The way of the world has become cluttered: we all have so many obligations; we receive hundreds of emails per day; there’s so much to think of outside of just our families and friends. While tradition has it that you only need to send an RSVP card for your wedding, modernity tells us that that isn’t enough.

That’s why many couples are taking to the internet to create custom wedding websites. These sites provide attendees with a place to regularly receive updates on wedding plans, along with letting the couple-to-be keep track of their attendees, theme, and upcoming date. 

But if you have no background with web design, how do you create your own website? It might be best to consult a professional if you’re really uncertain. Otherwise, consider using a website crafting service like Squarespace or WordPress, which provide templates and more. With your custom website in order, you and your spouse will be sharing your unique wedding rings in no time.

Leverage your theme

Chances are you’ve put a lot of effort into curating your wedding’s theme. You’ve likely worked hard with a designer to pick out your wedding’s theme and palette, so why not tie it into your wedding theme. Think of it as a form of branding for you and your spouse—you’ve developed your brand image and you should share it with every one of your guests. It might give some the right impression as to what colors they should dress in for your big day. 

Make it password protected

Your wedding site should only be accessible to people who you have invited. Any normal website will be open for any internet user to visit, though.

To avoid having any wedding crashers on your big day, make your website password protected. You can share the password with guests through mailed invitation cards, providing them with a physical copy of the password they can keep on hand—and will be protected in case any guest’s email accounts are hacked.

Further, you can make specific parts of the site password protected, too, although those pages will require other passwords. This is a simple way to ensure that certain webpages and wedding information is only available to some and not all. 

Consider keeping an updated schedule

Your guests should remain in the know-how when it comes to your wedding day schedule. Include all of the necessary details on your wedding website. That includes the dress code, time, location, and more. You should also include notes related to transportation along with this. This includes directions, depending on the route that some people take when driving in, and the where they should park for the day of. If you’re being kind enough to provide a shuttle to and from the ceremony and reception, let them know where and when to park so they can arrive for the shuttle on time.

Keep exclusivity in mind

While you want to share your schedule of events with guests, not every event might be suited for them. For instance, your rehearsal dinner is meant solely for your wedding party while the bachelor/bachelorette parties will have their own very own scheduled times. And don’t feel guilty about excluding certain parts of your family—unless you want Grandma to show up announced at your bachelor party! 

Provide information about the venue and the surrounding area

While you’ll be getting ready for your wedding before and heading off for your honeymoon once it’s all done, your party will have some time to explore the surrounding area.

One of the best things you can do with your website is to provide your guests with recommendations for around town. Not only will this be helpful to attendees looking to kill time prior to your ceremony, but it will be insightful for anyone looking to explore the area for the few days following your wedding.

Consider including the following for your guests:

• Local cafes, coffee roasters, restaurants, and bars,
• Notable outdoor attractions,
• Interesting stores and shops,
• Hotels and lodging.

Include your registry

It’s known wedding etiquette that you should not put your registry information on your invitations—people don’t want to be told what to buy before they even RSVP. Instead, you should use your website for just this. Have a separate page dedicated to just your wedding registry, where attendees can follow placed hyperlinks that lead them to websites where gifts can be purchased. And don’t count out the other options, too: let guests know that they can provide cash which will be used for your honeymoon, housing, or be sent to charity. To accept you can either let people send you money by PayPal, Venmo, or check (for any family who doesn’t have a grasp of technology).

Send digital updates, but avoid digital-only RSVPs

A digital RSVP is a smart way to go, but it shouldn’t be your only approach to reminding people of your upcoming big day. You should take a multi-pronged approach to guarantee you regularly remind family members and friends of when your wedding is set for. This includes:

• Mailing out physical wedding invitation RSVP cards,
• Sending out regular reminders by email,
• Sending reminders to friends on Facebook and Instagram,
• Posting the wedding date front and center on your website.

Keep it short and sweet

Wedding websites should be treated like any simple website: short and to the port; sappy and sweet. The idea is to give attendees a quick overview of what to expect, what they should do in advance, and what the big day will look like. You can even add additional information if you want to make it more engaging. This can include fun facts about the bridesmaids and groomsmen, how you and your spouse met, your proposal story, and the date of your engagement. People want quick and fun facts, not paragraphs upon paragraphs of text.

Developing your website doesn’t have to be a task. Save your energy on perfecting your wedding. It’s better to spend your time making your wedding day special.