Wedding websites are great for giving your guests all of the information they need for your event. The best way to ensure that they can easily find answers to the questions they might have is to create an FAQ section with the most common questions people could have.
It's also the perfect way to avoid having to answer awkward questions, and you can even personalize it to make it polite, funny or even sassy!
Your guests are bound to have a few questions about your big day. You'll likely be too busy to have everyone asking separate questions leading up to the event, but you still want your guests to be able to find the answers they need to prepare beforehand.
Having answers to these frequently asked questions will not only put your guests at ease and make them more comfortable, but it will also ensure that things run smoothly on your big day. The more information your guests have, the better.
Below are five common FAQs:
We know you can't predict the weather, and there's a good chance your guests aren't expecting you to either (but you never know). You can always give your guests an idea of what the weather is generally like in that area, at that time of the year, or add a link to a weather app that your guests can look at.
If you're having a destination wedding, or even if you're staying local, it's a nice touch to provide guests coming from out of town with a few accommodation options that are close to the wedding venue.
Consider including names, locations, and contact details of the accommodation options. It's also a good idea to have options in different price ranges and different accommodation types (Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts or Guest Houses for example).
This is a nice broad question that will allow you to add in information about parking, Uber or taxi availability, and shuttle options (if you're offering them).
Let your guests know whether there is secure parking for them if they bring their own vehicles, and give them directions about where to park and how to get there. If your venue is accessible by Uber, this is also helpful to indicate so that guests can plan ahead.
You can also provide contact information and prices for taxi companies or, if you have pre-organized a shuttle or transfer, you can include that information along with pick-up and drop-off locations at the venue.
If you don't already mention this on the wedding website or invitation, this is a great question to add to your FAQ section.
Not only does it save you from having to awkwardly tell your friends that their "little angels" are not welcome at the wedding, but it also sets the expectation up front and gives guests plenty of time to arrange childcare before they RSVP. For out of towners or a destination wedding, this is where you could suggest ways to secure babysitters, or information for any childcare you may be providing.
If you are allowing kids, you can of course make this a fun way to let parents know that kids are welcome and to ask them to confirm beforehand if they are coming.
Try to be specific about things, for example, if children are welcome at the reception and not the ceremony (or visa versa), let your guests know in the FAQ section.
If your extremely thorough FAQ section doesn't quite cover all the questions, it may be time to delegate.
You can let guests know that they are welcome to contact you directly with any extra questions, or hand this responsibility off to a super patient member of the bridal party or a family member.
This, along with location is probably one of the most important details your guests need to be aware of. Here you can give them the time the ceremony starts, along with other important times like the earliest they can arrive and what time they need to be seated before things kick off. If you know you have guests who are notoriously late, try making the start time 15-30 minutes earlier than the actual time to ensure punctuality.
Make sure that you give your guests a clear answer to this one. Providing coordinates or an exact location to put into Google Maps is a surefire way to ensure that no one gets lost trying to find the place where your ceremony will be held.
You may also want to give some written directions to those who haven't kept up with the times and prefer finding their way there without GPS.
If your reception is in a different place than the ceremony, you may want to consider including some details about how guests can get there.
This is good information to know in advance so that they can plan to get from point A to point B. If you aren't doing a transfer or shuttle, suggest carpools, rideshare apps, and if you are feeling up to it, you can even let them reach out for help getting them paired up with a carpool group.
If you have specific seating arrangements such as one side for the bride and one side for the groom, or front rows reserved for direct family or bridal party, you can add that info under this question.
If you have no seating arrangements and you would like everyone to sit where they feel most comfortable, you can include that as well.
If your ceremony and reception are taking place at two different venues, we'd recommend adding this into your FAQ section.
You want your guests to be aware of this upfront so that they can plan accordingly when deciding on their transportation options.
Not only will this help set the tone for your wedding (whether it's an all-night party or an early evening), but it can also help you manage the expectations of your guests and allow them to get organized in advance.
They can pre-book Ubers or taxis if necessary, and when it comes time to turn the lights on after the DJ plays their last song, everyone is prepared for it.
If you've got assigned seating, let people know where they can expect to find their table number. This will remove any confusion on the day.
While not strictly necessary either way, it might also be nice to let people know if there is no assigned seating so that they can plan to sit with the people that will make the event the most fun for them.
Fair enough, your guests want to know when they can expect to be fed so they know whether they need to have a pre-wedding snack or not.
You don't need to be specific, a general timeframe will do. Give them an indication of what time cocktail hour will start, whether there will be appetizers, and then what time dinner is expected to be served at as well. This way your guests can plan accordingly and make sure that no stomachs are grumbling mid-ceremony.
FAQs surrounding RSVPs are generally important to have. You want to be sure that your guests RSVP correctly and that they do so before your deadline in order for you to have accurate information for your vendors.
