How to Make a Wedding Website: A Step-by-Step Guide
Your Wedding Website Starts Here.
Everything you need to create a beautiful wedding website, share important details, collect RSVPs and keep your guests informed — step by step.
What you’ll need, and how this guide works
This guide takes you from a blank page to a website your guests actually use, in ten steps and three phases. It works whichever builder you choose. Where it helps, we show how a step looks in MapleVow, with real screenshots.
Bookmark it and work through one phase at a time. The wording examples and the checklist near the end are there to save you time.
- TimeAn evening for a first versionAdd details as plans firm up.
- SkillsNo coding neededIf you can fill in a form, you can do this.
- Have readyNames, date, venue, a photoPlus your guest list if you’ll collect RSVPs.
- CostFree to startCustom addresses and extras may cost more.
Ready to create your own?Start with a free MapleVow wedding website and follow along as you read.
Create your free wedding websiteOn this page
Phase 1
Plan
Decide what your website needs to do, pick the tool and set the look.
Step 1 of 10Decide what your wedding website needs to do
Before you choose a template, decide what job your website has. For most couples it has two: answer guests’ questions, and collect RSVPs.
Why couples make one
A wedding website replaces dozens of repeated texts and phone calls. When the date, venue, dress code and hotel details live behind one link, guests can check for themselves, and you only update things in one place.
What guests actually look for
Guests open a wedding website for a handful of things: when it is, where to go, what to wear, where to stay and how to reply. Everything else is a bonus. Build for those questions first.
Information only, or RSVPs too?
An information-only site works like a digital invitation insert. An RSVP-enabled site also collects replies, meal choices and dietary needs, and keeps a running headcount. If you will collect replies online, choose a tool where the RSVP form feeds your guest list, so nothing has to be copied by hand.
Wedding tools or a general website builder
General website builders give you total design freedom, but no guest list, plus-one rules or meal counts. Wedding website builders give you fewer layout choices and handle the wedding parts for you. Unless you need a fully custom site, a wedding builder is usually much less work.
What your site needs on day one, and what can wait
Essential 6 items
- Your names and the wedding date
- Ceremony and reception times
- Venue names and full addresses
- How to RSVP, and by when
- Dress code
- Travel and accommodation, if guests travel
Optional 8 items
- Your story
- Photo gallery
- Registry
- FAQs
- Wedding party
- Things to do nearby
- Countdown
- Guest photo sharing
TakeawayWrite down the five questions guests ask you most often. Your website’s first screen should answer them.
Step 2 of 10Choose a wedding website builder
Most wedding website builders look alike on their home page. The differences show up once guests start replying. Compare them on the things that will matter in month six, not minute one.
What to compare before you commit
Free or paid
Is the free plan usable, or are RSVPs behind a paywall? Is the paid plan a one-time fee or a monthly subscription that runs until you cancel?
Templates
Are there designs you like, and can you change fonts and colours to match your invitations?
Mobile
Many guests will open your link from a text on their phone. Preview every template on a phone before you choose.
Online RSVPs
Can guests reply without creating an account? Can you ask about meals, dietary needs and plus-ones?
Guest management
Do replies land in a guest list you can filter, update and export for your caterer?
Several events
Can you invite some guests to a welcome dinner or tea ceremony and others only to the reception?
Languages
Can guests read the site, and reply, in their own language?
Pricing structure
Check what costs extra: more guests, removing branding, a custom address, text messages.
Domain options
Can you use a short custom link or your own domain, and what does each cost?
Privacy
Can you add a password and keep the site out of search engines?
Ease of editing
Can you change details after publishing without the link changing?
TakeawayShortlist two builders, start a test site in each, and text the link to your own phone. The one that is easier to fill in on a busy weeknight is usually the right one.
Step 3 of 10Choose your wedding website design
Your design sets the mood before anyone reads a word. Aim for a site that feels like your invitation and is easy to read on a small screen.
