Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially when you get to the step of building your wedding website. This can be an intimidating task and it can be difficult to know where to start, even if you consider yourself a wordsmith. Not only do you want the words on your website to be clear, concise, and easy to read, but you also want to showcase your personalities and share your excitement for your wedding day.

Your wedding website is a key place to communicate and share pertinent information with your loved ones, so it’s important to write well to avoid confusion. If you’re struggling to translate your thoughts and the day’s details into written content, we’re here to help. Keep reading for writing tips, wording samples, and a breakdown of what to include on each section of your wedding website so you can share your love story and how you started on the path to becoming newlyweds.

What You Should Include on Your Wedding Website?

Your wedding website is a great resource for sharing information about your big day. Adding the following information to your site helps those on your guest list prepare for their attendance and share in celebrating you and your partner becoming newlyweds.

1. Online RSVP

Modern wedding websites allow guests to RSVP online as soon as they can—without having to rely on regular old snail mail. When guests RSVP online via your Zola wedding website, this information is stored in your wedding guest list, simplifying your wedding planning and helping you figure out seating charts and which guests plan on bringing plus ones.

You should also include food options, including an option for wedding guests to note any food allergies or dietary restrictions. Include a link to your wedding website in any wedding invitations you send to make it easier for guests to respond—and speed up your wedding planning. It’s also helpful to include a link to your wedding registry information/wedding gifts and your chosen social media wedding hashtag—for those who want to hype up your big day!

2. Wedding Details

Weddings are complex affairs, so it can be easy to lose track of what’s happening when—and where. Your wedding website serves as a one-stop-shop for what’s expected from each of your guests. When creating and writing your wedding website, include information about your wedding location and wedding date. Keep out-of-town guests in mind, as well, by providing clear and concise directions to the wedding venue. For weddings in more far-off locations, outline travel info for your destination wedding, including nearby airports, accommodations and lodgings, and local attractions and events.

Finally, outline your required dress code. It can be as simple as stating “Wedding Theme and Attire: Black Tie, etc.,” or as detailed as you prefer, especially for destination weddings or celebrations with unique themes.

3. Wedding Events Information

Weddings can extend (in both directions!) beyond your wedding day. It can be difficult for guests to track different wedding events, especially if they take place on different dates or at various locations. Your wedding website can document these events to make sure everyone knows about your planned events. Write about your planned wedding events: for example, brunch, rehearsal dinner, cocktail hour, or after-party. (You might even include your bachelor and bachelorette parties!) Include information about the venues and directions to get there, as well as any other special details.

4. Engagement Photos

Your engagement photos tell a story about one of the most magical events in your life. Sharing your engagement photos on your wedding website gives family members, friends, and loved ones a glimpse into this special moment, letting them share in your joy.

5. Wedding Photos

Your wedding website continues to tell a story, even after your wedding day. After tying the knot, update your website with wedding photos, letting those on your guest list reflect on the moment you and your partner became newlyweds. Again, include your wedding hashtag so your family and friends can share your beautiful wedding ceremony with others.

General Writing Tips

Once you know what sections to include on your wedding website, it’s time to start populating them with content. But don’t worry: Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, the following tips will help you create and write an impressive and helpful wedding website.

Keep It Simple

This piece of advice is twofold:

1. Keep your writing style simple. Your guests will likely be overwhelmed by word choices that require a dictionary and complex sentence structures (so avoid tricky punctuation like dashes, semicolons, etc.).

2. Keep to the point. Share need-to-know information only—there’s no need to include details that aren’t important.

Keep It Lighthearted

The writing on your website will set the tone for your event, so keep it positive to get your guests excited for the big event. Feel free to inject some of your personality into your writing, but stay jovial and optimistic.

Keep It Short

Your guests want answers and info quickly, so we recommend short, skimmable paragraphs. Use lists to break up dense paragraphs into content that’s easily skimmable (such as providing directions to your wedding venue).

Keep It PG

Remember that all sorts of people will be looking at your website. You can make your content fun, but make sure it’s appropriate for all readers, regardless of your relationship with them.

How to Write Your Story for Your Wedding Website

Your wedding website should tell the story about how you met, fell in love, and decided to spend the rest of your lives together, but if you’re asking yourself how to write your story, we’ve got you. Here are some suggestions for how you can personalize your website with specific stories about milestones in your relationship, including examples of how to word them.

How We Met Story (Optional)

• Purpose: Share your “how we met” story.

• What To Include: Short summary of how you met and began your relationship.

• Sample Text:

Audra and Charles met at college in an English Theory course with only five other people. Miraculously, they had never crossed paths despite the university’s small size. Audra first assumed Charles was a British exchange student despite no evidence to support the conclusion (he didn’t even have an accent!). Weeks went by, papers were written, Derrida was discussed, and then one day a mutual friend surveyed the class and got Audra and Charles talking for the first time. Audra decided this not-foreign-exchange student, Charles, was cute and decided to tempt him into more conversations by bringing him candy each class. A friendship grew from there, and by winter break, they were an item.

