A wedding website exists to answer the questions guests would otherwise text you. Date, location, times, dress code, where to stay, whether children are invited, and an RSVP. Everything else is optional, and the sites that work are the ones a guest can read in ninety seconds.
What guests actually look for
In rough order of how often it is asked: what time does it start, where exactly is it, what should I wear, can I bring my partner, are children invited, where do I stay, how do I get there, and where are you registered.
Answer those eight plainly and near the top. The story of how you met is lovely and nobody came to the site for it - put it below the practical information, not above.
The parts that do real work
RSVP. Live counts, meal choices and dietary requirements collected in one place, with a form that names invited guests and does not allow adding names. This alone justifies having a site.
Accommodation. Two or three options at different prices, with any room block code and its expiry. Out-of-town guests will thank you and stop asking.
Travel and parking. Especially for venues that are hard to find, have limited parking, or need a shuttle. Include the shuttle schedule if there is one.
A schedule. Rough times for the day and any surrounding events, so guests can book flights and childcare.
Housekeeping
Put the URL on your save-the-date, which is months before the invitation and exactly when guests start planning travel.
Password-protect it only if you have a genuine reason; a password is one more thing for guests to lose. Do not put your home address on a public page, and if you are collecting gifts, link to a registry rather than publishing account details.
What to actually do about it
- Put the URL on the save-the-date
- Months earlier than the invitation, and exactly when guests start booking travel.
- Use the RSVP to collect named dietary requirements
- Your caterer needs names attached to allergies, not a count, and this is where that data is cleanest.
- Add the children and plus-one policy as a plain line
- One sentence removes the most common awkward conversation in wedding planning.
- Keep it to ninety seconds of reading
- Practical information first. The story of how you met goes underneath it.
Common questions
What should be on a wedding website?
Date, venue and times, dress code, whether children are invited, plus-one policy, accommodation options, travel and parking, a rough schedule, registry links, and an RSVP form. Answer the practical questions near the top and put your story underneath.
When should you send out your wedding website?
Put the URL on your save-the-date, months before the invitation. That is when guests start booking travel and arranging childcare, and it is when they most need the information.
Should a wedding website be password protected?
Only if you have a specific reason - a password is one more thing for guests to lose. Regardless, never publish your home address, and link to a registry rather than posting account details.
The vendors this depends on
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