So you’re getting married. Congratulations! Now comes the fun part: planning, planning, and more planning. Those plans may also include creating a wedding website.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve likely reached the point where it’s time to make your wedding website. Whether the website is for your story, directions, RSVPs or all three, in all scenarios you will need to find a great domain name. Your website will be one of the first impressions that your guests have of your wedding, so it’s important to get it right. Before they see a single word or photo, though, they will first see your domain name. Many couples overlook this important step and register the first domain that comes to mind. With a little bit of creativity, however, you’ll find the perfect domain to start your wedding off on the right foot.
Here are some tips that will help you say yes to the perfect domain name (and no more bad puns, I promise):
Keep it Short
The more letters in your domain name, the better the chances of your guests messing it up and ending who knows where. This can be a challenge for those of us with particularly long names, but try not to make the domain too much longer than it needs to be.
Here are some things you can try to keep your domain a bit shorter:
- Just use first names or last names instead of both
- Don’t add extra words
- Use a shorter version of your name (if appropriate)
- Use ‘-‘ instead of ‘and’ (or no conjunction at all)
Feeling Traditional?
Use the classic ‘name + name’ formula
Most wedding websites keep things nice and simple by consisting entirely of the bride & groom’s (or bride/bride, groom/groom) name. It’s logical, easy and won’t draw any confused reactions from your guests.
If you’re going with this classic approach, here are some important things to note about domain names that will help:
- This part of your domain can be up to 63 characters long
- Your domain can consist of any combination of letters, numbers or hyphens
- There are other top-level domains (the part that your domain ends with) besides .COM. Try one of these if the .COM you want is taken or if you want to get creative!
Use .WEDDING Instead of .COM
.COM might be the most commonly used top-level domain, but it’s not exactly the most romantic. After all, it was originally intended for commercial websites, and your love is something that money can’t buy!
There are hundreds of top-level domains to choose from, but the most relevant for you are either .WEDDING or .LOVE. To help set the right mood for your special day, try using one of these instead. If you’re worried about people getting confused and typing out your domain with .COM at the end (e.g. name-namewedding.com instead of name-name.wedding) you can always buy the .COM version and have it forward people to the right domain.
Proofread Your Name/Word Combo
The two of you are the perfect pair. Your names? Maybe not. Once you’ve combined your names, take a break from drawing hearts around it to really look at what the new combo says. The last thing you’d want is to end up on yet another wedding name fail blog post (warning: NSFW).
Include the Year
To add a sense of timeliness to your wedding website, add the year of your wedding to the end of your domain name. It’s a simple addition, but having the year in your domain can help your special day feel all the more like a big event. It’s also an easy fix if your original choice of domain name is already taken.
Include the Location (especially if it’s a destination wedding)
You might be excited to be having your wedding in Japan, but that doesn’t mean all of your guests are. Having the destination in the URL means one more opportunity to get people excited about flying halfway around the world to be a part of your celebration.
Feeling Bold? Use a Phrase Instead
This might not be the best choice for every couple’s wedding website, but if doing things differently is your thing, you can always break away from the name + name formula. Try using a phrase that speaks to your personalities and will help your guests get even more excited about your day.
Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing:
- JaneSaidYes.com
- ComeToOur.wedding
Ready to get your wedding domain name? Search Hover to find the perfect one:
