|
Do I really need a Wedding Website ?
January 3, 2009
Many
engaged couples are asking themselves this question as a very popular
trend snowballs through the wedding industry. Before I got engaged I
certainly wouldn't have considered getting a personal website to post
personal information and pictures about myself, so the idea seemed
bizarre to me too. Then, about a month after my fiancée proposed, I
visited a friend's wedding website and realized it was more of a
necessity as a means to distribute information, than about vanity at
all.
As it turned out, our wedding website
was one of the best parts about our wedding. The site allowed us to
build a lot of momentum towards the big day. People felt a part of the
planning and our families and friends who hadn't met John or myself got
to learn more about us, which made a big difference on our wedding day.
We both have big families and had many
people coming from out of town. The website allowed us to put all of
the travel information (air, car, hotel) in one spot that everyone had
access to. There was also tons of information about our city available
on our site, which was great for people who had never been to Boston
before.
We made sure to include a little card in
our invitation that informed everyone that all information regarding
the wedding such as details and maps of events would be posted on our
website. This saved us many phone calls with questions about where and
when each event was taking place. Our guests loved the RSVP feature,
75% of our guests replied on line ! People really seemed to prefer
responding by email instead of snail mail. Once they were on the site,
the online registry also made it very convenient for our guests to give
us gifts that we actually wanted.
Due to my chronic shyness, I thought you
had to be an exhibitionist to consider getting a website. The truth is,
it gave many people who didn't know us, a great way to learn about each
of us through our story, biographies and pictures. People seemed to
really like the Poll and Quiz which we updated a few times before and
after the wedding. We were able to stretch out our incredible wedding
for a long time as people went to the site to see our pictures and send
wonderful comments through the guest book for weeks after the wedding.
We couldn't believe how easy it was to
create our site. It really was just filling in forms online. All the
work was done for us, and the designs were just great. We also really
appreciated that it did not cost a fortune and that we were able try it
before we bought it before committing to what was a thoroughly
enjoyable process from beginning to end.
As you can see the website was a huge
success with our guests who came to the wedding, but it was equally
gratifying for our friends and family around the world who couldn't
make it. Witness my 94 year old grandmother who was actually able to
take part in my wedding even though she couldn't leave her house. So in
answer to the question posed in the title of this letter, this former
sceptic highly recommends a wedding website for every engaged couple !
A Wedding Website Will Reduce Stress
Personal Wedding Websites are becoming a necessity for every wedding
for many reasons. Including important information eliminates questions
that accompanied weddings in the pre - internet era. The stress
reducing effect is as beneficial for the guests as it is for the
couple.
Take for example, the gift registry. It is considered inappropriate to
tell guests where one is registered in the invitation. This results in
many phone calls by guests attempting to discover where the couple's
gift registry is located. If the guest is not close to the immediate
family, they will not know who to call to find out what stores the
couple has selected to receive their gifts. This results in another
bowl or serving piece that the couple will have to return the day after
the wedding.
To avoid this stressful situation for the couple and the guests,
couples can include their wedding website address in the invitation
(which is completely acceptable according to all wedding etiquette
experts). When guests visit the website to see their story, pictures,
details, and other important information, they can easily find direct
links to their online registries.
Another example of making life easier on the couple and their guests is
having the details and maps posted directly on the wedding website
where guests can access them anytime worldwide. Without a website, the
couple will receive many phone calls about where and when each event
is, as well as, "what's the best way to get there". The couple can also
avoid including extra notes in the invitation to tell out of town
guests where hotel arrangements have been made, if they have a wedding
website.
Some guests seem to take their time returning the RSVP card that
usually accompanies the invitation. Not many weddings go by without the
need to call some guests directly to see whether they are planning to
attend or not. Having a wedding website can reduce this pursuit. When
guests visit the website to see all kinds of information and pictures
they can RSVP at the click of a button.
The benefits of a personal wedding website are plentiful, including
sharing pictures and stories with friends and family. Thanks to the
advancements in technology, one can create a beautiful website without
any knowledge of programming whatsoever.
www.weddings.myevent.com
makes it as easy as filling in forms. Your information is fed into a
beautiful design template of your choice. There is a 7 day Free Trial
with no credit card required. Creating a website will make life easier
for you and your guests and as a bonus you will have a lot of Fun doing
it. |
|
|