Start from a template
Pick the template closest to the feel you want (classic, modern, photo-led or minimal) rather than one you would need to rebuild. Most builders let you switch later without losing what you wrote.
Match your invitations
Reuse two or three colours from your invitation suite and a similar style of typeface. Guests moving from the paper invitation to the website should feel they are at the same wedding.
Choose readable fonts
Script fonts look beautiful in a heading and tiring in a paragraph. Keep the decorative font for your names and headings, and use a simple serif or sans-serif for everything else.
Pick your photos
One well-lit photo at the top does more than ten small ones. Choose a landscape photo with space around your faces so it crops well on phones. No engagement photos yet? Pick a design that looks finished without one.
Design for phones
Check that your names fit on one or two lines on a narrow screen, that buttons are easy to tap and that the RSVP button is easy to find.
Keep it accessible
Keep strong contrast between text and background (pale grey on ivory is hard to read), describe your photos in their alt text, and never put key details such as the address only inside an image.
Avoid clutter
If a section does not answer a guest question, leave it out. Fewer sections are easier to keep up to date.
Real MapleVow designs, for inspiration
-
Living MemoriesPaid plans -
KeepsakeFree -
Burgundy CandlelightPaid plans -
Blue SageFree -
EditorialFree -
Double HappinessPaid plans
TakeawayHold your invitation next to your screen. If the two feel like they belong to the same wedding, you have the right design.
Phase 2
Build
Add the details guests need, organise them into sections and set up RSVPs.
Step 4 of 10Add your essential wedding details
Guests should find the basics within seconds of opening your link. Put them near the top, in plain text, in the order guests need them.
Example: where the essentials go on a homepage
6:30 Dinner · 11:30 Last shuttle
1200 Lakeshore Rd · Map
Fictional couple and venue, for illustration.
- 1Names, date and placeThe first thing guests see. Write the date in full.
- 2RSVP button and deadlineEasy to spot without scrolling.
- 3ScheduleArrival time first, then the key moments.
- 4Venue and mapFull address with a map link.
- 5Dress codeA name, plus a plain-language hint.
- 6Travel and stayHotel block, deadline and parking.
- Couple names
- Use the names guests know you by. If family knows you by another name, add it in your story or welcome note.
- Wedding date
- Write it out in full, with the day of the week: Saturday, June 12, 2027. It avoids confusion between date formats.
- Ceremony and reception times
- Give the time guests should arrive, not only the time the ceremony starts. If guests are travelling from another time zone, say which time zone you mean.
- Venue names and addresses
- List the full street address of each venue, not just its name, and say clearly if the ceremony and reception are in different places.
- Maps and directions
- Link to a map pin and add the details a map leaves out: which entrance, which building, or where the path to the garden starts.
- Dress code
- Name it, then describe it in plain words. “Cocktail attire” means different things to different people, and an outdoor ceremony on grass needs a mention.
- Parking and transportation
- Where to park, whether it costs anything, shuttle times and a good drop-off spot for taxis and rideshares.
- Accommodation
- Hotel names, the room block or booking code, and the date the group rate ends.
- Contact information
- Optional. If you share a contact for questions, consider a family member or your planner rather than yourselves, especially on the day.
TakeawayRead your first screen aloud. If a guest could arrive at the right place, at the right time, dressed appropriately, the essentials are done.
Step 5 of 10Create your wedding website sections
Think of each section as the answer to a guest question. Start with the essentials and add an optional section only when you have something useful to put in it.
-
Welcome
EssentialGreets guests and tells them what they will find.
Include: A few warm sentences, your names and the date.
We’re so glad you’re here. Everything you need for our wedding weekend is below, and we’ll keep it updated as plans come together.
-
Schedule
EssentialShows the day at a glance.
Include: Arrival time, ceremony, cocktails, dinner, last call and transport times.
