what to include on your wedding website
Your wedding website is your very own online hub that clearly communicates all your essential and extended wedding details to your guests. From date, location, and event schedules to RSVP management, accommodation suggestions, and travel details, it’s your wedding invitation on steroids. Accessible 24/7 from any device, updated in real-time, and able to hold way more information than a paper card, it should aim to make it as easy as possible for your guests to attend your big day and have a good time, and just as easy for you to host them without stress.
Because wedding websites are still a newly embraced concept, it can be hard to know what information you need to include and how to organise it, so below I have put together a list of all the key details that you can include.
WELCOME MESSAGE
Your wedding website welcome message is simply a warm introductory paragraph that greets your guests upon page load. It outlines the key features of your wedding website, encourages guests to scroll for more details, lets them know how excited you are to celebrate with them, and prompts them to take necessary steps, (like RSVP-ing)! There’s plenty of opportunity for guests to learn the more in-depth details of your wedding day as they navigate, so save the specifics for other sections and keep it short and sweet - a few paragraphs will do.
YOUR NAMES
Obviously, you need to let guests know whose wedding they are invited to! Depending on the formality of your wedding you can opt for first, middle, and surnames, first and surnames, or just your first names. Make sure they are front and centre.
INVITATION
Whilst not a traditional invitation format, don’t forget your wedding website is still an invitation. So, don’t just throw a bunch of details and requests at your guests, invite them! I think that line officially inviting them to be a part of your celebration is still important. You can also keep the nod to who is inviting them, whether it be your parents, the two of you, or the two of you together with your parents. You could merge this as part of your welcome message or include it as a stand-alone line with your date, time, and location so it follows a familiar format for guests.
DATE & TIME & LOCATION
The three most important details. Make them obvious so they aren’t missed amongst all the other information. My top tips for this section are to include the day of the week when writing the date, especially if it’s a Friday or midweek. This makes it immediately obvious to guests the planning that will be required for them to attend without them having to look up your date. For the time, you can put your preferred arrival time and the time the ceremony will commence (i.e. please arrive at 3:30pm for a 4:00pm ceremony), to avoid latecomers. Then, let your guests know what’s happening after the ceremony so they are aware if they need to make their way to a separate location for the reception, or if you will be hosting drinks and canapés followed by a reception at the same venue. Make sure you also include a start time for your reception. Finally, include the address for the ceremony location and reception venue if it is at a separate location and link it to a Google Map for easy directions.
AN RSVP FORM OR QUESTIONNAIRE
RSVP-ing to a wedding is no longer as simple as replying yes or no. There are lots of logistics that come with planning a wedding nowadays and some important information that you need to gather from your guests in order to accommodate them properly on the day. The good news is digital RSVPs make it super easy to ask the relevant questions and get all the answers you need. On top of letting you know whether or not they are attending your wedding, your RSVP form may need to collect details such as dietary requirements, an opt-in to use your provided transport, guests’ phone number and email address in case you need to contact them, and attendance at other wedding events such as a recovery lunch or welcome dinner. You can also include a few fun optional fields such as song requests and trivia questions or a space for guests to leave you a message.
If you are planning a destination wedding, you might also need to collect more specific details from your guests such as where they have booked their accommodation, their flight details, or arrival dates.
Don’t forget to include the date that you need guests to submit their RSVP by (set it two weeks before you really need it and put it in large bold letters so they can’t miss it!).
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
If you are planning a destination wedding, a weekend-long celebration or you are inviting guests to more than one wedding event it can help to have a schedule or timeline of those events outlined on your website. Welcome dinners, rehearsal dinners, recovery brunches, BBQs, golf days, boat trips, etc. Only include the events where everyone is welcome and make sure to include the time and location of each event, how guests can get there, and let them know if food and drinks are provided, bookings or tickets are paid for, or if they will need to pay. You can also include a dress code and any other details.
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FAQ OR EXTRA DETAILS
This section should aim to answer all of your guests’ questions before they have a chance to ask them. You can do it as either a q and a format or a list, just make sure it is as comprehensive as possible. Examples of what to include in this section are:
RSVP DETAILS
This information will be in your RSVP section, but it never hurts to reiterate multiple times how guests can RSVP and when they need to do it by! So bring their attention to this again whilst they are reading through the extended details of your day.
DRESS CODE
Make sure guests understand the formality of your wedding and because you have the space, you can elaborate past the standard dress codes. For example, if your wedding is held in a garden then let guests know heels may be inappropriate on the grass, or if you know temperatures may drop at night, guests might appreciate the heads up to bring a jacket. If you want your guests to dress to a particular theme or colour palette, then provide links for inspiration.
GIFT PREFERENCES
This section is always a bit contentious as asking for money or gifts never really feels comfortable. If you don’t state your preferences though, people will ask and guests usually do appreciate a little direction with this type of thing. So whether you’ve created an online registry, don’t want any gifts, would prefer your guests make a donation to charity in lieu of gifts, or will be including a wishing well on the day, let guests know. The best approach is to keep it simple and be honest, a few sentences and a link if you need it is enough. I’m not a fan of trying to hide it with rhymes and poems.
PHOTOS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
If you’re planning on having an unplugged ceremony, get the word out early that you would prefer your guests put their devices away until the reception. If you also want guests to refrain from sharing anything on social media on the day, let them know that too.
