Have you considered using a wedding website? We often recommend them as a great way to convey information to guests. There are many advantages to using them; one of the benefits is that extra information can be communicated without excess enclosures in your invitations, saving you money and protecting the environment at the same time.

There are a few approaches to setting up a wedding website:

If you are technically savvy, you can build a site from scratch. A blog is another option - easy to set up using blogger or wordpress. Both a personally built site and a blog require some serious set-up time, but those who invest the time into it are often most pleased with the finished product. For the non-technically inclined couples out there, there are free templates available from sites like the knot and mywedding. Template sites with more options are available for a minimal cost from wedding window and other sites like it. Template sites are extremely user-friendly and require little to no long-term commitment from you - upload photos and information about your event and you’re done!

Don’t take my word for it though - a few of this year’s brides have agreed to weigh in on the issue. Introducing: the experts.

top right photo (Audrey) and bottom left photo (Kelly) copyright John and Joseph Photography.

What motivated you to use a wedding website?

Kelly: We are having a destination wedding, so the convenience of having all the necessary information in one place for our guests was appealing. We also liked the idea of creating a medium for our guests to learn more about us and our relationship leading up to the wedding.

Audrey: I’ve personally had a website since 1999 and a blog since 2000 so it was totally instinctive and natural for me to create a wedding website after we got engaged. Our domain name purchases were actually the first wedding-related thing we did! Ha! Even before we booked a venue—guess I just steered toward familiar territory. I immediately knew I wanted to have a blog and that I wanted to put as much information as possible on this site.

Mariana: I created the website in order to consolidate all the information I wanted to share with my guests, especially my out-of-town guests. I also wanted to avoid mailing an RSVP card and envelope with my invitations. A lot of my guests have not met my wedding party; the website is a great way for the guests to get familiar with everybody who will participate in the wedding. This is also useful because I am not handing out programs at the ceremony.

Heather: We wanted to have a forum to tell our story and post pictures to get people involved. We also wanted pictures of friends and family so people could see other sides of the family. It’s also a great way to communicate details to people who are out of town, like the calendar of events and travel information.

How did you get the word out about your site?

Hailey: I let my guests know via the RSVP card in our invitations and also by word of my mother-in-law’s mouth - she was so excited to show it off to everyone!

Kelly: Primarily through our save the date card, and also through word of mouth.

Did you set the website up yourself or are you using a template site?

Mariana: I am using mywedding.com. It’s a great site with tons of different options so the bride and groom can customize their webpage. It is also free, which I really appreciate.

Heather: We are using a template site which was super easy to set up. There were lots of options to personalize it.

What information are you including on the website?

Heather: We have pages on how we met, how we got engaged and pics of friends and family. In addition, we have information on car rentals, maps to wedding site, hotel info and calendar of events.

Hailey: It had to be extremely organized so guests of any age bracket could
navigate easily. I broke it into 6 different pages:

• Home Page with our picture and a countdown of days until the wedding
• Event Details
• RSVP
• Registries
• Photo Gallery
• Guest Book

Mariana: My website includes location, date and time, pictures of the wedding party (currently under construction), two photo galleries (one of me and Dan and one of our dog Lola), a link to our registries, an RSVP page and eventually I will post more details such as rehearsal dinner info, parking info, etc. There is also a guestbook page where people can leave comments and a link so our guests can contact us if necessary.

Have any of your guests mentioned appreciation for the wedding website?

Michelle: Everyone loves the website. A lot of my family have not met Scott and have really enjoyed seeing photos of us together. The photos have given them the chance to get to know us a bit better as a couple. People have also appreciated the easy links to lodging and activities around the area.

Audrey: Oh yes! We hear about many guests and family members who love getting updated on the wedding planning process from reading the blog. A lot have found it to “look very professional” and really enjoy the information I’ve put in there. It surprises me to hear which family members keep up with the blog!

Kelly: Most of them have shared that they love the site and really appreciate how easy it’s been for them to book accommodations and travel needs.

