Your wedding day is undoubtedly one of the most important days of your life; however, inviting everyone you want may not be possible. A great way to share your wedding day — and every important day before and after it — with everyone in your life, near or far, is to create a simple website. Numerous sites are popping up these days, and it’s easier now than ever before to share anything with anyone anywhere. From your bridal shower to your gift registries, the pictures of you standing at the altar, and the video of Grandma doing the Chicken Dance, you can show off all of your special moments, candid and otherwise. Creating a simple website is a wonderful way to put all your wedding memories in one location for all to see.
Websites
One of the most popular sites for customizable websites is Wix.com. It offers hundreds of free and premium templates for users to choose from, as well as thousands of free images. On Wix, you can set up a blog with connections to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. You’re also able to access your website from your smartphone. For the more tech-savvy bride-to-be, Wix also offers HTML5 Website Builder. Instead of the basic drag-and-drop design most individuals use for creating their sites, this program allows you to build your website from scratch.
Weebly is another website provider that allows you to customize your site. This platform has more than 100 free themes to choose from, as well as the option to use customizable background images. You can have numerous photo albums and even create a slideshow with Weebly’s Slide Show Maker. The site also offers photo editing, as well as a free and premium photo library where you can find hundreds of pictures to decorate your wedding site. Weebly offers customizable forms with which you can create RSVPs and contact forms, maps connected to Google Maps, and video hosting, so make sure to take lots of dancing videos.
MyWedding.com is definitely a site geared toward the bride. It has over 600 templates, matching invitations, and a photo gallery setup that allows you to upload unlimited images. MyWedding offers a wide variety of registries, guestbooks, RSVPs, and more.
Photos
Once you create your website, the first thing you’re going to want to start adding is photos. The moment you start trying on dresses, be sure to take a friend along with you who’s willing to take a few pictures for you. You’ll want some candid shots of you (and whomever you take with you) experiencing the fun of selecting your wedding dress. Some of your photos might be a bit more serious, like a photo of you and your mother sharing a moment when you finally find the dress for you.
As the event grows closer, you’ll also probably want to add candid and serious photos from the bridal shower, tasteful bachelorette party photos, cake tasting photos, and of course photos from the big day. Most couples today choose a variety of romantic, traditional, and candid photos, and all of these will be wonderful additions to your site. Then, when all of the family and friends go home and you embark on the road to your honeymoon, don’t let the photo fest end. Take selfies and enlist strangers such as restaurant servers and resort personnel to give you a whole new array of photos for your site and wedding album.
Whichever photo locations, poses, and candids you choose, your wedding website is certain to be a momentous representation of your engagement and marriage. Feel free to leave your site up, if you desire, and add photos of new milestones such as anniversaries or your first house together. Let your creativity lead the way!