One of the most important first steps in your journey to the aisle is creating a wedding website. This way your friends and family can stay closely connected to your wedding details as your special day nears. However, unless you are website savvy and can code your own site, consider using one of the many free wedding website builders available. Or, for a more personalized experience, upgrade to a paid platform that offers premium features at an additional cost.
Wedding website builders truly do the hard work for you when it comes to creating a site. They enable you to create pages that include details about the ceremony, information about the reception, links to your wedding registries, maps and area information, photos, facts about you and your wedding party, an online guest book, and a place where your guests can RSVP (although, we always recommend a separate RSVP card as part of your wedding stationery suite as well).
Built-in tools and templates help you quickly and easily add your information and photos to your site, while customization features allow you to choose colors and themes that coordinate with your wedding design. Today, many wedding websites even give you the option to add a personalized domain name, security features, and a mobile website. With dozens of wedding website builders to choose from, however, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few of our favorite options.
Riley & Grey
Cost: $35 month to month (cancel at any time) or $240/year (a 40% savings)
Standout Feature: Touting websites as their (only) specialty, Riley & Grey is considered a luxury wedding website builder.
Riley & Grey is the wedding website builder for design-forward couples. The site provides a wide variety of templates to suit every couple, with helpful client service reps available as you need them. Built-in privacy features automatically prevent your site from being searchable. However, if searchability is important to you, you can reach out to have the restriction lifted by emailing help@rileygrey.com.
The Knot
Cost: Free
Standout Feature: Super simple to use and if you already have an account with the Knot, you don’t have to create an additional one to use their wedding website builder.
The Knot serves as a backend host for multiple couples; however, you can still personalize your URL with your names. Plus, with multiple premade layouts available, you can easily create a wedding website you love and your friends and family will enjoy.
Minted
Cost: Free, with the option to upgrade to Premium ($15) or have a Minted designer help you create a custom website ($98)
Standout Feature: Offers a custom domain name that makes your website appear like it’s hosted independently; integrates with online wedding stationery and provides key features such as the ability to RSVP to multiple events.
Minted has wedding website builder options available for every couple. Whether you like to keep things simple or want a truly personalized experience, you can have it with Minted.
With Joy
Cost: Free
Standout Feature: Different templates allow you to have a traditional website dashboard (Brannan) with tabs, as well as a different sidebar layout (Aloha) that integrates photos with detailed content.
With Joy offers a fun, interactive site design experience. You know your guests best, and With Joy makes it easy to choose a site design you know they will love and easily be able to navigate through.
Appy Couple
Cost: Appy Boutique ($49) or Appy Luxury ($149)
Standout Feature: A smorgasbord of publishing tools allows you to share details and manage invites, RSVPs, photo sharing, and more.
Appy Couple is a unique wedding website builder, as it simultaneously builds an app based on your desktop design. Your wedding guests can then download the app to instant-message one another to share what they’re wearing to your wedding or decide who wants to go in on a gift from your wedding registry.
eWedding
Cost: Free, with the option to upgrade for more bells and whistles ($9 or $27 per month)
Standout Feature: With polls and quizzes galore, you can ask guests where you should honeymoon or test them on how well they know you.
eWedding offers fun features to add to your wedding website. Rather than just a place to put information, you can make the experience enjoyable for your guests leading up to your special day.
Zola
Cost: Free
Standout Feature: Register at Zola and your Zola registry will integrate seamlessly with your website template. Then guests can view your wedding details, RSVP online, and shop your registry all in one place.
Zola is a popular wedding website builder for couples who want to get their site up and running quickly without compromising design. With over 250 customizable website templates available, it is easy to create and share your site with your guests.
Build Your Wedding Website with HauteFêtes
Building a wedding website is an important step in the wedding planning process. From improving the guest experience to providing a quick and easy way to share wedding details, your website comes in handy leading up to and even after your wedding day. Plus, it is a fun space to share your engagement story and photos with friends and family.
However, we understand that not every couple has the time or desire to choose a wedding website builder and create their own site. That is why at HauteFêtes we offer website building for our clients for an additional fee. We help you design a stunning website, craft your personal profile, write bridal party bios, and keep your website details updated regularly. Let us know if this is something you are interested in and don’t forget to check out our tips for creating a fantastic wedding website!