Proposal Story (Optional)

• Purpose: Share your proposal story (a question you’re bound to be asked many times throughout your engagement).

• What To Include: Short summary of how the proposal unfolded.

• Sample Text:

After graduation, Charles jetted off to Thailand to teach English while Audra was finishing her senior year. Their only communication during this time was over snail mail letters, emails, and the occasional Skype session when Charles could track down reliable wifi. Halfway through their long-distance relationship, Charles surprised Audra by showing up on her doorstep unannounced! She went into shock when she opened the door to see him standing there and said, “Why are you here?!” as she attempted to shut the door in his face. He caught the door just in time to drop down to one knee and ask her to marry him. Clearly, she said yes!

How to Write Other Sections of Your Wedding Website

Beyond your “how we met” and proposal story, your wedding website should provide important information for guests about your wedding day or weekend. Follow our breakdown below for the other information that could be added to your website and the purpose of each section, complete with what you should include and writing samples.

Schedule / Travel

• Purpose: Communicate the schedule of events and important travel information.

• What To Include: All information previously shared on the wedding invitation, hotel block details (if you have a room block available), suggested places to stay near the wedding venue, parking and/or transportation information, travel suggestions, and any other critical information that may impact successful arrival and travel to the event(s).

• Sample Text:

We will provide shuttle transportation to and from the wedding venue from the bus stop on 2nd Street. Please park in the lot on the corner of Main and Market and wait near the #AudlesWedding sign. Shuttles will run continuously from 3:15 - 3:55 p.m.

Hotels in this area commonly fill up quickly due to big concerts and college football games, so please book early! See our suggestions on where to stay below.

Wedding Registry

• Purpose: Provide your guests with information about where you’re registered. Or, to let your guests know that you’ve decided against wedding gifts.

• What To Include: Most sites—like Zola—allow you to embed your online registry into this page of your website. If that’s the case, simply link them up. But if you’ve opted to register in-store only or are foregoing a registry, outline those details instead.

• Sample Text:

If you don’t have a registry:

We’re very fortunate that we begin this next chapter with everything we need. Your presence is present enough.

If you have an offline registry only:

Your love and busting a move or two on the dance floor are all that we ask for. However, if you wish to share a gift with us in celebration, we appreciate your generosity and are registered at the following stores.

Wedding Party Bios (Optional)

• Purpose: Introduce the special people who make up your wedding party/bridal party, including groomsmen and/or bridesmaids.

• What To Include: A few sentences about how you know them, their role in the big day, and an insight into their personality.

• Sample Text:

Charles met Nick in college, where they became buds over a mutual love of Dinosaur Jr. songs and Francar’s buffalo wings. Nick can be curmudgeonly, but don’t let that fool you. This guy has killer jokes. Look forward to a display of his skills during the best man speech!

Finny is Charles and Audra’s sweet little Frenchie pup. She’s never met a face she didn’t want to lick and you can always count on her to roll over for belly rubs. You’ll know her by her distinctive snorts as she carries the rings down the aisle.

Things to Do (Optional)

• Purpose: Direct your guests to fun things to do and see and great places to eat locally throughout the wedding weekend.

• What To Include: Recommendations for restaurants, sights to see, and things to do.

• Sample Text:

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards

1616, 5022 Plank Rd. North Garden, VA 22959

A local favorite for incredible wines and Blue Mountain views!

Mas Tapas

904 Monticello Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22902

Enjoy Spanish-style small plates and a drink list as long as your arm.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. Charlottesville, VA 22902

Tour the home and gardens of former president and founder of UVA, Thomas Jefferson.

FAQs (Optional)

• Purpose: Answer your guests’ most frequently asked questions.

• What To Include: Answers to the questions that you’ve received most often from guests (or questions you expect to receive).

• Sample Text:

Q: What’s the dress code? A: Cocktail attire, please. The ceremony and reception is located outside, so please dress according to the weather.

Q: Are kids invited? A: We love children (especially yours), but we’d like you to join in the celebration and enjoy a night off, so we’re requesting that the kiddos be left at home with a sitter.

Zola: The Best Wedding Website

Building and writing your wedding website isn’t as difficult as it seems—and Zola makes it even easier. With Zola, we have everything you need to create the perfect wedding website, including:

• Stress-free tools and stunning designer templates to create your wedding website—no tech experience necessary

• Online RSVP and guest list management

• One wedding registry that lets you add gifts from anywhere

• A custom wedding website URL to further personalize your website

So what are you waiting for? Get started today and let Zola help you simplify your wedding planning and launch a wedding website that’s as beautiful as your special day!