* UPDATED 24 APRIL 2020 *
Congratulations! You’re about to get married, and in a beautiful venue to boot! You’ve spent all this time finding the perfect dress, booking your favourite photographer, and coming up with the best wedding hashtag (which is a feat to be celebrated all on its own!) and now you need to be sure your guests can make the most of it, particularly those who have travelled to celebrate with you.
What better way to create an even better guest experience from the minute they receive their invitation, then creating your very own corner of the internet to share all of the wedding details, room block information, travel tips and sights to see. They’re guaranteed a fun-filled (and more organised!) experience and it gives your special day that added touch of care. Think of it as an extension to your invitations - updating your guests on transport, accommodation, weather, and any extra links or photo galleries you’d like to share.
So how do you build this information mecca in a way that’s both easy and beautiful? What should you include, and how do you get it out there? (Add your registry straight to the site? Share all of your engagement photos? Yes please!) Read on my friends and let’s make it happen!
There are lots of options available for creating free or inexpensive wedding websites. We like Minted best because the website designs can be matched with their range of invitations. When you’re looking at options keep in mind that the site needs to be easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing. We all have relatives that aren’t necessarily tech savvy, so you’ll want to make sure that the site easily gives them the information they need. My other tip is to choose something that’s easy to edit and add information as it comes to hand later on.
What travel details do we recommend including?
Guests need to know the when, where, and how. We suggest including the full itinerary with times and locations for each day you have events planned (from the welcome party to the reception). Include recommendations on where to stay at different price points, and direct links for them to make reservations. It’s awesome if your recommendations are either close to the wedding venue, or close to the city for easy access to shops and restaurants. You can also offer guests tips on where to eat and what to do during their trip since some of them may be unfamiliar with their destination. Depending on their mode of transport, you can include your best advice on how to get to and from the airport.
What day-of details are most important to include?
Let guests know everything and then some… where to be and when, if there is transport provided — and if not, where to find parking, or how to book a taxi. What they should wear — both formality and what is weather-appropriate. If it’s on a beach and you’re fine with everyone going barefoot, make sure to say that! If it’s on a lawn, let ladies know since heels dig into the grass. Let guests know if they will be indoors or out. Make it easy and put it all out there, the more detailed the better.
Bring your personality!
Don’t get so caught up in the logistics that you forget to customise the site and have it be a reflection of you both! Your friends and family may know the basics of how you met, but it’s fun to include your whole story on your website. Add some pictures of yourselves too. If you’ve had engagement photos taken then this is the perfect place to show them off!
Making your guests aware
Have the site ready to go with the basics from the time you send your save-the-dates, and put the website address on there with a little note directing people to it. Let them know to check in regularly as you’ll be adding more details as your wedding day gets closer.
Setting up a wedding website might seem like extra work and just another thing on your to-do list. But I guarantee if you get this right at the beginning you’ll be saving yourself a ton of work down the line, when your guests want to know the answers to the above questions, and you start receiving an avalanche of phone calls and emails from them all.
One more note, if you’re working with Sparrow to plan your wedding you’ll be given exclusive free access to our wedding website platform. Click here to fill out our inquiry form xo
