For most couples, the first website they create together will be their wedding “wedsite.” Over the past 5+ years, wedding sites have gone through a transformation. Once small, one-pagers with a photo of the couple and the most basic wedding information, today they’re often a multimedia interactive experience, filled with slideshows, polls asking guests to vote on the honeymoon destination, tools for pining photos on Pinterest, links to registries, and breaking news like dress updates. Oftentimes, the centerpiece is a step-by-step account, or even a produced video, of the proposal or a “how we met” story.
Putting all of that together takes a lot of time and effort. And most couples today don’t want to see it all disappear after the big day has come and gone. According to Sharmeen Mitha-Sehgal, CEO of website platform AppyCouple, in an August 2016 article in Vogue “[when the wedding is over] nearly 90 percent of people renew their domains.” Buying the domain name--or URL--of a wedding website is a trend that only promises to grow.
After all, engagement and marriage are only a short period in a couple’s life. Why should all the fun of creating a website together stop there? Here are the reasons why creating (and keeping) a domain name is something engaged and married couples alike appreciate down the road.
Simplify your wedding website and invitations
While many couples enjoy the simplicity of using a free wedding platform to create their wedding site, few relish the idea of sending out invitations on fancy stationary with long URLs like “http://www.freeweddingwebsites.com/jenniferandmark.” It just doesn’t feel classy. Plus, typing that long name into an address bar can get complicated for older guests. As a result, more and more couples are choosing to create a unique domain name.
Here’s the rub, though. All over the Internet, good personalized URLs are becoming more and more scarce. With more than 2 million weddings a year, good luck if you want to buy “jenniferandmark.com” or some simple iteration of your two names. Your top choice is probably taken. But if you choose a URL that celebrates your love and doesn’t include your names, guests who did not save their “save the date” card might end up on some other Jennifer and Mark’s website reading all about their special day.
Fortunately, new domain extensions offer a solution. One of the best options for couples is “.us”. Stake your claim to your own couple’s domain name before they get snapped up. When a domain name is done right, it can be magical. A name like marklovesjennifer.us says it all.
Keep the afterglow alive
While your wedding site is useful for your guests, it’s also very valuable to friends and family who can’t make it to your wedding. Maybe you have loved ones overseas who can’t travel to attend. A website will enable them to feel a part of your plans and your big day, as well as catch up on what happened long after the day is over. That’s why making sure it lives on long after the event is so important.
One of the biggest benefits to keeping your URL long after the wedding is, of course, to share wedding photos from the photographer and friends. But don’t forget all the other benefits, like preserving important memories like guestbook comments and notes from well-wishers who couldn’t attend. It’s also the perfect place to post honeymoon updates, like maps and photos. Invite guests and extended family members to post comments and track your trip.
Make sure to remind people to visit your website after the wedding. If you print your domain name on party favors or thank you cards, they’ll be sure to know where to go.
Create a treasured family heirloom
One of best parts about owning a couple’s domain name is never needing to worry about losing any special memories. However, many couples are also finding that the wedding is just the first of many events they enjoy documenting in their lives. Today, couples are creating family websites and blogs using their familiar and unique URL. Their website is a place to keep friends and family updated about married life and their growing families. It’s a place to post yearly holiday updates, celebrate special days like birthdays and graduations, and keep a record of family vacations.
When your children are old enough, they’ll be glad you saved these treasured family memories in a permanent location online. With privacy settings continually changing, not everyone wants to share all their very private lives on social media anymore.
It’s easy to get started
Once you’ve created your special couple’s URL, make sure to set it to automatically renew. It’s a nominal fee that won’t break the bank, and you’ll be glad you don’t need to worry about someone else snapping it up. Remember, if you use your URL on a wedding platform first, you can easily transfer it, as well as all your data, to another website platform with a more multipurpose design, like Wordpress or Squarespace. Not technically savvy? There are easy to use web templates available as easy to use as drag & drop! Create a space to share your story, not just for your wedding day but as your family continues to grow.
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