Wedding websites are one of the many modern-day wedding planning innovations that make updating and managing wedding plans easier. You may be wondering why you should bother creating a custom wedding website, well we’re going to lay it out for you.
A wedding website is a great way to highlight your personal love story by providing a space for you to show off your unique couple style. It is a fun and interactive way to give your guests a little taste of what they can expect on the day of your big celebration. With just one click, your guests can find essential updates regarding all of your wedding day logistics. Many wedding websites also host the ability to create registry seamlessly, integrate hotel information, and more, all in one convenient location. While sites like The Knot & Weddingwire offer great tools, we found ourselves searching for some other great website options.
Now that we’ve convinced you a personal wedding website is a must-have, here’s our list of the top 5 FREE wedding websites to help make wedding planning fun & efficient.
1. Zola– Designed for the millennial couple that values ease & accessibility. There weren’t a lot of bad things we could say about this site!
Pros:
Has a selection of free, professional designs available when creating your custom wedding website. You can pay for an upgraded, custom domain for $14.95.
Features an incredibly smooth, step by step builder guide
It contains a curated online registry system that allows you to add items directly from their site. They even price match!
Their group gift feature also makes purchasing top dollar gifts more manageable for guests.
With this site, you can make certain events private and visible only to specific individuals. Ex: rehearsal dinner, after-party info, etc.
They offer a 20% discount on all your registry items that don’t get purchased from Zola.
Cons:
If you want to add specific items to your registry that aren’t available on their website, you will have to take the time to add each item externally.
Their templates are a bit limited, and not all have stationary matching options.
2.Minted– Designed for the stylish couple who has a keen eye for quality and coordinated design elements.
Pros:
Contains designs that are curated by a vast community of independent artist.
Easily integrate your website design into all of your wedding stationery (invitations, menu cards, escort cards, etc.), which you can order directly from Minted’s site.
Super easy to use, with simple guided builder tips & advice to make sure all your wedding elements are cohesive.
It is easy to link hotel block information, maps & directions, and registry information for your guests to access.
Cons:
Many customizations require a chargeable upgrade. Ex: Custom URL, password protection, and adding photos, etc.
You will need to link your registry items manually, which can be time-consuming.
Their interface seems to run a bit slow, which can get a little frustrating when those creative wedding juices are flowing.
3.Wix – Designed for the couple that values ease and creative control.
Pros:
Allows for complete creative control of your website
Use their drag & drop feature to place elements exactly where you want or allow their guided AI builder to do most of the work for you based on your pre-selected preferences.
Includes demo videos to guide you through building certain areas of your website.
If you’re willing to spend some time, you can also integrate your design into your save the dates & invitations.
You can see exactly how your website will appear on both desktop & mobile before you make it live for your guests to view.
Cons:
Because there is so much creative control, all of those options can feel a bit overwhelming when it comes to narrowing down a specific design.
You are not able to change your template design once your website is published.
4.Squarespace – Designed for the couple that is looking for a no-fuss, clean & modern website design.
Pros:
Modern, sleek, professional designs.
Their website design translates to mobile well, which is excellent for your guests who might need to view your wedding details while traveling.
Cons:
You only have a 14-day free trial, after which you must sign up for one of their four monthly plans.
Their wedding-specific template options are limited (7 total on their latest version).
It can take a bit of patience to figure out how to navigate since it feels less intuitive. This site favors the more tech-savvy couple.
5. Joy – Designed for the couple that values desktop to mobile compatibility.
Pros:
Entirely free!!!
Has it’s own app that both you and your guests can download, making it easy for you to make wedding updates on the go and for your guests to access important wedding day logistics while traveling.
You have the option to send out digital invitations, save the dates & wedding updates. Great for the Eco-conscious couple.
Their tips & tricks help guide, makes figuring out how to optimize their site features easily.
Their photo stream timeline is a fun feature that allows you & your guests to upload pictures directly to your website. Guests can even stream their favorite wedding “moments” with others.
Cons:
The variety of their templates is not as expansive. They are pretty simple and heavy on the floral details, so if that’s your aesthetic, there are plenty of options to choose from.
No option for custom URL.
Your guests will need a pass code to access your site.
Not all features are accessible via the mobile app, so you will have to log onto the desktop to make specific changes.
Overall, a wedding website is undoubtedly a great way to consolidate much of your wedding planning details. Comment below and let us know which site you are using to help plan your big day!
[…] available to help you make your wedding website. Check out our guide to the Top 5 Wedding Websites here. A wedding website provides an all-access place your guests can retrieve important wedding updates. […]
[…] available to help you make your wedding website. Check out our guide to the Top 5 Wedding Websites here. A wedding website provides an all-access place your guests can retrieve important wedding updates. […]