The moment you announce your wedding, you quickly realize that you’re not just a bride or groom—you’re the host of the biggest party of your life. As you send out save-the-dates, invitations, and welcome bags, these gestures make your guests feel included and foster a sense of anticipation. Each little wedding reminder should communicate that this is going to be a beautiful experience. But have you considered the role your wedding website plays in your guests’ experience? After all, your site may be one of the very first wedding-related things that your guests see. You’ll want to make sure that the site you create is practical and informative, and also beautiful and compelling; a natural extension of your overall wedding design. That’s why we’re here to address everything you need to craft the perfect site—from the information you can’t skip to pretty, polished touches that will send your site over-the-top. Read on for our best tips!
Photography: Greg Finck
1. Find a gorgeous template
Your dream wedding website begins with a beautiful template, and thankfully, it’s never been easier to find one. Below, are some of our favorite sites, and the offerings that make them truly special:
Photography: Koman Photography
2. Design a simple URL
For your URL, a combination of your first names usually works the very best. “While we love a creative name, we recommend keeping it simple so it’s easy for guests to remember on the fly should they need to look something up,” suggests Francesca of Pure Luxe Bride. If your wedding hashtag is one for the ages, then go for it. Otherwise, make your website URL about you and your fiancé— it’s the simplest choice, and a timeless one.
Photography: Sandra Fazzino
3. Create a compelling home page
First impressions matter and, as with any website, you have just a flicker of time—maybe a couple of seconds– to capture your viewers’ attention. If you’re going to make any page perfect, it has to be your home page. For maximum impact, focus on beautiful imagery. Pick the most gorgeous photo from your engagement session—you know, the one that someone would look and immediately pin to an inspiration board. Keep the rest of the details very, very minimal; you want your guests to receive maximum emotion with minimal effort. Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company Events beautifully articulate the essential ingredients for any home page: “One captivating image, whether it’s an illustration of the scenery at the wedding location or a high res engagement photo of the couple, will set the tone for the website.” When designing your site, they add, “think about the kind of websites or blogs that you’re drawn to—are they clean and light, busy and colorful? Think about how easy the home page should be to read—it can act as the landing and welcome page that directs guests where to go, so something catchy that says who, when, where is a great start.”
Francesca of Pure Luxe Bride agrees adding that the key words for any home page are “clean and simple” and the key ingredients are “a photo from the engagement session, wedding date, and location.” Remember when Prince William and Kate Middleton released that one gorgeous engagement photo the day prior to their wedding, and everybody just went, ohhhhh? Find that image—that iconic image– and build everything else around it.
Photography: Erika Parker Photography
4. Practical info
Remember that you are the host of this experience, and your wedding is your chance to guide your guests and furnish them with all the information they need. Be sure to include a detailed itinerary, address, and directions to your venue. Don’t leave any stone unturned—make sure your guests have every single detail in one place. “In today’s digital world,” states Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company Events, “everything pertinent to the wedding should live on the website. A tab for travel/accommodations/shuttling, where to eat and what to do nearby the wedding, and a very detailed itinerary of the weekend’s festivities is pertinent. We also recommend listing attire suggestions and helpful tips for what to pack so guests know what to expect.” We love their idea of working with an artist to make some of these details more playful and chic: “For websites, we have commissioned illustrators to sketch out attire examples for cheeky pre- and post-parties, and to give guests a little glimpse into the big day.”
It’s important, however, to remember that your site can’t be your sole method of communicating event details. “Do keep in mind that non-tech guests may still need a paper version of this,” suggest Nick and Aleah, who “love sending out pre-wedding newsletters about three weeks before a wedding that recaps much of what’s happening.” That way, the “details [are] nice and fresh.”
Photography: Donny Zavala Photography
5. Hotel Accommodations
Have you ever stayed at a luxury short-term rental space or boutique hotel? (Or at least, have you seen a design show featuring one?). You know what we’re talking about: the kind that’s designed to the hilt, and designed for a beautiful experience. It’s the kind of place where you walk into a bedroom with two cashmere spa robes folded at the end of the bed, along with a sprig of flora, a welcome note, and two bars of dark chocolate. The kind with a fridge stocked with water (still, sparkling, and ultra-fizzy), champagne, and nothing else. There’s a gorgeous view and a lounge room with a discreetly printed guide of things to do in the city. It’s not just a pretty space—it’s a space that’s been designed with you in mind.
