When Do You Need a Wedding Website?

With over 100 things to check off of your to-do list and money-grubbin’ vendors crawling from the corners needing more money, offering new upgrades or increasing the bill it is hard to justify new expenses-especially a wedding website.

I mean … what do you need one for anyway? Most of your guests already know your back story and do you really need to list your registry locations again?

Well, it depends. If you are wondering if a wedding website is right for you, then answer the following questions.

Do I Need a Wedding Website?

- Are you having a destination wedding?

- Will you have any out of town guests?

- Will you need to communicate with all of your guests via email or the Internet?

- Do you have more information to share with your guests than you can put on your wedding invitations?

- Do you want-or need-a place for the guests who can’t attend the wedding to leave you a note or message?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you need a wedding website.

Why Do I Need a Wedding Website?

- If you are having a destination wedding, then the majority-if not all-of your guests will be traveling, staying in a hotel, eating out and vacationing in this new location. Your wedding website will serve as a mini guide for them to know where to stay (because you will book one or two hotel room blocks so your guests will all be together), where to eat (you should share your research on restaurants, bars and clubs) and what attractions they can look forward to visiting.

- The same rule applies if you will have any out-of-town guests. Depending on the number of out-of-towners, you will likely book a room block at a local hotel. You should also point your guests to the best restaurants and/or city attractions. Again-your wedding website serves this purpose.

- Depending on who your guests are, you might need to communicate with them via email. Many wedding websites allow you to enter your guests’ email addresses and send them mass emails with wedding updates.

- If you have more information to share with your guests than will fit on your wedding invitations-such as driving directions, seating limitations or potential parking issues, then you should have a wedding website. You don’t want to include too much logistical information on your invitations … it ruins the mood.

- Having a wedding website can be a beneficial way for guests who can’t attend your wedding to feel included in your Big Day. They can leave you a message, peruse your categories and look at engagement and couple photos.

Which Wedding Website Company is Right for Me?

Wedding website companies range from the very expensive-up to $99 a year-to moderately priced-$30 a year-to absolutely free. However, you get what you pay for.

Free wedding websites offer the couple a place to list their information, but don’t normally offer customizable color and font options or themed backgrounds. Your website address would be similar to http://yournamehere.weddingwebsitecompany.com.

Paid wedding websites offer a host of other options, such as a personalized url, http://yournamehere.com, as well as gift tracking, online RSVPs (which eliminate the need to mail RSVP cards and extra stamps) and seating chart assistance.

WeddingWebsites lists most of the website providers and offers useful reviews and customer ratings. It is a good place to look for ideas and information regarding wedding website companies.

Are you having a wedding website? Which company did you use? Would you recommend them to other brides?