It seems like almost every engaged couple these days has a wedding website. You know, a customized site that covers all of the details of their wedding, the bridal registry, and much, much more. Not all of them are great, though; here are some tips for creating a truly excellent personalized wedding website.

Unless you happen to work in the computer or design fields, chances are that you will choose one of the easy-to-use standardized free wedding website services that are available. They are quite straightforward, even for those who are not technological geniuses or talented artists. But like most things in life, the more you put into your wedding website, the more you (and your guests) will get out of it, so it pays to spend the time it takes to make your site thorough and unique.

These days most of your guests will refer to your website to answer as many of their questions as possible. If you keep that in mind, you will realize that a little extra time invested into making your website complete save you time answering the same question over and over again. Some guests will even assume that if something is not mentioned on your site, it is not happening. This is especially true for the bridal registry, so if you plan to register for gifts, make the information easy to find on your site. And be specific; you should have links to your bridal registries, rather than vague information on some things you hope to receive (the chances are you will not receive any of them with that approach).

Your wedding site is also a chance to give your guests a sneak peek into the style of your wedding, so make it reflect your personality! If your website is generic and bland, people may well think your wedding is likely to be the same way. On the other hand, if you create a wedding website that is dramatic and exciting, your guests will be eagerly anticipating the event. That may sound shallow, but it is the truth. Don't you want your guests to be excited about coming to your wedding?

Of course, the substance of your wedding site is just as important as the artistic style of it. There are some basic things that should be included in every site. Certainly the date and time (how handy for the guest who misplaces their invitation), printable directions (one less enclosure to order from the stationer), travel and hotel accommodations, and pictures of the ceremony and reception sites. Other special information that you might wish to include would be alternate plans in case of rain, sightseeing in the area, and special parking or shuttle instructions. It is not safe to assume that every guest will visit your website, so if there is a shuttle provided or a venue change in case of rain, be sure to let them know via mail as well.

In their excitement, some couples may go a bit too far in what they post on their wedding website. Romantic tidbits about how you met and got engaged are lovely, but keep it all G-rated. And don't give away all of your surprises. You should not post any images of your wedding gown and jewelry, the cake, or your flowers. After all, you want people to be excited about your wedding, but it is important to retain some air of mystery as well. When you walk down the aisle at your ceremony, you want the guests to gaze at you in awe as they catch their first glimpse of the bride in her bridal gown and wedding jewelry. The last thing you want to hear is, "Hmm...I liked the gown better in the picture on her website.". In other words, the key to creating a great wedding website is to give out enough information to get everyone excited but to always leave them wanting more.