3:30 pm Guests arrive · 4:00 pm Ceremony · 5:00 pm Cocktails on the terrace · 6:30 pm Dinner
-
RSVP
EssentialLets guests reply and tells them the deadline.
Include: The button, the deadline and who to contact if the form gives them trouble.
Please reply by May 15 so we can confirm numbers with our caterer.
-
Wedding events
Essential with several eventsLists each celebration separately.
Include: Name, date, time, place and dress code for each event, and who it is for.
Friday welcome drinks · 7:00 pm · The Wharf Room · All guests welcome
-
Travel & accommodation
Essential if guests travelHelps out-of-town guests plan.
Include: Nearest airport, hotel block and booking deadline, parking, shuttles.
We’ve reserved rooms at the Harbourview Hotel until April 1. Mention the Lee–Martin wedding when you book.
-
FAQs
RecommendedAnswers the questions you would otherwise get by text.
Include: Parking, children, plus-ones, weather plan, gifts, photos.
Is there parking? Yes, free parking is behind the barn. Follow the signs from the main road.
-
Our story
OptionalLets guests who know only one of you get to know you both.
Include: How you met and the proposal, in a few short paragraphs.
We met at a friend’s birthday dinner in 2019 and talked until the restaurant closed.
-
Registry
OptionalTells guests how to give a gift, if they wish to.
Include: Links to your registries or fund, with a gentle note.
Your presence is the best gift. If you’d like to give something more, our registry is here.
-
Photo gallery
OptionalShares a few favourite photos, and later the wedding photos.
Include: A small, chosen set of photos rather than an album.
A few of our favourite moments together.
TakeawayFor each section, finish the sentence “Guests need this because…”. If you can’t, leave the section out for now.
Step 6 of 10Set up online RSVPs
Online RSVPs save you from chasing replies by text, as long as your guest list is organised before you share the form and the form asks only what you need.
Organise guests into invitations
Group the people who share an invitation: a couple, a family, roommates. One person can then reply for everyone on it, and your headcount stays accurate.
Decide plus-ones per invitation
“Alex Chen and guest” is clearer than a blanket rule. If you know the guest’s name, add it; if not, let Alex add it on the form.
Children, or adults only
List invited children by name so you can plan meals and seats. If your wedding is adults-only, say so kindly on the website and the invitation, and make sure each invitation only allows the seats you mean to offer.
Meals and dietary needs
Ask for meal choices only if you are serving a plated dinner, use the same dish names as your caterer, and include a children’s meal if you need one. Always add a free-text dietary question: allergies matter more than menu choices.
Several events
If only some guests are invited to the rehearsal dinner or the tea ceremony, invite guests by event, so each guest only sees and answers for the events they are invited to.
Personal links or an open form
With personal RSVP links, each invitation has its own link that already knows who the guest is and what they are invited to. An open form is one link for everyone: easy to share, but you will spend time matching replies, fixing typos and spotting uninvited plus-ones. Many builders offer a middle ground where guests look up their own invitation by name.
Deadline
Set your deadline for when your caterer and venue need final numbers, often three to five weeks before the wedding. Put it on the invitation, the website and the form itself.
Confirmation message
Write a short thank-you that repeats what the guest replied. Guests who get a clear confirmation are less likely to reply twice.
Common RSVP mistakes
- No deadline, or a deadline only on the invitation
- Asking about meals before the menu is final
- No children’s meal when children are invited
- An open form with no way to match replies to invitations
- Sending invitations before testing the form yourself
Test before you send invitations
- Add yourselves and a friend as test guests.
- From a phone, reply “yes” for one and “no” for the other.
- Change one answer, as a guest would after a change of plans.
- Check that both replies, the meal choice and the headcount appear correctly in your guest list.
- Remove the test guests before you send real invitations.
TakeawayYour RSVP form is ready when a relative who rarely uses a phone could finish it in under two minutes.
Phase 3
Launch
Choose your address, protect your details, test like a guest and share it.