The analogy can be easily applied to a wedding weekend, because a wedding provides an opportunity to be a gracious host. To not only welcome your guests, but anticipate their needs. To make them feel seen and recognized through even the tiniest gestures. To offer them a sense of luxury, spaciousness, beauty, and retreat. It may sound over-the-top, but by anticipating their needs on your wedding website, you’re already taking the initiative and making the experience easier. You really want to take your guests by the hand and show them a wonderful time, and that begins with recommending the finest places for them to stay.
Highlight boutique hotels and historic stays. Include a luxury option and a tasteful budget option. Give them the insider’s access—this hotel is famous for its rooftop bar and Hotel Costes vibe; this villa is within walking distance of the best shops, and this lodge has a spa that you won’t believe. If you have special memories of a certain hotel, a charming anecdote is nice—at Christmastime, we would visit this hotel, where we ate warm gingerbread and watched the snow fall outside the lobby window.
Photography: Katie Grant Photography
6. A guide to the city
Of all the ways to personalize your site, our favorite by far is including a couple’s guide to your city. Dazzle your guests with a list of all the best places to shop, dine, and take in art and culture. If your destination wedding site abounds with natural beauty, then cover the best botanic gardens, nature trails, and lookout points. If your city offers incredible art museums, point your guests to these (and tell them where to find your favorite piece of artwork). And of course, don’t forget a restaurant guide with both options for fine dining and experience-driven food. As always, you shouldn’t feel the need to impress your guests; simply write from the heart and include the places that are personal and meaningful to you. “We love it when our couples recommend their favorite haunts—think about it from your guest experience and share the most casual of places (like your favorite coffee or cookie shop) to your favorite restaurant or museum where you had your first date. Sharing a little story about each place will entice guests to want to visit!” enthuse Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company Events. You’ll take extra great care of your guests when you “list any suggested attire if it’s a more formal restaurant” or encourage them “to dress in comfy clothes for touring around the city or for hiking.”
When it comes to creating these guides, Francesca of Pure Luxe Bride believes that the more personal, the better. “We always recommend that the couple list a few of their favorite places to make it more personal,” suggests Francesca, “for example, ‘Make sure to stop by the OAR for a the mudslide, it’s the bride’s favorite!’” While Francesca agrees that you should “100% [include] places to dine, shop, and cocktail,” she also recommends pointing out “local transportation companies as well as hair and makeup studios for the ladies.” These personal touches will make your site fun and readable—and make your guests feel welcomed.
Photography: Greg Finck
7. Insider travel tips
As a thoughtful host, you’ll want to consider your guests’ experience from every possible angle—from the moment they touch down to that last cute breakfast or brunch before returning home. Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company Events have the most thoughtful advice for brides and grooms as they compose their travel section:
“Think about travel from the guest experience—when you land at your airport, what’s the best easy access to grabbing an Uber or arranging for a car service? Be excited and encouraging when listing travel tips, but also be sure to give guests honest feedback, like avoiding a certain area during a football game, or staying clear of a not-so-friendly part of town after dark.” Everyone loves insider tips, especially when they’re shared from a place of love and thoughtfulness.
8. A gorgeous (and well edited) gallery
We know your favorite part of any website is a gorgeous gallery—and we’re right there with you! Now is the chance to unveil all of those beautiful engagement photos. As you do so, present your love story in the most fun, sexy, romantic way possible.
When editing your gallery, again, try to go more SMP than high school yearbook. We love a cute early dating photo, but one is probably enough. Channel your inner blogger or fashion editor, and edit your gallery to include only the standouts from your engagement session. Highlight the photos that capture emotion—tender looks, tearful embraces, his hand through your hair, a mountaintop kiss. Make your photo choices count by including only the most epic and gorgeous images. Try not to overburden your viewers with too much content—give the people what they want (beautiful photos) but always leave them wanting more.