Whether plus ones are allowed, not allowed, or allowed by invitation only, you want your guests to be able to find the answer to this question easily and without having to contact you directly to ask.
Try to be empathetic in your answer here regardless of what it is, and ensure that it reinforces your decision regarding the guestlist.
It should be as easy as possible for guests to RSVP, but for those who are stuck, give clear directions to ensure that they don't miss out on the celebration due to a technicality.
If you can, include a link to the RSVP section on your website so that they can RSVP with ease. If there are a number of elements to your RSVP, like dietary requirements, rehearsal dinner RSVPs or plus one and family replies, be sure to explain to your guests what they need to fill out to make sure you get a full reply and don't have to follow up for extra information.
If guests will be getting an email confirmation or something like that after their reply goes through, let them know so that they can be on the lookout.
You may have said it in 100 other places, but you can never say it too many times. Include the date you need to RSVP by in a big, bold or easy-to-see font so that your guests have no excuse for missing the deadline.
Depending on your flexibility, you may want to let them know that this is the last day before catering decisions need to be submitted so they understand that you can't accept any late responses.
Depending on the type of dinner you are having, this will be an important question to answer. If people need to include this in their RSVP, make sure to state that as well.
If you're having a sit-down meal with set menu choices, requesting their preference or dietary requirements on the RSVP is helpful, and you can point back to this in your FAQ. If you're doing a buffet, you'll maybe want to let them know that this is the case and that there will be options to cater for all different diets.
Importantly, keep the line of communication open. Give them your contact details and let them know that they can message you with restrictions, allergies, or concerns ahead of time.
Here's your chance to lay down the rules. No matter what your choice of bar is, it's a good idea to let your guests know beforehand. Whether you've opted for a cash bar, wine and beer only, a set bar tab, or no alcohol at all, let your guests know so that they can prepare accordingly. It will also help avoid potentially awkward situations on the day.
Maybe you want your guests to all wear black, or to match a specific color scheme or theme. Be sure to tell them what they should wear in this section, and maybe give them a couple of ideas if you can!
This is an important question to answer on your page, there's nothing worse than arriving at a wedding and feeling uncomfortable in your outfit for the day.
Finding the right outfit to wear to a wedding can be tough, but a little guidance from the bride and groom goes a long way towards helping guests make the right choice. You want your guests to feel comfortable and to have fun.
Some typical dress code ideas are smart casual, cocktail wear, semi-formal, formal, and black tie! You can leave it at that or you can give a little more detail, such as "long dresses for the ladies and jackets for the men."
This may seem strange, but it's nice to have, especially if you are having an outdoor wedding. If your wedding is on grass, let the ladies know that stilettos are out of the question. You can tell guests to wear their dancing shoes or to wear something that matches the theme, if you have one.
People may want to post about your wedding on their social media platforms. If they do, a great way to collect all of the memories in one place is to have a wedding hashtag for your guests to use. This is also a good way of asking guests to use the hashtag if that's what you want!
Are you having an unplugged ceremony? Or do you want your guests to get as many photos as they can so they can send them to you after the big day? Let them know here!
This is especially important if you don't want people to take photos during the ceremony, you may have to reinforce the message a couple times and by having it in the FAQ section you can let them prepare in advance to keep their phones packed away!
Maybe you'll add photos to the wedding website, or to Facebook or a shared drive for all guests to access. People may want to remember the day with you so use this question to let them know where to find the pictures, or to give them a link to the folder.
Let your guests know whether you have a list of gifts you would like for the wedding! Or, let them know that you'd prefer a contribution to something exciting like your honeymoon fund or a new home, for example.
If you have included this elsewhere in your website, try adding a link to it here. Or you can simply let guests know which stores you are registered at. Make it easy and convenient for guests to find these details so that you get the things you need or that you would like, without causing too much hassle for the guests.
Here are some asked and answered questions for you to use as examples!
“We understand that many of our guests will be traveling from out of town to join us for our special day. To ensure your comfort, we've arranged room blocks at several nearby hotels. You can find more information on accommodations, including booking codes and special rates, on our website's "Accommodations" page. Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance or recommendations!”
“While we adore children, we've opted for an adults-only affair to allow everyone to relax and enjoy the celebration. We hope you understand our decision and can arrange childcare for the evening. If you have any concerns or special circumstances, please don't hesitate to contact us directly to discuss further.”
“Transportation details will vary depending on the location of our venue and the preferences of our guests. We're currently exploring options for shuttle services or coordinating rideshare groups for your convenience. More information about transportation arrangements will be shared closer to the wedding date, so please stay tuned for updates on our website.”
“While we love that you want to capture our special moments, we kindly request an unplugged ceremony to allow everyone to be fully present and immersed in the experience. Our professional photographer will be capturing all the highlights, and we'll share the photos with you afterwards. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in creating a distraction-free environment for our ceremony.”
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