5 Crucial, South Asian Things To Include On Your Wedding Website

by Raj Desai | 3/16/22

Getting married means that you’ll undoubtedly, inevitably, definitely make a wedding website.

As you probably know, this longer, more information-heavy cousin of the wedding invitation typically houses details about your wedding date, location, lodging, and transportation. Throw in a section where you talk about you and your fiancé’s love story and it’s complete.

This is where I take issue with wedding websites. Aside from including a relationship recap, isn’t it just a repeat of your invitation? Have websites become one of those wedding things that we’re just doing now, but isn’t as necessary or helpful as we think it is?

And beyond a quick scan of your engagement photos and the section on lodging, are people even looking at your wedding website?

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My point is this – If you’re going to go to the trouble of making a wedding website in the first place, make it work for you *and* your guests. And for a South Asian wedding, there’s so much more that people (especially if they’re not South Asian) need to know beyond how you and your fiancé met.

Things like what to wear. Where to buy or rent them. An itinerary of your events and ceremonies. An explainer of what those ceremonies are and what those traditions mean.

Give your guests the gift of being fully prepared for a week of festivities (and save yourself from being peppered by questions from family and friends) with this list of 5 crucial things to include on your wedding website.

Mehndi party ready.

Paper plates you won’t find anywhere else.

Rental guide

The #1 thing we all ask ourselves before a wedding—what am I going to wear?! And for the non-South Asianers, where do they begin to search for culturally specific clothes that are affordable *and* stylish?

Cue Dulhan’s rental guide, which is a consistently updated, comprehensive, and organized look at rental companies serving the US.

It’s an easy way for your guests to get a lay of the rental land, understand names for outfit styles they like, and quickly rent budget-friendly clothes that’ll carry them through all of your events.

Visitor's Center Website

Once upon a time in the pre-pandemic days of yore, I went to a bridal show at downtown Durham, North Carolina’s 21C hotel. There was a photo booth company, florists, bakers, decorators…and a visitor’s center.

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I’m so glad that I didn’t skip over their booth and stopped to talk to them, because I found out some surprising things. Visitor centers are a great resource for overall planning (discounts with select venues and businesses). They’re also helpful for guiding your out-of-town guests on places to eat and things to do around the city—if they’ve got any downtime, that is.

It saves you the trouble of making a list like that yourself. Just link their website to your website and call it a day!

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other resources 📚

The Best Wedding Website Builders of 2022 | The Knot

What To Add To Your Wedding Website And How To Share It | Zola

This Checklist Has Everything You Need To Include On Your Wedding Website | Junebug Weddings

Wedding Weekend Itinerary

Help your guests help your wedding to stay on track and on time. Having a program printed and ready to go on their seats is great.

But you know what’s greater than having programs available at the venue? Letting your guests look through it ahead of time on your wedding website.

Having a 2 hour wedding ceremony? Only allowing 1 hour of cocktails before the reception? Post it on your website and eliminate confusion, surprises, and Indian Standard Time (as best as you can). Your guests will come prepared knowing what time every part of your wedding weekend starts and ends.

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Explainer On Ceremonies, Traditions

Yes, it’s important that you know what ceremonies and traditions you’re going to include in your wedding. It’s also important for your guests to know that.

Your non-South Asian guests probably don’t know what a baraat is. Or why we have a sangeet. Or the point of garba.

And your South Asian guests might be participating in a different cultural or religious experience for the first time, like at my wedding that had both a Hindu and a Sikh ceremony.

It’s one thing to watch a wedding and have no idea what’s going on. And it’s another to know what you’re witnessing and feel like you’re part of it, not just watching.

Use pre-written explanations from Indian programs on Etsy to fill in the blanks on your wedding website. Your guests will thank you for it!

Guest Essentials Page

My lightbulb moment for Dulhan happened when I planned my own wedding. But it was when I couldn’t find anything for a cousin’s wedding that I decided to actually make it.

It’s arguably more important for guests to have a go-to resource for weddings because you’re (maybe) once a bride, but forever a wedding guest. Dulhan’s Guest Essentials page is the answer to that problem.

Affordable outfits for men and women. Ready to ship options that arrive fast. Current sales with can’t miss deals. Jewelry. Bindi books. Pleat makers. Accessories storage. It’s all there!