Guarantee all of your guests are on the same page with your big day plans by creating a stunning wedding website, that's why!
A wedding website is an easy way to keep your guests up to date with the plans for your big day. There are a few different wedding website building applications to choose from, so we’ve rounded up our favourites for you to make it easier.
Photo by Sincerely Media
Keeping your loved ones informed on the latest news regarding your wedding ensures that events run a lot smoother and allows you to (almost) eliminate guests not being in the right place at the right time.
When wedding planning, guests always have plenty of questions. And couples traditionally try to include as much key information within their invites in order to answer those queries. But typically the standard when, where, and dress code info is not enough for every guest. Meaning a full booklet of details is sometimes considered as an accompaniment to physical invites – but that's not very environmentally friendly!
Having a nicely presented wedding website will offer you the chance to include every bit of detail you desire, without wasting a shred of paper. Alongside gifting the ability to add links to other sites and interactive maps etc.
A good wedding website will include everything your guests could need to know. From accommodation suggestions local to your venue, taxi numbers, venue directions, and gift list information.
Photo by Sincerely Media
Wedding websites can also save you money on postage as there’s no need to send out paper save the dates, or need a physical RSVP. When everything is available online. In fact, on the whole, you'll likely find most guests are more likely to quickly reply to an online RSVP than go to the effort of putting a physical one in the post. Saving you the stress of chasing people for menus choices and plus one information.
Free Wedding Websites
If your trying to keep costs down, a free wedding website can really help with your budget. And just because they’re free doesn’t mean they offer a substandard service.
All the below wedding websites give great results and include everything you’ll need to communicate effectively with your guests.
Out of all the free wedding websites out there, With Joy is probably our favourite. For absolutely no investment on your part, this site provides a premium service, with a fully customisable template.
Highlights for us include:
Beautiful design, with a choice of using your own colours, fonts, and photos
Digital RSVPs, so you can track your guest list online
Wedding party introductions, so you can highlight who is who
An app for all of your guests to access
An area for your guests to upload pictures, so you can keep everyone’s phone snaps
Wix are known more generally for the website building functionalities, but they do also have some really lovely wedding templates. Their free service offers the freedom to choose just about any combination of elements, ideal for creative couples who want to make their website their own.
Here are some of our favourite elements of Wix wedding websites:
An area to upload 'your story' – letting guests have a little insight into how you met
Ability to include galleries of images, perfect if you have an engagement shoot you would like to share
A contact page
Sections for you to link out to your gift list
Order of the day details
With modern design options, and a looks-lead service, Zankyou provides stunning wedding websites that function easily too. If that sounds appealing to you and your other half, then these are other things we love about Zankyou:
Hotel recommendations
Maps and running order of the day to keep every up-to-date
Video upload function
Playlist co-ordination which guests can add to for the big day
Personalised domain name
Like Wix, Squarespace isn’t known for their wedding websites, but they do have a handful of lovely templates you can use to build your own. If you’re up for a slightly more DIY deal, then they could be perfect for you
Here are some of our favourite things about Squarespace wedding websites:
Visual timeline of your own love story, with scrollable pictures and information
Gallery templates
RSVP functionality, to allow guests to respond directly to your email
Ability to buy your own domain name
Responsive design so your website looks just as good on mobile, tablet and desktop
If you’re looking for a package with elements above and beyond the essentials, then you might want to consider paying a little bit for a wedding website. Websites with fees often include more features and sometimes have a wider variety of design options – which is perfect if you’re going for a strong theme.
The below are our favourite paid-for wedding websites.
What to Include on Your Wedding Website
As we mentioned, a wedding website is the perfect place to store absolutely everything your guests need to know. People generally ask for directions or facilities-related questions. Therefore, consider including directions and a map, as well as linking venue phone numbers, thereby eliminating the couple as an intermediary.
Here’s what to include on your wedding website, from the blindingly obvious to the things you might not have thought of.
Wedding date and time
Wedding venue and a link to the website
Facilities at the church/venue (baby changing, bathrooms)
Directions to the venue and a map
The nearest public transport, including taxi numbers
Accommodation options
Gift list information
RSVP section
Menu section – including dietary requirements
Info on the local area (things to see if people are staying around)
Timelines of the day
Bar information – i.e. open bar or a cash bar
Finally, any safety measures they need to know.
If you want to get really creative, there’s a whole host of other information you can include on your site. From a music request section, to biographies of the bridal party (just for the giggles!) to photos from your relationship. We recommend creating your website as soon as the date and your venue are confirmed. Unlike traditional wedding invites, you can update the website as you go along, so there’s no need to worry if details change.