What Do I Need to Create a Wedding Website?

The question's been popped, the engagement ring is sparkling, let the wedding planning process begin! From setting the wedding date to choosing the perfect wedding outfit, the next part might seem daunting but others might feel a huge bubbling pot of excitement. However you're feeling towards your wedding planning journey, it's time to sit back, relax and let us guide you through everything you need to know about wedding websites; from the glamour of custom domains, to creating a personalised wedding hashtag, and choosing the right wedding website template that's perfect for you. Let's dive in!

How long does it take to set up a wedding website?

You'll be surprised how quickly you can set one up. In fact the good thing about traditional wedding invitations is that once they are printed (ensuring all the finer details are correct) that's it, done and dusted. Whereas with a wedding website, depending how much of a perfectionist you are you can keep polishing, tweaking and refining. Therefore, should you need to make any changes to the wedding plans, it's just one click away. But if you're super efficient, know all the details and keen to get your wedding out there, your very own wedding website can be created in just a few minutes and can be a perfect reflection of your wedding style - the first glimpse your guests might have into your big day!

What to include (and not include) on your wedding website

It goes without saying; don't forget the who's where's and when's and if you're creating a wedding website instead of a traditional paper invite, these important details should be easy to find and clear for your guests. Give plenty of information around the location of the venue, you can even include a Google map which your wedding party can click on and navigate their way there which will help keep stress levels to a minimum. If you've chosen a destination wedding include lots of helpful recommendations on local activities and attractions that your guests might like to do while they're in the area. Once you've covered the basics, you're now able to elaborate and get creative! This is the beauty of designing your very own wedding website - there's plenty of space to add personal touches and ensure your guests have all the necessary info to create a wedding day they won't forget! However, it's easy to get carried away with creating your own website and wanting to share your love story and photo gallery of all your engagement photos but don't overload your guests with unnecessary information, offend family members by sharing old photos, or use it as a platform to post all your favourite photos from that time you hitchhiked around Europe! There can be a fine line between just enough, and way too much.

I'm no good at tech or design – should I really try to build my own wedding website?

The short answer is yes! You don't have to be a graphic or web designer to create your own beautiful wedding website. Simply start by choosing a stylish template that suits your wedding theme. Say I do have a brilliant bank of wedding website templates to work from with guidance on how to make your wedding website look just the way you want it to, plus you can start creating for free so this option really won't break the budget.

The finer details

A wedding website really is the perfect place to inform your guests about everything there is to know about the big day. Whether you've got a carefully crafted gift registry or you're asking guests to contribute to the honeymoon of your dreams this is where to include your wedding registry information. It's sometimes nice to have a brief bio on you and your partner, use it to share photos and really make it your own. It's also really helpful to include details on the dress code, no one ever wants to feel under or over dressed so set your wedding guests expectations early on. Don't forget to include your contact details as well because you'll likely get the odd guest wanting to know things about the wedding venue or logistics on the day.

Guest lists

If you're planning additional wedding events and activities such as a bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, morning after brunch or even thinking about the after party of all after parties, creating multiple guest lists on your website can allow you to control the flow of information and to restrict certain areas to specific guests. Some wedding websites often incorporate this type of security and provide additional details for those with a need to know about certain events or scheduled activities. Talk about your very own wedding planner! Bespoke access to different event information can be a great idea depending on how big you're going.

What to look for in a free wedding website builder

Like everything, you get what you pay for. A free wedding website builder is a fantastic tool to get started with and certainly does the job, however depending on your requirements, you really can go all out and pay for an all-singing all-dancing site which will enable you do things like live stream your wedding, create a custom domain name and even give you the option to translate the information into different languages. But there's nothing wrong with a free plan if you're wanting to keep things super simple. At Say I do we let you create a wedding website for free, giving you the option for a customisable design, guest list and RSVP manager AND save the dates!

Will I be able to edit my wedding website any time, even after I share with guests?

Yes! We've touched on it above but thankfully it's simple and really easy to amend details if your plans ultimately change. It can take a matter of minutes to tweak something on your site and as long as you notify guests of the changes it's as quick and simple as that. To be honest that's one of the downsides of sending paper invitations - if things change it's a lot of emailing or phone calls to let everyone know.

Cyber-safe

It may seem a bit OTT but make sure you keep your site exclusive; you wouldn't want uninvited guests crashing your wedding, would you? The same goes for your website. To make sure your wedding website is only available to people on the guest list, protect it by setting up privacy barriers. One method is to disable search engines from finding your website. This means the link will not show up on Google or other search engines. Another method is to password protect your site, but make sure to include the password you choose in your save the dates or wedding invitations.

A few final takeaways on wedding websites

We know how much goes into planning and executing a beautiful wedding so create a wedding website and let that be the go-to place for your guests to find out everything they need to know about your big day. Customise your wedding website design, remember to keep it up to date if things change and utilise all the tools and features available, it really will make your life easier and keep that to-do list down!