The 9 Things That Should Always Be Included On Your Wedding Website
As someone who grew up in the age of technology, I am truly wondering how weddings were planned prior to computers? We are so lucky to live in the age of the internet and have access to things like wedding websites. Not only are they free, but they are one of the most effective and easiest ways to manage, and in turn, increase guest experience. The more information you can give your guests beforehand, the more they will know what to expect. Which will also save you from being bombarded with questions from family and friends throughout the planning process! Proactively answering your guests' questions is absolutely key to a positive guest experience!
That being said, here is all the information that should be included on your wedding website:
1. Hotel Block/Booking Information: The purpose of hotel blocks is to give guests a discounted rate when booking their hotel. I always recommend you create hotel room blocks at multiple hotels, if possible. Try to create room blocks at hotels with different price points so your guests can choose what they want to spend on their accommodations. Guests can easily get annoyed if there is only one block, and it happens to be at a hotel outside of their price range. You should also include information on how they can book, whether that be through a special booking link or by calling the hotel directly.
2. Airport information: If you have guests traveling in for the wedding, let them know which hotel is closest to the hotel or wedding venue. And if it happens to be an airport you travel through frequently, feel free to include details like where to locate the uber station, how long security usually takes, or any other “insider” tips you can think of!
3. Airport Transportation: Along with providing airport information, you should also provide airport transportation information! Let me know if there will be a shuttle provided through the hotel, if they need to call an uber, or what the easiest way to get to the hotel is.
4. Transportation to/from the wedding: You are not required to provide transportation for your guests- but if you don't, you need to let them know beforehand. Let guests know if UBER/Lyft is running in your area, and what the parking/valet situation will be like at the venue. If guests are transporting themselves, it might also be helpful to include information like any construction, traffic, or major events (sporting events, conferences, etc.) going on in the area that might affect their travel time. If you are providing transportation, let guests know: where and what time it will be leaving, if it will be running all night, and what time it will return.
5. Weather: Although everyone has a weather app on their phone, it is always nice to give guests a heads up on what the weather is usually like at your venue during that time of year. Let them know if they should pack a backup umbrella or an extra jacket. It is also helpful to let guests know whether any part of the wedding will be outside. Communicate whether they are going to be in an air conditioned room or outside all night, and what provisions you will be providing for them (i.e. fans, heaters, blankets, fire pits, etc.)
6. Things to do: Most couples already include this on their wedding website, and it should definitely stay that way! Include things your guests can do in the area outside of the wedding day. Make sure to list out things like: favorite restaurants for breakfast/lunch/dinner, landmarks, popular areas to walk around. If desired, I would also recommend planning events for guests throughout the weekend to keep them entertained. You can plan a wedding welcome party for the night prior to the wedding, a brunch for the morning after, or group activities for your guests to do during the day before your wedding!
7. What to wear: It is helpful to include the wedding attire for each event on the wedding website. If you are planning on doing a welcome party or brunch, include the attire for those events as well! Naming your dress code something fun like “Garden Party” or “Tropical Chic” can be cute, but confusing for guests. If you do plan on having a fun name, then include picture examples of outfits on the website so your guests are all on the same page. Also let guests know if you want them to dress within a certain color scheme- in which case, you should also include example pictures! Otherwise, I would just stick to the traditional “cocktail attire/formal/black tie” verbiage. Additionally, let guests know whether they need to dress to any specific circumstances, for example: letting the women know to wear wedges if the wedding will be on grass.
8. What to expect: As I mentioned earlier, managing guest expectations will inevitably lead to fulfilling guest expectations and making your guests happy. Let your guests know generally what they can expect at your wedding. Are kids allowed? Will there be an open bar? What time does the night end? All of these things are helpful to communicate to your guests early on so that they can prepare properly!
9. COVID expectations for the wedding: The last thing you will want to clearly spell out for your guests on your wedding website is your COVID expectations for the wedding. Some venues and travel destinations require masks or vaccine cards, so let guests know beforehand what is expected of them. You will need to communicate to guests whether they need to have a negative COVID test, a vaccine card, a mask, etc. to be able to attend your wedding. Again, letting your guests know this early on is very important so they have time to schedule vaccines, tests, etc.