Wedding websites are not just a new fad – they can be a powerful resource for you, your wedding party and your guests. Along with your wedding invitations, your wedding website can be a centralized location where information about your wedding is posted, updated and shared. This will allow everyone to stay up-to-date on announcements, events and more. However, just having a website with a few pictures and a blurb about how you met your future spouse is not going to cut it. So how do you create an effective wedding website? Keep reading to find out.

Wedding Website Essentials

1. 1. A photo of you and your spouse-to-be on the home page. When someone visits your website, you want to make sure they immediately know it’s about you. Include a favorite picture that reflects your personalities.

1. 2. A story. Though your family and best friends will be invited to the wedding, often there will also be guests you’re not so familiar with like your future in-laws’ friends or great aunt Petunia twice-removed who you haven’t seen since your 5^th birthday. To get everyone excited about the wedding and familiar with the guests of honor, add a short story about how you met and about the proposal. However, don’t go on too long, or you’ll lose your audience.

1. 3. Important dates. Even if you are sending out a save-the-date notice, it doesn’t hurt to have a constant reminder of when the wedding is going to be. If you are having an engagement party and if the shower, bachelor party and bachelorette party are not a surprise, include the dates for those as well.

1. 4. List of registries. As you register for gifts, provide a list of stores for your guests. If any of the stores you’ve registered at have websites, consider including links so guests can browse or shop online.

1. 5. Contact information. As the wedding draws closer, your guests might have questions for you. If your maid of honor, best man or parents are tackling any of the planning, you might want to add their contact information as well (with their permission!).

1. 6. Directions. Save money and paper by forgoing directions cards and simply post the necessary information online. Help out-of-town guests by adding a list of transportation services.

1. 7. Hotels. If you anticipate having more than a few out-of-town guests, provide a list of local hotels with price and contact info.

Though you don’t need to include much more than the seven items listed above, there’s nothing stopping you from creating an even more unique website. Consider adding a song, YouTube videos, a photo gallery or links to the reception location. Furthermore, your wedding website won’t only be helpful in the months leading up to the wedding, but it can also be a place for guests to reconvene afterwards, to share and look at pictures of the wedding and honeymoon and post comments. You can also post a general appreciation message to tide them over while you write all your thank you notes.

If you’re planning on a budget, you might be worried that a website is an extravagance you can’t afford. This is not the case – you can get an affordable, professionally designed website for a reasonable price. So get ready to impress your guests!