So you’re getting married…and yes, there’s lots to plan…photos, food, venue, flowers, guest list, you name it. However, one part that you shouldn’t have to stress over is your wedding website. Therefore, below are some great examples of designer sites that make the burden just a bit lighter.
Wix.com
Though not exclusively limited to weddings, Wix.com provides the essential palette of Flash tools in order to design your knot-tying URL. Of course, like any artistic program (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro), it may require a bit of patience, some prior computer knowledge, and an eye for good results.
When viewing their site of the day, which may be anything from a business’ homepage to an artist’s portfolio, you may get some inspiration for your marital graphics. Jazmine Imagines Online Portfolio, for instance, the professional site of illustrator, graphic artist, and photographer Jazmine Watson, exemplifies many of the possible advantages that Wix may lend to the process.
Her website, while simple in format, offers an “About Me” page, a portfolio, and a contact page. Within those confines, of course, there are endless possibilities. Watson’s portfolio includes a wide variety of photos, ads, packaging designs, and illustrations, each of which is neatly arranged into a slideshow with smooth transitions. All the while, a quirky soundtrack of fantastic trip-hop music plays in the background.
So what does this have to do with you? After looking at Watson’s site, try and transition over to yours. If you haven’t designed a site before, let me offer one other example…my wedding site!
My fiancée, Marcy Williams, also happens to be an artist, and using Wix, she was able to create a brilliant site that very accurately represents the two of us. For the curious, check it out at Eric and Marcy’s Wedding.
The front page, as you can see, warns “ENTER IF YOU DARE,” and while I promise no harm will come to you for crossing that line, we hope that the site serves as an inspiration to future brides and grooms. We have it arranged into the following categories: “Welcome”; “About These Crazy Kids”; “Photos”; “Wedding Tribe” (i.e. our bridesmaids and groomsmen); “A Necessary Evil” (our wedding registry); and “Music Survey,” where guests can suggest potential favorite songs that they would love to hear at the reception. Plus, as a bonus, we’ve added a little Flash game, called “Ninjotic Mayhem,” which you can play by clicking a button at the bottom of the page.
As you might expect, when things progress, we hope to include photos of (perhaps) our bachelor/bachelorette parties, the wedding shower, and of course, the actual wedding itself. All in due time.
eWedding.com
For those who prefer a slightly more traditional approach, this site may be what you’re looking for.
Like many of its matrimonial counterparts, this site offers “RSVP Management,” allowing guests to RSVP online; “Photo Albums,” which allows you to upload up to 5 photos at a time, as well as sort and rearrange; “Polls & Quizzes,” in which you can grill your friends and family on how much they really know about you; “Events,” in which you create a calendar of all wedding-related happenings; and “Audio & Video,” in which you can include everything from your proposal (if caught on camera) to some of your wedding soundtrack.
As compared to Wix, of course, this site, is restricted to weddings only, and is geared more toward the slightly less tech-savvy. However, if this sounds like you, give it a going-over.
OffbeatBride.com
This site, which I reviewed recently in an article entitled OffbeatBride.com: For Those Who Love Wedding Porn,” provides not only a number of great wedding design templates, but also myriad examples of previously created sites by some of the wackiest and most “offbeat” couples out there (and I say that lovingly).
While not every design may suit you specifically, once again, the idea is inspiration. No one says your site has to include quirky animations, avant-garde music, and comedic Flash games if you don’t want it to.
However…it’s there if you need it, my fellow brides- and grooms-to-be. Being that in today’s world, more and more couples are creating sites for themselves, and many are tired of seeing the same old thing rehashed, Offbeat Bride’s templates (and numerous offbeat wedding photos) may be just the right inspirational spark.
That’s Entertainment?!
You may ask…do I have to create a website at all? Of course not. Once again, a wedding, like a birthday party, bar mitzvah reception, or baby shower, is very much about personality. The website is, ideally, just another extension of you and your future spouse.
So go ahead, do the traditional photo albums, printed invites, save-the-date cards, etc. Then, if you still feel as though you need that extra personal touch, the Web, and its tools, are yours for the taking.
