Are you planning a destination wedding and looking for a way to simplify things a bit?
Planning a destination wedding can be overwhelming for any newly engaged couple.
Have you considered making a destination wedding website? This is a great way to keep everything and everyone organized right from the get-go.
Wait. Did she say “Make a whole website”?
Yikes. That sounds like a lot of work!
I promise, it’s not. And the time you will save in not fielding the same questions over and over from your wedding guests will more than make up for it. Sure, you could build an elaborate site where you agonize over the design details and spend hours working on your witty catchphrases. But honestly, wedding guests do not visit destination wedding websites to learn a detailed account of why the bride and groom chose their wedding colors, or to pour through their Pinterest Inspired wedding photo galleries.
No. Your wedding guests are visiting your destination wedding website for ONE reason, and one reason only:
INFORMATION.
If you want to make it pretty and witty, that’s your call, but priority #1 is to present ‘Need-To-Know’ intel in a clear way that is easy to navigate. That’s ALL! Easy peasy.
(Jessica & Brian’s destination wedding in Tulum, Mexico)
A great destination wedding website requires very little maintenance, only really needing to be updated 3 times before you’re off on the vacation of a lifetime. Think of it as a tool to reinforce what you as the bride and groom will also mail out in your Save The Date Cards, Formal Wedding Invitations, and Pre-Wedding Newsletter. Don’t bombard them with useless details!
Only incorporate information the following information that will serve your guests.
Save the date invitations
You will most likely be sending out Save The Date invitations, because…well…they’re part of destination wedding etiquette. Put the same information on your website as well. This may only be a date and a location at this point, and that’s just fine! If you want to add some interesting facts about the area, or link to popular tourism websites, that’s a nice bonus.
Download our FREE Ultimate Guide To Getting Married In The Riviera Maya
The formal wedding invitation
Once you have worked out the finer details, like travel dates, hotel, and ceremony time, you should add this all to your website, or you will be fielding wedding guests’ questions as part of your daily routine, which spells work and wedding stress!
You MUST include everything you know about cost and expenses so that your guests can make a realistic decision about the affordability of attending your destination wedding.
- Will you be staying at an all-inclusive resort, or will guests still be paying for food and drinks upon arrival?
- Will there be an additional cost for ground transportation to your hotel?
- Do they need passports and/or visas to travel?
Your wedding guests will likely refer back to your website when looking for information about the area, so be prepared for that and make your wedding website a handy reference for them as they plan their vacation. (Yes, keep in mind, this is also going to be their vacation!) Include maps, car rentals, ground transportation options, day excursions, babysitting, recommended restaurants, area attractions, the weather…whatever you think they might be interested in.
Melissa & Brian’s Riviera Maya wedding
Pre-wedding departure
When you are two to four weeks away from departing for your destination wedding, make a final update to your wedding website. Most wedding guests won’t even glance at your wedding website until they are desperate for information at the last minute.
So what should be included at this point?
Everything to do with travel itineraries, definitely.
- Flights
- Dates
- Airports & Airlines
- Hotels
- Relevant phone numbers
Also give the wedding day timeline, time and location of the welcome party, and include any group excursions you are planning. Offer suggestions on what to wear and what to pack.
And of course, as The Knot suggests, don’t keep your gift registry to yourself! Share all registries on your destination wedding website, making them easy to find.
Then sit back, relax and enjoy your vacation-of-a-lifetime!
Building a great destination wedding website should actually be a pretty low maintenance task. Stick to what’s important, and only update when it’s necessary. Your guests will be thankful to you for being such an organized bride and groom, and more importantly, they won’t be hounding you for information about your destination wedding!
Lindsay & Rob’s Playa del Carmen wedding
Sheesh! Does this still sound like a lot of work? We will make it easier for you. We love eWedding.com and their FREE award-winning wedding websites. Check them out!
Are you getting married on the beach in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and are hunting for the best Playa del Carmen wedding photographer? Then contact us now! We are Fun In The Sun Weddings, for the best Riviera Maya wedding photography.
Download our FREE Ultimate Guide To Getting Married In The Riviera Maya
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