Wedding Website no-nos

SachaBee · August 2014

HI!

I'm sorry if this has been done before, but I'm wondering what are the major DON'Ts for the wedding website.

For example, I know it's tacky/rude to tell grown adults what to do, but is it a faux pas to have, like, a 'weather/climate' section that advises some things to pack or wear for the wedding? (It's in California in May, so I'm worried some East Coast guests might assume that means 'super warm', when in reality it can get very chilly once the sun goes down.)

What is the most polite wording for registry info on the website? (Am I correct in thinking this is the place to put registry info?) Should there be a 'registry' page or should it go elsewhere so as to be less conspicuous? Or is it okay to be conspicuous because people are honestly going to want that information and for it to be easily accessible?

And where do you come down on silly photos?

Thanks in advance for all the advice! I also appreciate all advice for things we absolutely must/should include on the website, just in case we forget anything.

I also appreciate links to other pages that have covered this. I tried to search but it wasn't working properly. (And I kind of don't trust any etiquette advice that doesn't come from this board....)

AddieCake · August 2014

We put weather and climate on ours, and also a note about how windy it was when our original venue was on a lake. We put registry information just by making a tabbed page for it with a link. We also had a page for "local stuff to do."

twitterbird · August 2014

I used some of our engagement photos on our website. I also did a YouTube slideshow people could look at if they want lol. We're not doing any sort of slideshow at the wedding though. I think including a section on climate/weather would be appropriate.

RebeccaFlower · August 2014

I would appreciate that info, since I know I would totally think 80 and sunny.

cowgirl8238 · August 2014

I would really want to see a basic weather/climate section on a website. It doesn't have to be its own tab but maybe lumped in with information about your venue? I remember going to a wedding once that was on Long Island. Typically I know the weather there and it isn't a problem, but their ceremony AND cocktail hour were outside on Lake Ronkonkoma. The breee was killer, and almost every woman there was shivering and cold!!!!

In general I put the following as a coluimn of buttons on my website:

Venue info: Mentioned that ceremony was outside to alert women to potential heals in grass issues. Also provided links to venue site as they had uch better directions!

Things to do in the area: We were a semi-destination for many of our friends so we provided some things that would appeal to everyone if they chose to stay in the area.

Hotel info: We put our direct web-link for our room blocks along with all the info on what the hotel would/could provide guests.

Registry: We just put a links to the two places we had a registry.

About Us: We added a smal section about how we met and the proposal story for anyone who wanted to read it. *NOTE: this is optional and some may go as far to claim AWish but oh well!*

Photos: We place the engagement shoot photos here and plan to use this for wedding photos also.

NYCMercedes · August 2014

A weather/climate section should not include what to pack or wear, as you suggest. It is weather and climate info only and you have a great idea to include that section. Registry, hotels, venue, all should be there.

melbenso · August 2014

We provided weather/climate info. It said something like "The ceremony will be held outside, weather permitting. Average highs for City in late June are 80-85 degrees. Average lows are 60-65 degrees. The reception will be held indoors."

I also added some information about what the wedding party would be wearing, specifically that the groomsmen would be wearing vests and ties rather than suits and the bridesmaids would be wearing short dresses, after my aunt kept asking me what she and her family should wear. I did NOT say that guests should or should not wear any specific type of clothing.

I figured that way, guests who didn't take their clues from the level of formality of the invitation (and the outdoor ceremony rather than church or ballroom) could hopefully get that if the wedding party wasn't wearing suits, male guests shouldn't feel obligated to if they didn't want to (85 is pretty hot to be outside in a full suit, which is why DH decided to wear a vest and tie) and that short dresses for bridesmaids meant that super fancy attire for female guests wasn't necessary either.

We also had a registry page. It linked to our one small registry and said "Melbenso and DH have a small registry at X." Not many people bought us stuff from the registry, but that's ok because we had lived together for more than 4 years when we got married and didn't need much. (I declined showers because of this.) I don't think many people noticed the registry info on our page, perhaps since I didn't add it until we created the registry about 3 months before the wedding, which was a quite a while after our STDs with the wedding website info went out.

thisismynickname2 · August 2014

PPs have given great advice. Since you ask about "silly", I'll say my opinion is that less is more. Sure, put your proposal story on there, but keep it simple or at least have it fit your personalities. Put the links to the registry but don't go on and on about appreciating gifts. Put some pictures up and they won't come across as silly so long as they fit your personality. Don't try to hard.

