What to Include on Your Wedding Website | Destination Wedding Planning
These days creating a wedding website is just as much a part of the wedding to-do list as sending out save the date cards. While the scale and needs of what each couple's website should include can vary based on what the wedding or wedding weekend looks like, destination weddings, in particular, will require a much more thorough site than a wedding close to home. A destination wedding site should cover everything guests need to know and then some to ensure your wedding goes off without a hitch, scroll for more of the must-have items to include on your wedding website!
Dress Code
Let's be clear, every wedding website should include a dress code. Leaving guests to figure out what is or isn't appropriate can be a huge stressor and lead to a chaotic array of outfit choices. We all know the feeling of showing up to an event and feeling completely underdressed! For destination weddings, creating clear guidance on the dress code is even more crucial since people will need to plan ahead and last-minute shopping won't always be an option. In addition to the wedding itself, let guests know if there are any additional wedding weekend events that should have a certain dress code, such as a rehearsal dinner or post-wedding brunch. For weddings that are in far-flung locales, it can be extra thoughtful to include general info on the weather at that time of year or specific cultural dress notes. If your wedding will take place on tough terrain, include a note for guests to consider their footwear.
Wedding Weekend Itinerary
Whether you're simply sticking to the wedding or a multi-day set of festivities, getting a clear idea of the weekend posted to your wedding website gives guests a broad overview of the weekend from the start. Destination weddings are the perfect way to maximize your time with your favorite people and share in a full weekend of celebrating. You don't need to have all the nitty gritty details, but even a placeholder such as "Post-Wedding Brunch: Morning, Location to Be Determined" can be enough to allow people to create a schedule. The sooner you can loop guests in on an itinerary for the wedding weekend the better! Many guests will use this as an opportunity to explore a new place and have a little vacation so it's helpful to let them know when they have wedding-related activities so they can plot out the rest of their time accordingly.
Things to Do
Whether you've selected a destination wedding or have guests visiting from out of town, making the entire journey an enjoyable experience for your guests should be high on your priority list. So much of traveling to a new place is taking the time to get to know and explore it, but since some of that time will be spent at the wedding cutting out some of the legwork can be a nice gesture. To ensure that your guests can maximize their time, we recommend creating a suggested itinerary and/or list of your favorites spots in the locale. Include everything from favorite cafes and restaurants to local shopping and must-see sites (or those they should skip!). We love the idea of including these suggestions in a printed piece to pop in the guests' welcome bags, but having it easily accessible on the website ahead of time can be immensely helpful in planning ahead. Check out our top tips for elevating your destination wedding guests' experience for all of our other recommendations!
If you have a site visit or destination engagement session planned for your , this is a great time to gather local information of your destination wedding location
Accommodations and Travel Tips
As soon as your guests receive the news of an upcoming destination wedding the next steps are a quick Google search of hotel and flight prices. Especially for weddings in foreign countries, this can be a bit daunting. Aside from the Hiltons or Ritzs of the world, it can be hard to navigate the myriad hotel options in a place you've never been. Giving guests a jumping-off point by way of a room block or short-list of favorite lodging options, ideal neighborhoods, etc. can go a long way. This is also a perfect place to note any important travel details like suggested transportation to and from the airport, shuttle information if one will be provided, public transportation options and currency exchange notes. We dive into all of these considerations and more in our post on Five Tips For Selecting A Destination Wedding Location.
Registry
To avoid fielding endless calls and emails about where you're registered, it's helpful to have links to all of your registries in one place on your wedding website. Keep in mind the various guest budgets and include a vast array of price ranges on your registry. Those who are unable to attend in person may pop for a big gift, while those who are taking on the travel expenses may opt for a smaller option. Don't forget to include your shipping address in your wedding registries as well to avoid you and your guests having to travel with gifts!
Get Started
Investing a little time into your wedding website as soon as possible and continuously updating it as plans are solidified isn't just helpful to guests, but a huge time saver for couples. All of the time that goes into answering questions from guests can be answered by quickly sharing link. A perfect wedding website is a one-stop shop to ensure everyone from the wedding party to the guests can easily get information about the wedding any time, day or night.
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