Step 7 of 10Choose your wedding website address
Your address will appear on save-the-dates, invitations and QR codes, so it deserves a minute’s thought. There are four kinds.
-
Free website address
weddingsite.com/w/k3x9p2
The link your builder creates, often with a code. It costs nothing and works perfectly from a text message or QR code, but it is hard to type from a printed card.
-
Personalized URL
weddingsite.com/sam-and-priya
The same site with your names in the link. Easy to read aloud and type, and often included in a paid plan.
-
Custom subdomain
samandpriya.weddingsite.com
Your names in front of the builder’s domain. It looks tidy on a card and is usually a paid extra.
-
A domain you own
samandpriya.ca
A domain you buy from a registrar and renew every year. The builder may charge to connect it. If it lapses, the link stops working.
TakeawaySay your address out loud to someone over the phone. If they can type it on the first try, it will work on a printed card.
Step 8 of 10Configure privacy and guest access
A wedding website can share your date, venue and the names of your guests’ families with anyone who has the link. Decide how private it should be before you share it.
Public, hidden from search, or password-protected
A public, searchable site can be found by searching your names. A site hidden from search engines can still be opened by anyone with the link. A password-protected site asks every visitor for the password you print on the invitation.
Search engine visibility
Most couples don’t need their wedding on Google: guests will use your link. Hiding a site from search asks search engines not to list it; it does not stop someone you shared the link with from passing it on.
Private venue details
If you are marrying at a private home, consider a password, or give the website only the town and put the exact address on the printed invitation.
Guest-specific RSVP access
Personal RSVP links let each invitation reply only for itself. Ask guests not to forward their personal link, because whoever has it can change that reply.
Protecting guest information
Your guest list holds addresses, phone numbers and sometimes health details such as allergies. Limit who can sign in to manage it, and share vendors only the columns they need.
Do guests need accounts?
They shouldn’t. Every sign-in step loses some guests, especially older relatives. Choose a builder where guests reply from a link.
Guest photo uploads
If guests can upload photos, decide who can see them, whether the gallery needs a PIN or password, and tell guests on the website where their photos will go.
TakeawayOpen your site in a private browser window, signed out. What you see there is what anyone with your link sees.
Step 9 of 10Preview, test and publish
Before anyone else sees your site, look at it the way a guest will: on a phone, from a text message, signed out.
- Dates and time zonesEvery date has the right day of the week, and times say which time zone if guests travel.
- Venue addressesPaste each address into a maps app: does the pin land at the right entrance?
- RSVP formSubmit a test reply from start to finish.
- Meal choicesDish names match your caterer’s menu exactly.
- Plus-one rulesEach invitation allows exactly the seats you mean to offer.
- Mobile appearanceNames, headings and buttons fit on a small phone.
- Registry linksOpen each one; registries sometimes change their links.
- Map linksEach map link opens the right place, on a phone too.
- Privacy settingsPassword, search visibility and gallery settings are the way you want them.
- NavigationEvery menu item and button goes somewhere useful.
- Spelling and accessibilityRead every name aloud, check contrast, and describe photos in alt text.
How to test like a guest
- Open your site in a private or incognito window, signed out.
- Text the link to your own phone and open it from the message.
- Ask one detail-minded friend to RSVP and tell you what confused them.
- Check that their reply reached your guest list, then remove it.
Draft and published
Many builders, MapleVow included, keep your edits in a draft until you publish them. If a change is not showing for guests, check that you published it.
TakeawayPublish when the essentials are right, not when everything is perfect. You can keep improving the site afterwards.
Wedding Website Wording You Can Copy
Short, warm wording for the parts couples find hardest to write. Change the names and details, and use it on any website builder.
-
Welcome message
Welcome! We’re so happy you’re here. You’ll find everything you need for our wedding on this page: the schedule, travel tips and our RSVP form. We’ll keep it updated as the day gets closer. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
-
Our Story introduction
We met on a rainy Tuesday in 2019, when Priya held the elevator and Sam pretended not to be late for the same meeting. Five years, countless road trips and one very patient sourdough starter later, Sam proposed on his grandmother’s porch. Here’s a little more about us.