The worst I saw was a former college friend's site (oh yeah, password protect that site!) and it said things like, "The ceremony will start at 5:30pm, at which we hope tears of joy will flow!" STFU.

Jen4948 · August 2014

I like the weather/climate page idea. I'd only include a "dress code" page if your venue has a dress code. Certainly don't have one otherwise.

I also like having hotel, local sightseeing/things to do, and transportation pages-especially a transportation page that provides maps, driving directions, and local transportation information. I'm not really a fan of putting registry information on websites though, but that's me.

Maggie0829 · August 2014

Jen4948 said:

I like the weather/climate page idea. I'd only include a "dress code" page if your venue has a dress code. Certainly don't have one otherwise.

I also like having hotel, local sightseeing/things to do, and transportation pages-especially a transportation page that provides maps, driving directions, and local transportation information. I'm not really a fan of putting registry information on websites though, but that's me.

Same here. I feel like if you are including your wedding website address in your invite package then no registry information should be placed on your website. Your website, in my opinion, is an extension of your invitation and any information on your website should also be included in your invitation for those individuals who decide to not look at your website. So since you wouldn't include registry information in your invite then you shouldn't include in on your website either.

manateehugger · August 2014

Maggie0829 said:

Jen4948 said:

I like the weather/climate page idea. I'd only include a "dress code" page if your venue has a dress code. Certainly don't have one otherwise.

I also like having hotel, local sightseeing/things to do, and transportation pages-especially a transportation page that provides maps, driving directions, and local transportation information. I'm not really a fan of putting registry information on websites though, but that's me.

Same here. I feel like if you are including your wedding website address in your invite package then no registry information should be placed on your website. Your website, in my opinion, is an extension of your invitation and any information on your website should also be included in your invitation for those individuals who decide to not look at your website. So since you wouldn't include registry information in your invite then you shouldn't include in on your website either.

Also ditto. I put ours on there for one day and then felt so gross about it that I took it down. I manage to google up everyone's registries if they exist, so I figured our guests could could do the same. I felt too much like I was trying to making it convenient for our guests to stumble through our registries.

Agree with PP's on the weather, things to do, etc.

Don't go overboard with the photos and "our story." If I have to navigate through a bunch of fluff to get to the part I actually might need, it's annoying. And for the love of all things holy, do not have your website autoplay music!

twitterbird · August 2014

manateehugger said:

Also ditto. I put ours on there for one day and then felt so gross about it that I took it down. I manage to google up everyone's registries if they exist, so I figured our guests could could do the same. I felt too much like I was trying to making it convenient for our guests to stumble through our registries.

Agree with PP's on the weather, things to do, etc.

Don't go overboard with the photos and "our story." If I have to navigate through a bunch of fluff to get to the part I actually might need, it's annoying. And for the love of all things holy, do not have your website autoplay music!

So much this. Autoplay music is the worst.

Jen4948 · August 2014

twitterbird said:

manateehugger said:

Also ditto. I put ours on there for one day and then felt so gross about it that I took it down. I manage to google up everyone's registries if they exist, so I figured our guests could could do the same. I felt too much like I was trying to making it convenient for our guests to stumble through our registries.

Agree with PP's on the weather, things to do, etc.

Don't go overboard with the photos and "our story." If I have to navigate through a bunch of fluff to get to the part I actually might need, it's annoying. And for the love of all things holy, do not have your website autoplay music!

So much this. Autoplay music is the worst.

Or a flash start page. I intensely hate those.

Oh, and make sure there are no pop-up ads.

thelastdreamer · August 2014

I'm with the people who said no registry on the website. IF PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE REGISTERED, THEY WILL ASK. I don't think it's wrong to put it on your website, I just prefer it not being there.

KayDeee · August 2014

I personally am 100% OK with couples putting a link to their registry on their informational wedding website and I appreciate it when they do, especially when I don't know the couple that well. I don't have to track down someone close to the bride and groom to get registry information.

