#wedding 101

Wedding Websites 101

This cheat sheet is all you need to create and share a killer The Knot wedding website.

By Elena Donovan Mauer

Free = Awesome

​There are lots of scenarios where you get what you pay for, but making a wedding website isn't one of them. You can create a personalized site absolutely free. Check out our options—there are more than 100 different color and style combos to choose from, so we're positive you'll find one that fits your wedding perfectly. Search for the template design you like best, pick one, and the site will walk you through the entire creation process. It's so easy—we promise!

Cover the Basics—and Then Some

There are two main reasons to make a wedding website. One is to give guests need-to-know info that may not be included on the invite (hint: no need to bulk up that envelope with directions and hotel suggestions). This means you'll want to cover the who, what, when and where, plus how to get there. The second reason is to add other fun stuff guests will want to know, like suggested attire and who will be in the wedding party. Think of the site as a one-stop shop guests can check whenever they have questions—without having to call you.

Broadcast Your Registry Details Loud and Clear

You know you're not supposed to say where you're registered on your invite, right? Well, creating a website gives you a chance to tell everyone exactly where you're registered—without seeming tacky! You can even put links right on your web page that will take your guests directly to your registries, where they can start shopping for you immediately. Go ahead and make those links big and bold!

Add Personal Touches

Let visitors to your site get to know you a little better by giving them a bit of background on you and your soon-to-be spouse (which is especially helpful for guests who don't know one of you that well). Tell them the story of how you met, or you could even have video footage of the proposal with a link to it (on YouTube or elsewhere) or share a few of your favorite couple shots. You might even want to put up photos of wedding party members so everyone will recognize who's who at the wedding. Just beware of going too crazy—you can include a lot of info on your site, but it should still be to the point. Our guess is that visitors won't feel like clicking through a slideshow of the story of your life together or a big album devoted to your pet (aka the ring bearer).

Out-of-Towners Will Love You For This

Post logistical details for guests making travel plans. They'll certainly appreciate the heads-up that you've blocked rooms at a specific hotel and will love having all the info they need to book one at their fingertips. You don't have to add just the hotel and venue info, but great restaurants they might want to try and cool things to do while they're in town.

Take Advantage of the Bells and Whistles

Now for the fun stuff: Create an online RSVP option and collect their +1 info at the same time. You can also add customized pages to share just about anything, like a charity you're donating to.

Know What to Leave Out

Wedding Websites 101

This cheat sheet is all you need to create and share a killer The Knot wedding website.

By Elena Donovan Mauer

Free = Awesome

​There are lots of scenarios where you get what you pay for, but making a wedding website isn't one of them. You can create a personalized site absolutely free. Check out our options—there are more than 100 different color and style combos to choose from, so we're positive you'll find one that fits your wedding perfectly. Search for the template design you like best, pick one, and the site will walk you through the entire creation process. It's so easy—we promise!

Cover the Basics—and Then Some

There are two main reasons to make a wedding website. One is to give guests need-to-know info that may not be included on the invite (hint: no need to bulk up that envelope with directions and hotel suggestions). This means you'll want to cover the who, what, when and where, plus how to get there. The second reason is to add other fun stuff guests will want to know, like suggested attire and who will be in the wedding party. Think of the site as a one-stop shop guests can check whenever they have questions—without having to call you.

Broadcast Your Registry Details Loud and Clear

You know you're not supposed to say where you're registered on your invite, right? Well, creating a website gives you a chance to tell everyone exactly where you're registered—without seeming tacky! You can even put links right on your web page that will take your guests directly to your registries, where they can start shopping for you immediately. Go ahead and make those links big and bold!

Add Personal Touches

Let visitors to your site get to know you a little better by giving them a bit of background on you and your soon-to-be spouse (which is especially helpful for guests who don't know one of you that well). Tell them the story of how you met, or you could even have video footage of the proposal with a link to it (on YouTube or elsewhere) or share a few of your favorite couple shots. You might even want to put up photos of wedding party members so everyone will recognize who's who at the wedding. Just beware of going too crazy—you can include a lot of info on your site, but it should still be to the point. Our guess is that visitors won't feel like clicking through a slideshow of the story of your life together or a big album devoted to your pet (aka the ring bearer).

Out-of-Towners Will Love You For This

Post logistical details for guests making travel plans. They'll certainly appreciate the heads-up that you've blocked rooms at a specific hotel and will love having all the info they need to book one at their fingertips. You don't have to add just the hotel and venue info, but great restaurants they might want to try and cool things to do while they're in town.

Take Advantage of the Bells and Whistles

Now for the fun stuff: Create an online RSVP option and collect their +1 info at the same time. You can also add customized pages to share just about anything, like a charity you're donating to.

Know What to Leave Out

Regardless of how much you spend, your wedding will end at 10:30pm

As a general rule, everyone has probably attended multiple weddings prior to getting married themselves.  Depending on your friends and family, the weddings have probably varied in location, expense, and fanciness/classiness.  However, regardless of the expense, wedding receptions in the evening almost always begin to empty out at about 10:30pm.  Parents, co-workers, and the older crowd tend to…

Be Aware of the Wedding Multiplier

With little exception, everything at a wedding gets multiplied.  Wedding prices are always inflated so, in a sense, the first multiplier begins with the initial prices.  For example, there is no reason for a bride’s dress to cost 4, 5, or even 6 digits, but somehow this has become accepted, even embraced.  The second multiplier involves the number of guests and the items that need to be…

Sam and River’s wedding was all the talk! It was definitely the most beautiful and romantic one of the year! But wait! Uh oh! Gil admitted to wanting to steal Sam away in his best man speech! Better watch out River! Your man might be taken!

7 Reasons You Should Definitely Hire a Photographer for Your Wedding

7 Reasons You Should Definitely Hire a Photographer for Your Small Wedding a reblog from lover.ly by Jordan Tickle on Thu Mar 12 2015 You’ve decided that your wedding day is going to be stress-free. You and your sweetheart are opting out of the “traditional” big wedding ordeal and settling for a small, intimate evening with your closest friends and family. You don’t want to cater for 200 people,…

Unlike trying to figure out how to properly word wedding invites, tracking the wedding invites is something that should receive some effort and attention because people aren’t responsible.  Wedding invites go out months in advance to people who have said that they want to attend the wedding, and then suddenly, there is no response for weeks.  If there isn’t a good tracking system on who the…