-
Dress code explanation
Dress code: cocktail attire. Think suits or dress trousers with a jacket, and dresses, jumpsuits or dressy separates. The ceremony is on the lawn, so you may want to leave the stilettos at home and bring a light layer for the evening.
-
Adults-only wedding notice
We love your little ones, but our celebration will be adults-only. We hope you’ll enjoy a relaxed night off with us. Thank you for understanding.
-
Children welcome message
Kids are welcome! We’d love for your whole family to celebrate with us. Please include each child’s name when you RSVP so we can plan meals and seating, and let us know if anyone needs a high chair or a kids’ meal.
-
Plus-one policy
To keep our celebration intimate, we’re only able to host the guests named on your invitation. If your invitation includes a guest, you’ll see it when you RSVP. Thank you for understanding, and we can’t wait to see you.
-
RSVP deadline reminder
A friendly reminder: please RSVP by Friday, May 15 so we can give our caterer final numbers. It only takes a minute. If you can’t make it, we’d still love to hear from you.
-
Hotel and travel information
We’ve reserved a block of rooms at the Harbourview Hotel for Friday and Saturday night. Book by April 1 and mention the Lee–Martin wedding for the group rate. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the venue, and a shuttle will run between the two all evening.
-
Registry message
Having you with us is the best gift we could ask for. If you’d like to give something, we’ve put together a small registry, and a contribution to our honeymoon fund would be warmly appreciated.
-
Unplugged ceremony request
We’re having an unplugged ceremony. Please put your phones and cameras away while we say our vows. Our photographer will capture every moment, and we’ll share the photos with you afterwards. Once we’re married, snap away!
Is Your Wedding Website Ready?
Tick each task as you finish it. Your progress stays on this device, so you can come back to it while you build.
0 of 10 tasks done
Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent to MapleVow.
All done. Your wedding website is ready to share. Congratulations!
See How Easy It Is With MapleVow
Any good wedding website builder can follow the steps above. Here is how they look in MapleVow, with real screenshots from the app. Want to see a finished site first? Open our live demo wedding website.
-
Create a free MapleVow account
Sign up with your email or Google account. The Promise plan is free, and you can upgrade later without losing anything.
-
Enter your wedding details
The setup wizard asks for both names, the date, time, time zone and venue. Everything can be changed later.
-
Choose a website template
Open Wedding Website and pick one of 20 designs, 9 of them included on the free plan. You can switch designs at any time and your content follows.
-
Customize your wedding page
Add your story, schedule, travel details and FAQs, hide the sections you don’t need, and set fonts and colours.
-
Configure wedding events and RSVPs
Add each celebration in Wedding Events, then choose your questions in RSVP Form: meals, dietary needs, plus-ones and your own questions.
-
Preview and share
Preview on phone and desktop, press Publish, then copy your website and RSVP links or print QR codes from the Print Kit.
Try It Yourself — Create Your Free Wedding
Start on the free Promise plan, follow this guide step by step, and upgrade only if you need more.
Creating a Wedding Website in Canada
Everything above applies anywhere. If you are marrying in Canada, or your guests are spread across it, these details are worth a thought.
-
A platform that works for Canadian couples
Check that the builder handles Canadian addresses and postal codes, lets you set your time zone, and can send text messages to Canadian numbers if you plan to text guests.
-
Prices in Canadian dollars
Many builders charge in US dollars. Your bank applies the exchange rate, and many Canadian credit cards add a foreign transaction fee, often around 2.5%, so a US price can cost noticeably more. MapleVow prices are in Canadian dollars, with sales tax added at checkout.
-
English and French
If your families speak different languages, a website both sides can read is kinder than a translated invitation alone. Decide which language comes first, keep both versions equally complete, and have a fluent family member check names, dates and the dress code.
