’s family, who won’t know you at all.  Likewise your family and friends won’t know much about your intended.  Then there will be partners and “plus-ones” who know nothing about either of you.  So the “our story” page is pretty important – it really helps people feel welcome and a part of the celebration.

Include an FAQ page

This will save you wasting time answering repeat questions that keep filling up your inbox. 

For example, “Do I have to RSVP by post or can I RSVP online?”, “Have you reserved any hotel rooms for guests?” and “What time is the reception scheduled to end?”

You can also answer questions in a more direct way than if you were replying to someone personally.  For example, “Can I bring a plus one?”  Answer: “We wish we could give everyone a plus one, but our venue has a strict limit on numbers. So if the person you’d like to bring with you is named on your invitation, yes! If not, we promise to introduce you to lots of people who will help you have a great time.”

An RSVP page

Traditional RSVP cards are a lot of work - from buying and designing the cards to paying for postage, dealing with guests who lost theirs and then keeping track of replies. 

In our previous post we recommended some companies that will help you handle the RSVPs online, either through a page of your website or through their platform.  Both Wix and Squarespace also have readymade RSVP pages you can use.  Doing it all digitally is a lot easier than the old way!

A directions page

Rather than just give people the address of the venue for the ceremony and the reception (and hope that’s enough information) it’s good to have a dedicated directions page that includes maps and any other helpful stuff that they’ll find useful.  You don’t want to be answering your phone or replying to texts just before you walk down the aisle, or when you are busy talking to guests at the drinks reception! 

You also want to avoid people arriving late, flustered and annoyed because they got lost (and had a row!).  Even worse (see our previous post) you want to make sure everyone why RSVPs actually turns up – if they are not feeling well, or have a last minute situation to cope with, a good set of directions and a map will encourage them to make the effort and not let you down.

A registry section for your gifts

You have to be a bit discreet on the subject of the gifts you’d like – too pushy and you might offend.  You might want to include a registry flyer with the invitation (even if granny doesn’t approve!).  The best place to do this (without raising eyebrows) is on your website.  Both Wix and Squarespace make it easy to include buttons that direct guests to your gift registries so that they can buy you the perfect presents for your big day.  You can also add a PayPal button for cash gifts.

Share your future plans

This is a nice touch (but optional rather than obligatory).  You might be moving to a new house, city or job.  You could share details of where you are going on honeymoon (provided it’s not going to be a surprise for the bride!).  It could also be a way to help guests pick presents off your registry – if you plan to redesign the garden this will explain why you’ve put a gas-fired barbecue on your list.   

Recommend accommodation

Most guests are going to want overnight accommodation so you’ll be getting a lot of people asking “Where should I stay?” or “Is this place close enough?”  Help them out by having a where to stay page where you list any hotel or B&B accommodation you feel is suitable.  If you have block booked some rooms you obviously need to put this information here. 

Create a photo gallery

This is a great place to show photos that complement your story, possibly with a timeline.  You can include everything from selfies straight after the proposal, shots from your engagement party, photos of the venue you’ve chosen, even photos from your childhood – this is a great opportunity to get creative!  After the big day you can also add any shots, official or not, to capture the best memories.

Wedding hashtags

If you are big on all things social media and want to show off your wedding festivities, put your wedding hashtag prominently on your website. That, plus signage at your wedding, will significantly increase your chances that your guests actually use it (and spell it correctly!) when posting photos.  However, if you’d rather have an unplugged wedding (you ask everyone guest to turn off their phones, ipads, cameras and other digital distractions during the ceremony or reception) then you can also make this clear on your website.

Other things you might like to consider

How about adding a weather widget for the location of your wedding so your guests have up-to-the minute details?  Another suggestion is to create a page that’s password protected for the bridal party – here you can post private information only they should see.  A custom song request form is a cool idea too, so your guests can boogie the night away to their favourites!  Some thoughtful couples create a supplier page to thank all the professionals who are making your day so special.

Anything else you want to know?

Hopefully this post will help you create a wedding website that helps to make your big day an even greater success.  If you have any other questions on this topic, or anything else related to weddings, just give us a call – the team at Clevedon Hall are only too happy to share their experience and offer their advice.