Making the Most of Your Personal Wedding Site

I predict in the next two years more than 75% of engaged couples will be creating their own wedding websites. They are more than just a way to herald your exciting engagement news - they are incredibly practical.

For starters, with a wedding site, your guests can RSVP instantly. Instant RSVP means you can know your guest volume well before the wedding. Knowing which guests to expect can save you incredible money on food and beverages. Over purchasing wedding food and alcohol accounts for a large percentage of excess wedding costs.

Yet another benefit to an engagement webpage is the interactive element. Guests and wedding party members can post comments and message you directly. Guests who have questions about childcare for the reception, can post right to your blog, or email you quickly. You can then post a site message about childcare offered, for maximum convenience for your guests.

If you're struggling to plan your wedding use your website to your advantage. Wondering whether to serve a vegetarian dish? Post a poll asking how many guests are vegetarian. Looking for a potential guest willing to help with decorations or childcare? Post a "job opening" on the site. If used correctly, you can tailor your wedding exactly to what your guests would like. Find out their food, wine, cocktail, music and other preferences.

Ways to market and showcase your site:

Post your wedding page link on Facebook and MySpace

• Most of your guests will have either one of these pages. So if you post a link, most of your guests will have access to your site.

Include your web site on the Save the Date announcement

• Save the dates go out early, so putting a link to your engagement site there will really help to give them heads up where all the fun wedding details will be online.

Send a mass email

• Send your guests an email with your wedding page link, and encourage them to check it often for fun games, news and polls about the big day. Your guests will love to be a part of the wedding planning right from the start.

Newspaper Announcement

• Most couples put their engagement announcement in the paper. Include your wedding site link in the paper. This is a great way to access an audience without a Facebook page or email account.

The benefits and possibilities of a wedding site are endless. Start thinking about your site right away, and enjoy the convenience of having open communication with your guests. My personal favorite site service, in terms of usability and personalization is Wedding Window. It's a favorite of InStyle and the celebrity wedding community.

Happy planning!