-
Multilingual guests
Many Canadian families include grandparents who read another language best. MapleVow websites can be shown in English, French and Chinese (Simplified), and guests can switch language themselves.
Bilingual wedding websites in Quebec → -
Several ceremonies and celebrations
A tea ceremony, mehndi, sangeet, civil ceremony and reception can fall on different days with different guest lists. Give each its own event with its own time, place and dress code, and invite guests only to the ones they are attending.
Multi-event wedding RSVP → -
Canadian venues and travel
Distances are long and weather is real. Mention winter driving, ferry schedules, the nearest airport, and passports for guests crossing the border. For cottage-country and rural venues, warn guests about patchy cell service and write directions that don’t depend on GPS.
-
Registries for Canadian guests
Choose stores that ship within Canada so guests don’t pay cross-border shipping or duties, and say kindly if you would prefer cash or a honeymoon fund.
Wedding registry in Canada → -
Privacy and hosting
Your guest list holds personal information about family and friends. Ask any platform where it stores that data and how you can export or delete it. MapleVow is hosted in Canada, with privacy designed with PIPEDA in mind.
Wedding Website FAQ
Quick answers to what couples ask most. Still unsure? Visit the help centre.
Can I create a wedding website for free?
Yes. Many wedding website builders have a free plan; check that it includes online RSVPs and a mobile-friendly design, and what is added later. MapleVow’s Promise plan is free and includes a wedding website with 9 designs, an RSVP form and a guest list. Paid plans raise the guest limit and add features.
Do I need coding skills?
No. Wedding website builders work like filling in a form: you type your details, choose a design and publish. You never touch code.
How long does it take to make a wedding website?
A first version with your names, date, venue and RSVP can be ready in an evening. Most couples then add travel details, FAQs and photos over the following weeks.
What should I put on my wedding website?
At minimum: your names, the date, ceremony and reception times, venue addresses, the dress code, travel and accommodation, and how to RSVP and by when. Add your story, registry, FAQs and photos if you have something useful to say.
When should I create my wedding website?
Ideally before you send save-the-dates, so you can include the link. If you are not sending save-the-dates, have it ready before your invitations go out. The right timing depends on your wedding: destination weddings usually need it earlier.
Should my wedding website be public or private?
Most couples keep their website out of search engines and share the link directly. Add a password if you are marrying at a private home or would rather not have details visible to anyone who has the link.
Can guests RSVP online?
Yes, with most wedding website builders. Check that replies go into a guest list you can filter and export, and that guests can change their answer before the deadline. On MapleVow, guests can come back to their link and change their reply while RSVPs are open.
Do guests need to create an account?
They shouldn’t have to. On MapleVow, guests open your link in any browser and reply without an account or an app.
Can I change my website after publishing?
Yes, as often as you need. On MapleVow, edits are saved as a draft and appear for guests when you press Publish, and your website and RSVP links stay the same.
Should I buy a custom domain?
Only if you want a short address for printed invitations or plan to keep using it after the wedding. A personalized link with your names is often enough. If you buy a domain, set it to renew automatically until well after the wedding. On MapleVow, connecting a domain you own is included in Evermore and available on other plans as a $10 add-on; the domain itself is paid to your registrar.
How do I make a bilingual wedding website?
Use a builder that shows the same site in more than one language, so guests can switch instead of scrolling past a second version. Write or check each language with a fluent speaker. MapleVow websites can be shown in English, French and Chinese (Simplified).
Can I use one wedding website for multiple events?
Yes. List each event, such as a welcome dinner, ceremony, reception or brunch, with its own time, place and dress code. On MapleVow, guests are invited to the events you choose, and the number of events depends on your plan.
Keep planning
Your Wedding Website Is Just a Few Steps Away.
You know what to include, how to set up RSVPs and how to share it. Start free with MapleVow and build it at your own pace.