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These days, nearly every engaged couple has a wedding website...and for good reason! It's the easiest way to share info with your guests that's too long or too complicated to put on your invitations. Plus, as the big day draws near, your website is a great way to keep all of your guests in the loop. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, once you sit down to actually create your wedding website in South Africa, you may find yourself unsure of which details you should include and which ones you can skip. But don't worry...we've got you covered.
1. Your wedding's location.
As a South African Bride, the first thing guests will want to know is where exactly the wedding and reception will be held. And guests coming from out of town will be worried about things like parking and how long it will take them to drive from the ceremony to cocktail hour, so make sure the details are there and easy for non-locals to understand.
2. Where to stay and what else to do in town.
If you're booking a hotel block for your guests, put the relevant info (including important dates and deadlines) on your Wedding website. You should also mention the major airport nearest to the hotels, and transportation services (like Uber) you recommend. And guests always appreciate a list of the best restaurants, shopping, parks, and other things to do during their trip.
3. The schedule for the wedding weekend.
Most guests just want to be told where they need to be and when, so be sure to include info on the ceremony and reception start times, as well as extra events like the after-party and morning-after brunch. But only include the events where everyone is welcome to avoid any unexpected drop-ins!
4. Your preferred contact info.
How would you like people to get in touch with you if they have questions or concerns? Making it clear on the Wedding website can help you stay organized. We suggest creating a separate email address that is only used for interacting with your vendors, and sharing that email address with your guests too. That way, you won't forget to respond to your cousin who Facebook messages you about whether or not she can bring her children to your wedding.
5. A few photos of you and your partner.
If you had engagement photos taken, this is a great place to display them! But don't go overboard. One of the guests' biggest gripes with wedding websites (and yes, some people dislike them) is the gallery of 500 photos. So pick the best ones from your engagement session or just a couple of your favorite snapshots of you and your fiance, and then move on.
6. Your love story.
If you and your fiance have been dating since high school and everyone attending the wedding know you both well, you can definitely skip this section. But if you're having a big wedding with a lot of extended family who don't know you or your intended very well, give some background info! Share what you do for a living, what your hobbies are, and how the two of you met.
7. Your bridal party.
Even if your guests know you well, it's possible they don't know anything about your bridal party. And because they are likely to interact with some of these people separately (like when they receive a wedding shower invite from your maid of honor), it's nice to provide your pals' names, photos, and a line or two about how you know each other on the website.
8. The wedding attire.
While you should never dictate your guests' clothing, you can list the dress code (like "black tie optional" or "semi-formal") on your website. And include any useful tips for dressing for the weather or venue. For example: "The ceremony is in a garden, so consider wearing wedges instead of heels!"
9. Your registry details.
According to most wedding etiquette experts, the website is the only place where it's appropriate to share your registry. (So leave it off your invitations!) All you need to include is the names or logos of the stores where you registered; your guests can figure it out from there.
10. Honeymoon info.
Your guests may be wondering if you're taking a honeymoon, so it doesn't hurt to include a little info. We recommend sharing a beautiful picture of your destination and a couple of details: "We're so excited to head to Cape Town from May 10th to May 18th! Chris can't wait to go zip-lining, while Adele plans to lay on the beach for most of the trip."
Ultimately, remember that your wedding website is there as a way to make life easier for your guests. Focus on their needs; choose a template that is easy to navigate — bonus points if it's easy to read on mobile, too! And don't put fashion over function; if it looks gorgeous but is confusing or the most important information is hidden, no one will ever use it.