And registries don't always show up when you Google the bride and groom's names because some people don't want their wedding information available by a simple Google search. So they set up their sites specifically not to show up in Google results. And they contact the Knot, Bed Bath and Beyond and whichever other sites make their registries available through a Google search to ask them to remove them and not share their information with third parties.

I appreciate an informative website where the really relevant information is put up front (dates, time, locations) then guests can click around to other places if they want to see photos or read back stories.

wrigleyville · August 2014

I don't mind if there's a registry tab. It saves me from having to Google or email the couple.

"About Us" is fine as long as it's short and to the point. I don't want to read six paragraphs of some "you had to be there" story. I like to see things like where they went to school, what they do, how they met, and where they're from. It helps me get to know the bride or groom better if I don't know one of them well.

Pictures are fine. I like pictures.

Weather/climate is also fine. I Google that stuff, but I know some people (like my relatives) aren't internet-savvy. I'd skip telling people to bring sweatshirts or whatever. Adults know how to dress when it's a certain temperature. Besides, 60 may feel cold to some people, but I think it's wonderful. I don't put on a sweatshirt until it hits 50.

thisismynickname2 · August 2014

KayDeee said:

I personally am 100% OK with couples putting a link to their registry on their informational wedding website and I appreciate it when they do, especially when I don't know the couple that well. I don't have to track down someone close to the bride and groom to get registry information.

And registries don't always show up when you Google the bride and groom's names because some people don't want their wedding information available by a simple Google search. So they set up their sites specifically not to show up in Google results. And they contact the Knot, Bed Bath and Beyond and whichever other sites make their registries available through a Google search to ask them to remove them and not share their information with third parties.

I am not ok with myself showing up in Google. I take care to lock down privacy on everything so that the only things that show are my LinkedIn, my race results, and any story I might have been quoted in professionally. So, the button to my registry is on our website and that's it.

KatieinBkln · August 2014

Yeah, count me as one who is pro-registry on the website--I don't have any particular problem being on Google, but it's more that I don't trust it to actually link to anything relevant. When I Google myself, I find a random medical doctor in California with the same name, and a stupid quote reviewing something wayyy back from when I was in high school. Oh, and the announcement of my confirmation in a local newspaper. Not super relevant or timely.

FI has a more unusual name, but even so, I don't want to trust the Google algorithms--not because it's so crucially important that I get all teh presentz, but because I don't want guests to stress out about finding the registry. I want their experience with anything even tangentially related to my wedding to be easy and seamless.

SachaBee · August 2014

Maggie0829 said:

Jen4948 said:

I like the weather/climate page idea. I'd only include a "dress code" page if your venue has a dress code. Certainly don't have one otherwise.

I also like having hotel, local sightseeing/things to do, and transportation pages-especially a transportation page that provides maps, driving directions, and local transportation information. I'm not really a fan of putting registry information on websites though, but that's me.

Same here. I feel like if you are including your wedding website address in your invite package then no registry information should be placed on your website. Your website, in my opinion, is an extension of your invitation and any information on your website should also be included in your invitation for those individuals who decide to not look at your website. So since you wouldn't include registry information in your invite then you shouldn't include in on your website either.

Wait, what?

We're not including driving directions, maps, and sightseeing info in our invitations, no.

The website would be pointless if it didn't give new information. At least that's my thinking. I do understand there are a lot of non-internet-savvy people out there, and so we will be happy answering phone calls related to specific questions from these people.

I want to thank everyone for the lively discussion and the advice!

caitlinmca · August 2014

We put everything in our website from about us, to how we met, our proposal, the location of the ceremony and reception, guest information on room blocks and things to do in the area, driving directions, photos, we will put our registry on there, but we have not registered yet, and info on our honeymoon as to where we are going.

The DJ company we have also has a "guest request" link that you can post via Facebook, email, wedding websites etc, that guests can requests songs ahead of the wedding that they want to hear at the wedding/reception and we can then view them and decide whether we want to play them, delete them and such, so we posted information about that.

Also, once we have our tasting, we might post our menu.

For us, we don't see our families often (I haven't seen my dad's family from NC since I was 10-12 years old and some of my FI's family I have never met) so for us, we wanted to put as much information as we could on our website since most of our guests would be coming from out of town or they don't see us often.

Wedding Website no-nos

Re: Wedding Website no-nos

Choose Another Board

Search Boards