Smart Tips for Your Wedding Website
If you’re like many couples, a wedding website may be part of your online strategy for keeping guests up to date before the big day. Deciding to start your own is one thing, but it’s quite another to set it up and use it wisely. Whether you’re a tech-savvy individual or you need easy point-and-click solutions for launching an online presence for your upcoming nuptials, you’ll want to pay attention to a few pieces of sage wisdom.
Choosing a Provider
Although many wedding website providers are based in the United States, several of them offer their services to Canadian couples. New ones launch frequently, but current popular providers include Joy, The Knot, and Wedding Wire Canada. As you shop around, you’ll want to confirm whether each one supplies full-featured support for Canadian users. Some may allow you to set up a site, for example, but not offer shipping services outside the United States for purchases from your gift registry. Typical wedding website features you may want to look for include the following:
- Page designs with customizable fonts, layouts, and colors
- Photo uploads
- Easy social media sharing
- Planning tools and calendars
- Gift registry capabilities
- Digital invitations
- Online RSVPs
Depending on the service, you may be able to keep most or all of your wedding planning activities within one site or app. That’s especially true if it allows guests to RSVP online and provides features such as timeline, planning calendars, budget creation tools, and expense tracking logs. You can still supplement your efforts with other tools like Pinterest or Evernote, but you can depend on features like these to assist you in staying organized.
Getting the Most Out of Your Website
Once you’ve selected a service and signed up for an online presence, your real work is just beginning. You’ll need to use your wedding site effectively to help you stay on track. At the same time, you also want it to give guests the information they need in an easy-to-read, aesthetically pleasing format.
In a January 2018 Brides article, writer Jaimie Mackey outlines several helpful hints for your little piece of web real estate. First, she suggests letting your wedding’s theme guide you in choosing a design. Some providers use the same visual styles in both their website templates and digital invitations, but you can get by with pairing the general look and feel of your site with your invitations and décor. Mackey also recommends opting for password protection so only invitees can see extensive event details. Make sure you mention critical information on your pages:
- Each day’s events timeline
- Driving directions to your events
- Airport, hotel, and shuttle transportation specifics
Your site is the perfect tool to convey other useful information to your friends and family. It’s a good idea to suggest local activities, attractions, and cuisine options for your out-of-town attendees. Meanwhile, you can also explain cultural and religious customs that may not be familiar to some attendees. For instance, one guest Offbeat Bride contributor discussed in an April 2014 post how she and her spouse created a frequently asked questions, or FAQ page, to share details about their Asatru-Catholic interfaith ceremony.
Choose Your Tools Wisely
Besides announcing your upcoming nuptials and giving your guests subtle cues about its theme and style, your wedding website is also a valuable resource to communicate important information. More than that, many providers offer powerful online tools to ensure that you stay up to date and don’t lose track of critical details such as guest counts and expenses. When included as part of your total planning strategy, your site and social media presences can complement each other to keep attendees informed and build excitement about your special day.