The Complete Wedding Website Checklist (What to Include)

Most wedding website checklists you'll find online were written by people trying to sell you a template. They list 30 sections "every wedding website needs" because more sections = more product to buy.

Here's the version we use ourselves when we audit a draft for a Varumo customer who's stuck. Twelve essentials. Three nice-to-haves. Four things to actively leave off. If you cover the twelve, your site is doing its job.

The essential twelve

1. Both your names

Sounds obvious. Surprising how many drafts hide them in tiny text. Names belong at the top of the hero, big, in the font you love most.

2. The wedding date

Day, date, year. Add a countdown if it suits the tone — it's a nice nudge for the website regulars who keep checking back. Skip the countdown for solemn / religious-led templates where it cheapens the mood.

3. The venue

Name + full address + map link. If multiple events are at different venues, list each one. A common mistake: writing only the venue name ("Taj Lake Palace") and assuming guests can figure out the rest. Half can't.

4. The ceremony schedule

Times for each ritual / event. Be specific:

• 10:30 — Baraat procession arrives
• 11:00 — Pheras begin
• 13:00 — Lunch
• 19:00 — Reception

Include arrival hints if useful. "Please arrive by 10:45 so we can start on time" saves you a lot of "where are we?" calls on the day.

5. RSVP form

Name field, attendance (yes/no/maybe), number of guests, an optional message. Ask about dietary preferences only if you're actually going to act on it. A meal-choice dropdown the kitchen ignores is just clutter.

Set an RSVP deadline. Two to three weeks before the wedding is right — earlier and people forget; later and you can't give the caterer accurate numbers.

6. Contact information

At least one WhatsApp number or email. Many couples designate a "wedding coordinator" friend or sibling whose number goes here, so they don't get woken up at 6 AM by guests asking about parking.

7. Dress code

Even a one-line dress code prevents a lot of awkwardness. "traditional formal for the ceremony, cocktail for the reception" is enough. For destination weddings, mention the climate.

8. Hotel block or accommodation info

If you've booked hotel rooms or negotiated a guest rate, list it. Include the hotel name, booking link or phone number, and the deadline by which guests need to claim the rate. Most rates expire ~30 days before the wedding.

9. Travel notes

Nearest airport, station, and a sentence on local transport. "Uber works fine from Mumbai airport — about 45 minutes in evening traffic" is gold for out-of-town guests.

10. Photo gallery

6–12 photos. Engagement, pre-wedding shoot, candid moments. Avoid: 100-photo dumps (people don't scroll), low-light selfies that won't render well at 1200px wide, and anything blurry.

11. Your story

Two paragraphs. How you met, when you knew, one specific detail that makes it yours. Skip the day-by-day saga. Guests want to feel the love story, not read a memoir.

12. Gifts / registry / blessings preference

traditional weddings traditionally skip the registry — gifts arrive in envelopes or as physical items. State your preference clearly: "Your presence is the best gift, but if you'd like to celebrate further, here's our registry / our UPI for cash blessings". One line is enough.

Nice-to-haves (include if relevant)

• Livestream link. For guests who can't travel — especially common for diaspora families. Add this 1–2 weeks before the wedding once you've set up the stream.
• FAQ. Worth adding if you keep getting the same questions in WhatsApp. Typical entries: "Are kids invited?", "Is there parking?", "What's the weather like that weekend?"
• Wedding party introductions. A grid of close friends and family with names + relationship. Lovely if your guests are a mix of two friend groups meeting for the first time.

Things to leave off

• Anything sensitive about other family members. A public wedding website is a public document. Save the family drama for in-person.
• Hotel costs or budget numbers. "Rooms start at ₹4,500" is fine. "We've spent ₹15 lakh on flowers" is not.
• Auto-playing music. Lovely in your head, awful for the guest who opens the link in a meeting.
• A long political/religious manifesto. A blessing or sacred invocation: yes, of course. A two-page essay: no.

Tone tips

• Write like you're telling a friend. "We're so glad you're coming" beats "We cordially invite you to the holy matrimony".
• Use both your voices. If one of you is funnier, let some of that show. Wedding websites that read like a corporate press release age poorly.
• Keep it short. Every section should be readable in one breath. Long blocks of text get skipped.

Photo tips

• Hero photo: high contrast, both your faces visible, ideally outdoor.
• Use horizontal (landscape) photos for the hero — vertical photos cut weirdly at desktop widths.
• Compress to 200–400 KB before uploading. Faster site = lower bounce.
• If your shoot isn't done yet, use a beautiful neutral cover (like a venue exterior) and swap it in later.

Final pass before sharing

• Test the RSVP form by submitting one as yourself. Confirm it shows up in your dashboard.
• Check every link (map, hotel, registry). Broken links look careless.
• Read the copy aloud once. If it sounds wrong out loud, rewrite it.
• Ask one friend who isn't tech-savvy to open the link. Watch them navigate. Note where they get confused.

Then share. Your wedding website is done. See templates if you haven't started yet, or create a free draft to test the checklist against.