How to Choose a Wedding Website ft. Riley and Grey

June 11, 2016 Lauren Mulenos

Riley and Grey Wedding Website (c/o)

If you're engaged or about to be engaged...listen up. Not all wedding websites are created equal. There's so many out there, so how do you choose? Let's start by addressing what you need. Ask yourself these basic questions: (I'll answer them in regard to my wedding, in the unbold font)

1) Will guests have the option to RSVP online, instead of a mail in card? I didn't care if my guests mailed in their RSVPs, like you traditionally do for weddings, so I chose to do it all online. Due to that decision, I had to have the capability online RSVPs.

2) Will you have meal choices for guests that they need to specify, including food related allergies? My main course will be all the same, but I still wanted guests to be able to tell me if they had special food restrictions, like GF or V; therefore, I needed more than just your average online RSVP.

3) Do you just want a landing page or the ability to list out all pertinent information? I am pretty detail oriented, so I wanted to be able to provide my guests with everything they needed to know, from dates and times, to travel guides for the city. A page that just has the basic wedding information wouldn't cut it for me.

4) Do you want your own domain? Don't get me wrong...backslashes with your two last names on it are okay, but they are hard to remember and high on error rates, in regard to typing them in. Nick and I wanted our own url, so that it was easy to remember, pertinent, and on the shorter end of the spectrum.

Now that you have identified what you need, now where do you turn? There are so many website options and it's not that they're bad...they just don't give you what you need. From Squarespace (which I obviously like, because that is my blog platform), to The Knot, they are just #Basic.

If you didn't know, my fiance is a consulting engineer, so he is able to help me with a lot of coding, website issues, etc. He was looking for a wedding website to fit our needs and that's how he came across Riley and Grey.

Riley and Grey is not your average wedding website. It may not be free, like other sites claim, but it is well worth the small cost (you can either pay month-to-month at $35/mo or purchase a 12-month package with 40% in savings at $240), if you are looking for a unique site, with all of your information, that let's you customize things, without giving you a headache. Still not sure? Here's why you should use Riley and Grey:

1) They have awesome templates. Just look at them! They have something for every theme and style.

2) They offer password protected sites. Sometimes you have crazy exes who don't need to see, ya know?

3) They allow you to allot whether or not someone has a plus one. This was my FAVORITE feature. Sometimes people just don't understand that they didn't get a plus one. You can make them acknowledge the fact that they didn't get one or go as far as restrict the number they can RSVP for. Pure genius.

4) They let you download all RSVP information into a readable Excel Spreadsheet. I'm kind of type A, so the fact that it downloads all pretty and has meal choices, is a dream.

5) They make some parts only view-able to certain guests. Sometimes bridal party and immediate family just need to see info, and no one else.

6) They can adjust to your native language. Hola! Konichiwa! This is for you, no matter what.

7) They are mobile friendly. I don't know if you are aware, but mobile viewing of sites is so much more popular than it used to be. My website views are a little over half mobile views, so I definitely appreciated this feature.

8) They provide direct links to flights, lodging, and transportation of your choice. You want your guests to get the best deals, right?

9) They allow you can subscribe to your wedding hashtag, so there is a live feed on your site. #worthit #enoughsaid

10) They hide your website from search engines. Not everyone needs access to you information.

11) They have staff dedicated to helping you through issues. I am technologically challenged, so I love this feature!

12) They allow you to save your work, without paying, if you aren't sure. You can have your website ready to go and then just pay when you need to, if you want! If you want to be sure to get your desired url, you can pay $35 to hold it, and then it counts as a credit to your first month, when you are ready to begin!

BONUS: If you're matchy-matchy or super detail oriented, you can choose an R&G template that has coordinating invitations! They have collaborated with some popular brands, and you're sure to love them!

Our website is LaurenMarriesNick.com - check it out, to see one of their sites live time! We used the Signature template.

So, what do you think? If you are already married, would have used them, if you did it over again? Anything you think is missing?

P.S. If you want outfit deets, check out this post! These pictures are from Nick's proposal :)

Oh, and P.P.S. Here's a wedding vendor update for you!

Venue: The Castle

Photographer: Heidi Lockhart

Makeup Artist and Hairdresser: Grand Slam Glam

Cakes: Annie's Culinary Creations

DJ: Trey Rentzel

Dress: Nordstrom

Shoes: Tory Burch

Save the Dates + Invitations: Minted