More Tips On Making A Great Wedding Website....
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Tip #1: Get the word out.
Your site will not be used to its full potential if no one can find it. Remember to include your website address in all your wedding invitations. For less formal invitations, you can have your website printed directly on the invitation itself. Add an insert card with the website address for more formal invitations. Don’t forget to include your web address on shower invitations, open house invitations, save-the-date cards, etc. You can even give guests a head start by e-mailing your website address to them.
After the wedding, be sure to post your wedding and reception photos on your site. You can invite your guests back to your site to see these photos by printing your website address on napkins, attaching it to party favors, or sending it out with your thank you notes. If you order custom-made thank you notes that match your wedding invitations, remember to have your website address preprinted on these to save time writing later.
Tip #2: Respect copyright laws.
Do not download photos or clipart, or copy text from other people’s sites to post on your own site unless you have permission. This also includes items such as maps and store logos (gift registry). With the exception of government and other public domain materials, images and text are protected under copyright law even if you do not see copyright information on the site. Some sites do allow you to use their copyrighted images and clip art for personal use, but check the website’s Terms of Use before using anything on your own site. Generally, it is permissible to provide a text link from your site to the page you want to reference.
If your photographer doesn’t provide you with your negatives, he or she probably still owns the rights to these photos—even though they are pictures of you. You must get permission before posting these online as well.
Tip #3: Play it safe.
Do not publish your personal information such as address, home telephone number, etc., if you are concerned about who will have access to this information, and ask permission before publishing personal information about others (such as family members or wedding party). Some companies also offer a "contact us" page that uses a form e-mail response, hiding your e-mail address from the senders. Be sure to review the company’s website privacy policy before providing personal information about yourself. Sites may sell your information to other advertisers (especially the free sites). Sometimes just by signing up with them and using their services, you have given permission for them to do this.
If you are very concerned about privacy, some services allow you to password protect your site, or even just specific pages within your site to keep strangers out. If you choose to do this, you will need to provide the username and password to guests or they will not be able to access your website.
Tip #4: Don’t take on more than you can handle.
Building a website can be a major undertaking, especially when you have a wedding to plan. Decide what pages will best serve you and your guests and start with those first. You can always add pages later. If you find yourself becoming stressed, ask friends and family to help you by doing research on information for out-of-town guests, writing family and wedding party bios, scanning photos, or organizing event schedules. Don’t spend valuable time trying to learn new technology—you’ll have plenty of time after the wedding to learn about scanning or building web pages in html. If you are not comfortable building your site or do not want to hassle with uploading everything one item at a time, consider hiring a custom design firm to save time and frustration.
Tip #5: Always remember what is important.
Don’t get so caught up in the details of planning your wedding that you can’t enjoy the journey. Whether it is websites, bridesmaid dresses, or party favors, remember that the reason you are planning this event is to celebrate your love and commitment to your best friend. Take time for each other and remember to communicate. It’s good practice for when you are married!
Article submitted by Cari Hall of The Connection Site Custom Wedding Invitations and Matching Wedding Websites. (www.theconnectionsite.com) Contact us via e-mail at carihall@theconnectionsite.com.