Mariana: So far I have received lots of good comments regarding my website. My guests have reacted positively to the RSVP option.

Hailey: The website was a big novelty with the guests, especially because it gives for those that are out of town or that have not met the bride or groom and want to see pictures ect.. and the idea of what to look forward to. The pictures of the wedding party were a big hit as well.

Do you spend much time maintaining and updating the site?

Michelle: It took a few days to set it up. It is really easy, but it just takes time to plug in all the information. We don’t spend very time maintaining the site.

Thank you Hailey, Audrey, Michelle, Mariana, Kelly and Heather for your insight!

Just received my first order from Melissahead Designs, and I’m in love! Her stuff is so fresh and fun. I ordered her “rendezvous” cards for a small luncheon I’m planning - they’re adorable on screen but even cuter in person. I love the rhinestones!

The designer extraordinaire behind Melissahead is Melissa (whouda thought?), a self-proclaimed creative crusader. Check out her blog and buy her stuff here.

A (belated) congratulations is due to Jenalyn and Evan, who wed this past Saturday at the Rosebud River Ranch in Snoqualmie. The couple chose a beautiful gatefold invitation complemented by olive green ribbon and exquisite calligraphy.

Tonight we’re delivering a beautifully letterpressed suite that is one of my favorites this year. The vintage styled invitations are a perfect preview of the event this couple is planning at Seattle’s Stimson Green Mansion. Since we’re just delivering this project tonight, I can only give you a tiny peek…but actual photos will follow later, I promise!

Our best goes out to Michele and Sean, who will be married tomorrow in beautiful San Francisco at the stunning Legion of Honor.

(from left to right) Mey, the cake, and Jane

This hilarious photo was sent to us by the fabulous and extraordinary Aimee Page of Hollyhock Cakes. Apparently these two guests (who did not know each other) showed up at this wedding in dresses that matched the cake. Both were good sports and had a great sense of humor about the coincidence - even agreeing to pose for some photos! We loved the photo so much that we had to share!

We had the opportunity to go to a wedding this past weekend (can I just tell you how much I love weddings?) and it struck us while there that your invitations really do play a huge role in setting the tone for the day. While we already knew that and have been encouraging brides to use their invitations to do so, it hit us smack in the face this weekend with more gusto than ever before.

The happy couple were Hailey and Clinton, who, in addition to being clients, are also friends. Their invitation suite reflected Hailey’s adorable sense of style - black and white damask print that reminds one of antique wallpaper, pretty script and flourishes, a definite femininity without any pretentiousness. The invitation was finished off with an ice blue dupioni silk ribbon that added an elegant but raw dynamic.

When we arrived at the Marysville Opera House, their venue, we saw all of these details put to use on a larger scale! The same raw silk ribbon used on the invitation was holding back icy white curtains leading into the seating area and was even tied around the adorable flower girl dresses. Damask signage directed guests to the candy buffet, the buffet area, even the restrooms. The entire family (and many other guests) were dressed as if they had taken their cue directly from the invitation itself - women were wearing black and white dresses, little girls were in icy blue party outfits - even the guys were all wearing blue ties!

I regretfully forgot my camera, but we’re hoping to snag some wedding photos from the photographers, Kruse Photography.

So: here’s the lesson: never underestimate the power of your invitations to any event! Set the tone - delight your guests - build anticipation for what will surely be an unforgettable event.

One of our new favorite stationery designers out there right now (whom we’ve mentioned before) is Orange Beautiful. They have some great unique and fun cards for all occasions. We ourselves recently were excited to give some friends of ours that were getting married the “To the happy couple” card.

Now though, Orange Beautiful has updated their Etsy Shop with more of their cards and card sets. Now we don’t even have to get up from our desk chairs (or in my case right now, the couch) to buy their products! While this may mean we don’t get to go Swee Swee (fun new paperie in Seattle) as often, it does mean that more good design is out there for the public to have, and that is always a great thing.

While we are are on the Orange Beautiful subject, we highly recommend checking out their blog and reading some of the great interviews they conducted while at the National Stationery Show this year.