Conversely, if you’re keen to see your wedding from your guests’ perspective and collect as many memories as possible then share your wedding hashtag or chosen file-sharing method/app. That way guests can snap away and share photos in the lead-up as well as on the day.
CHILDREN
Inevitably someone is going to ask if they can bring their child(ren) so your website is a great opportunity to tackle this topic head-on and avoid any awkward conversations. If you are opting for a child-free wedding it can be a tricky one to word so head to our resource for this exact topic, there are plenty of wording examples you can steal.
If you are having children at your wedding then you can note the kid-friendly arrangements you have made for seating, food, and entertainment so parents know what to plan.
PLUS ONES
Similar to the above, someone is bound to ask. I always advise couples to specify on their invitation, envelopes, or e-invitation who exactly is invited, but if you haven’t done that, or even if you have, you can include a note on your website to make it clear to guests if plus ones are permitted.
DIRECTIONS / MAP
Yes, everyone can use Google Maps, but if your wedding is on private property, or your venue is a little off the beaten track, or hard to find, providing some written directions can be really helpful and can accompany an embedded Google Map, illustrated map, or external link. Include any identifying landmarks, one-way streets, or signage guests should look out for.
PARKING
Some venues have specific directions to follow for parking or don’t allow cars to be parked onsite overnight, if at all. Others might only offer paid parking or parking might be a distance away from the venue. Check with your venue what the go is and pass that information on to your guests so they know what to expect if they are planning on driving.
ACCESSIBILITY
Elderly guests or guests with a disability will also need to know details about the accessibility of your venue, so make sure you check there are facilities to accommodate them, assure them that there is specific parking they can use and if there are lifts or ramps at your venue. For neurodivergent guests, share details about the accommodations you will put in place for them.
TRANSPORTATION
If you have organised some form of transport to help your guests get from A to B, and home again, you’ll need to provide specifics on pick-up and drop-off points and times. This will help guests plan their journey, and know if they need to hire a car or designate someone to drive. It will also help guests book accommodation in a convenient area so they can make use of your provided transport.
Public transport options could also be included here if your wedding is in a metropolitan area as well as details regarding Ubers or taxis, as these are not always easy to come by if your venue is regional.
ACCOMMODATION
If you're having a destination wedding or a lot of your guests will be traveling to attend your wedding, it is considerate to provide a few affordable and conveniently located accommodation options. These can be linked externally to hotel websites or reservation portals for easy booking.
In some cases, local hotels will give you a discount for booking a block of rooms (never hurts to ask!). If so make sure to share instructions on how your guests can reserve their rooms at the discounted rate.
TRAVEL TIPS
If you are planning an international destination wedding including some travel tips can help ease guests’ stress. Try not to overwhelm them with information though, format the details so they are easy to skim through. A FAQ section is ideal.
Logistics and costs are going to concern your guests the most so include advice on when they should arrive, provide links to flights, and let them know which airport is the most convenient to fly into, its proximity to your venue, the best way to get to your venue from the airport and how to get around while they are there (buses, trains, ferries, local taxis, transfers or rental cars). Don’t forget to add ticket instructions and costs.
You can also include details such as local customs or traditions travelers will need to respect to ensure proper cultural sensitivity, what the weather will be like that time of year and whether your wedding will be indoors or outdoors, currency information, and advice on what guests should pack.
Lastly, give your guests someone to contact if they have more questions whether that is you, a travel agent, or your wedding planner.
OTHER FUN STUFF
LOCAL GUIDE / THINGS TO DO
Chances are a large number of your guests will be traveling to attend your big day especially if you're having a destination wedding, so it's a nice idea to share your inside knowledge of things to do in the area so they can make the most of their stay. Give them your recommendations for the best local cafes, restaurants, or wineries, the most iconic spots to sightsee, relax or explore and any fun shops, bars, or experiences you know of.
YOUR LOVE STORY
Recounting the story of your relationship so far is a great way to share the funny, heartfelt, and memorable moments that have defined who you are as a couple. You can share the story of how you met, any embarrassing first date anecdotes, when you knew you were all in, and how the proposal went down. You could also include a few fun facts about each other or some of your favourite memories together. This can be a nice way to familiarise guests you don’t know as well with the inner details or a fun trip down memory lane for those you are closer with.
PHOTO GALLERY
Whether you want to show off your professional engagement photos, some behind-the-scenes footage from the proposal, or some selfies from the early days of your relationship, including a gallery of photos or sprinkling a select few images throughout your site can help tell your story and connect you with your guests. To make it more fun you could combine your photo gallery and love story and create a timeline of the key moments in your relationship that lead you to this point.
WEDDING PARTY BIOS
Sharing a short introduction to the special people playing a key role in your day helps to break the ice amongst your guests. Putting faces to names can be especially helpful as your guests may chat with these people in the lead-up to the wedding as Bach parties or wedding showers are planned. You can include your wedding party, your parents, and even the junior wedding attendants. Keep it simple though, a few short sentences are enough. Some points you might like to cover include how you met, how long you have known each other, any experiences you’ve shared, a brief insight into their personality, or what you love the most about them.
CONTACT DETAILS
Just like any other website, include a contact us section that provides the preferred way you would like your guests to get in touch with you if they have any questions or concerns. An email address that you have created specifically for wedding communication is handy to have, or you can include your phone numbers. They shouldn’t have to use it though because your website is already so comprehensive!