Photography: Sandra Fazzino
9. The story of how you met
Consider an ‘Our Story’ tab with a beautiful photo and a brief story of how you met. If you do, though, know that a paragraph or two is best. “The engagement [story] is always nice, but keep it brief!” recommends Francesca of Pure Luxe Bride. Sometimes, it can be equally compelling to speak about why you love the place you’re marrying—especially if that place is interwoven with your love story. Francesca agrees: “if it’s a destination, [writing about] why they love the city they chose is always nice!” Reminisce a little about the trip to Tuscany, the golden hours and the life-changing pizza, or reflect on that romantic trip to Greece, and the little white chapel that stole your heart.
Photography: Les Anagnou Photographers
10. Your favorite page in your favorite magazine
If you’re anything like us, you always turn to the last page of Vanity Fair first to read the Proust Questionnaire. Or maybe, when you see your favorite fashion mag, you immediately flip to the “What’s in My Handbag” article. Everyone loves a playful interview and a sprinkling of fun facts, so it’s a great idea to include a Q&A or other fun page on your wedding website. We adore Aleah and Nick’s advice for creating a personalized page:
“Fun facts are always a cute way for couples to share their story, especially if many of their guests don’t know each other. It provides a common thread to the wedding. Think about including a Did You Know? page on the site that talks about you both individually—like where each grew up, and fun tidbits about the relationship and how it’s grown.” As always, keep your personal voice in it and just write the kind of content you would personally love to read!
11. A registry
The registry should generally be the last tab on your site, and it should be placed there discreetly. There’s always a way to be tactful about the registry, says Francesca of Pure Luxe Bride, who suggests that brides and grooms “have [the registry] as a tab or page but don’t point it out—guests will look there if they are interested.” If you prefer that guests donate to a Honeyfund or favorite charity, then kindly let them know that their presence is gift enough, but you would love it if they would consider supporting your cause.
When it comes to the technical part of uploading your registry, you may need to put forth a little more effort depending on the template you’ve chosen. Sites like Zola will make this seamless for you; others may require you to manually upload logos and links, which takes a bit more time and tech savvy. Luckily, sites like Squarespace have amazing tutorials on virtually every aspect of customization, as well as help pages where you can chat with tech experts (and easily resolve a page crisis in a matter of minutes). You’ve got this!
Photography: Sally Pinera
12. The bridal party
We generally don’t think that you have to channel The Brady Bunch intro and include your entire wedding party and a bio of how you met. Visually, it can be distracting to upload tons of (usually) low res images that have all been taken from different places. BUT we always appreciate the sentiment and recognize that these are the friends who have walked with you through all stages of life, and your desire to recognize them is sweet. Nick & Aleah acknowledge that having a separate bridal party tab is “a nice nod to the nearest and dearest friends and family” and adds that “it can be a great ice breaker and a way for the guests to feel connected to the wedding party.” In most circumstances, listing their names will be enough, but if you want to go the extra mile and include photos, we always want you to do you!
Photography: Oliver Fly Photography
13. Professional videography
If you’ve been lucky enough to work with a videographer for your engagement session, by all means, include that gorgeous film! It’s perfect as stand-alone content for the home page. Your viewers will be enamored as they watch your love set to music, unfolding in such a sweeping, cinematic way. A film does all the talking for you. It’s very likely that you’ve just budgeted this service for the wedding day, but if you’ve been fortunate enough to have an earlier professional film session, use it to tell your love story. Nothing is quite as emotional or moving—quite as able to capture love– as a well-done film.
Photography: Sotoris Tsakanikas
14. Keep it short and sweet
When asked what makes a wedding website truly successful, Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company Events say that two things are key: beauty and brevity.
“The best wedding websites are ones that feel fun and polished, and are also clean and edited and easy to navigate. We love photos of our couples and photos of the landscape around the wedding. And, [we] have years of feedback [that tells us] while guests love to see photos and read stories, they find sites the most useful when they’re short and sweet. Be thoughtful with details and share an abundance of information, but perhaps think about keeping your restaurant or park recommendations to a sentence of two, unless it stems from a really sweet story.” Guests will so appreciate you only leaving them with the very best and sweetest information!
15. Stay true to yourself
When it comes to your wedding website, the most important thing is that you write and share photos in the way that feels right and true to you as a couple. Don’t worry about perfectly abiding by our rules or trying to make your site fashionable and impressive. Just sincerely share your love story and your excitement– we promise there’s nothing simple about it. In the end, a website should be a testament to this beautiful time in your life, and no one is more capable of documenting that than you are!
Photography: Erich McVey