Wedding Website Checklist – What to Include (and What to Skip)

A good wedding website has one job: answer every question before it becomes a text message. Done right, it eliminates 90% of the "what time does it start / can I bring my kids / where do I park" chaos. Here's the complete checklist — the must-have sections, the FAQ that saves your sanity, and the things that don't belong online.

The 10 Must-Have Sections

1. The basics, above the fold — names, date, city. A guest should know the when-and-where in three seconds.
2. Schedule — ceremony time (tell guests to arrive 20–30 min early), cocktail hour, reception end time. Multi-day events get a day-by-day view (timeline logic here).
3. Venue & travel — full addresses with map links, parking info, shuttle times if you run one (transportation guide).
4. RSVP — online form with a hard deadline (3–4 weeks before the wedding). Collect: attendance, meal choice, dietary restrictions, song request (optional but fun).
5. Accommodation — your hotel block(s) with booking codes and the block deadline, plus a budget alternative (room block math).
6. Dress code — one line plus a hint for the venue ("outdoor ceremony on grass — consider block heels"). Link-worthy explainer: dress codes decoded.
7. Registry — linked, never itemized on the page itself; one warm sentence ("your presence is plenty — but if you insist…") does the job (registry etiquette).
8. Your story + photos — short and charming; three paragraphs max. This is the section guests actually read for fun.
9. Wedding party — names and one-liners; helps guests connect faces at the reception.
10. Contact — the maid of honor's or planner's email/phone for day-of questions, not yours. You will be busy getting married.

The FAQ Section That Saves Your Sanity

Answer these before they're asked — each one is a guaranteed group-chat question:

• Are kids invited? (however you answer, answer it here — wording help in the guest list guide)
• Can I bring a plus-one? ("Your invitation is addressed to everyone invited in your party.")
• What's the weather/terrain like? (outdoor weddings: shoes, layers, rain plan)
• Is there parking / Uber access?
• Will there be an open bar? (or a heads-up for a dry wedding)
• Can I take photos during the ceremony? (unplugged ceremony? say it here AND have the officiant repeat it)
• What time should I actually arrive?

Timing: When to Publish What

Put the URL on the save-the-date and invitation details card — and make it short and spellable (firstnamelastname-wedding beats a witty pun nobody can type).

What to Leave OFF the Website

• Registry prices or cash amounts — link out, don't itemize.
• Your home address — packages go to the registry, not your porch.
• Exact honeymoon dates — "we'll be traveling after the wedding" is enough; an empty-house announcement isn't.
• Drama disclaimers — seating explanations, family footnotes, "please don't discuss X" — handle privately.
• An RSVP password-free edit link — test that guests can't see each other's responses or edit the page.

FAQ

When should we make our wedding website?

Before save-the-dates go out — 8–12 months ahead with just the basics, then complete it when invitations mail. A half-built site at invitation time generates more questions than no site.

Do we need online RSVP or paper cards?

Online wins on speed, tracking and dietary data; paper wins with older guests. The pragmatic hybrid: RSVP link on the details card + paper cards mailed only to the handful of guests who won't use a website.

Should the registry go on the wedding website?

Yes — the website is exactly where registry info belongs (never on the invitation itself). One modest sentence plus links; guests who want it will find it in two clicks.

What's the best wedding website URL?

Short, spellable, sayable-at-a-dinner-table: names + wedding or names + year. If you'll say it out loud ("it's on our website…"), it can't require spelling assistance.

Bottom Line

Basics in 3 seconds, schedule + RSVP + hotels + dress code + FAQ that pre-answers the group chat — live with save-the-dates, complete with invitations. Keep prices, addresses and drama off it, and route day-of questions to the wedding party, not to you.

Related: invitation wording guide, guest accommodation calculator, wedding planning checklist.