You hear the term “RSVP” being thrown around all the time when you have been invited to an event. Now that it is your turn to host one, you do not know how to begin or what “RSVP” even mean! The term simply translates to “please respond”, that is, a host is requesting that guests respond to them to inform if they are able to attend their party.
Long gone are the days where RSVPs are sent by posts. Specifically in weddings, this logistical nightmare of having to reach out and manually collate responses from individual guests have evolved to also include other features that make it a seamless experience for those hosting and those being invited.
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With the advancement in tech, many online platforms and websites have surfaced over the years to take over the time-consuming tasks of collecting guests’ information, addresses, dietary requirements and special requests. Some have extended to include pages that list common guests’ questions and answers, travel itinerary, accommodation suggestions and even RSVP functions for multiple events!
Now that options are aplenty, which platform do you go with? Is it worth it to pay for an account or would a free one be good enough? Here we handpicked five popular wedding websites and evaluate their pros and cons based on a few key criterias we have identified that will make guest management as easy as possible. Read on further to find out which wedding website is the best fit for you!
Appycouple
Website: https://www.appycouple.com/
Appy Couple’s price tag comes with a reason, their website is easy to navigate and is user friendly. A wide variety of their website design is optimized for mobile use as well. With the added function of allowing videos on the landing page, you wow your guests from the first instant!
Not lacking in functionality, the platform allows guests to RSVP for multiple events, and lets you send messages, announcements, or reminders to your guests.
It currently does not have complementing printed stationery options, but digital versions are available. This is a great option for the digital savvy and who are also looking for eco-friendly options!
Joy
Website: https://withjoy.com/
We’re saying it first – Joy is The Wed Mag’s team favourite website from the lot! It packs a punch of useful features in a free account and last we checked; they’re constantly rolling out new features that relieves you from the most taxing part of wedding planning – guest management.
One feature that stood out is the site’s ability to filter and hide selected itinerary based on your guest list. This is extremely useful if you have several events each with a different combination of guests you’re inviting to. Based on your input, each guest will only be able to view the event(s) you’ve invited them to. The downside though is that the site currently does not allow for guest to RSVP for each event individually.
Another thing we are hoping for is an even more flexible website layout and more variety in terms of design templates. Given the site’s constant improvement, it could be any day now that these features are being rolled out.
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Zola
Website: https://www.zola.com/
If you can’t wait for Joy’s feature updates, Zola is a good alternative to Joy for those who have multiple events in a day or over a few days and having exclusive guestlists for each of those events. It allows guests to RSVP specifically to each event, taking away the time-consuming task of collating, and manually doing headcounts for food orders.
Besides serving as a wedding website, Zola is also a registry and stationery provider. However, wedding gifting is not a common culture in Asia and Singapore, hence this feature is not included in our evaluation criteria. Zola, however, has a variety of designs with different layouts to choose from. You are sure to find something you like on their catalogue!
There are so many functions within Zola that navigating through the site is quite a task on its own!
Minted
Website: https://www.minted.com/wedding
Minted is almost equivalent to Zola in that they provide very similar features. One main difference we picked out is that the site layout on Minted are repetitive and they only vary in terms of colour and design.
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Riley and Grey
Website: https://www.rileygrey.com/
Riley and Grey’s extensive catalogue of design layouts was what caught our eye when we first found out about them! They are all so beautifully built! The site’s one of a kind layout is what sets it apart from other wedding websites on the market, which explains the high price tag it comes with at USD$240 for a year. With this price, you also get a custom website domain.
It also has a personalised RSVP system that strays away from the form formatting we’ve seen so far.
Having guests fill up their responses in such a letter-writing way only makes the experience more personal and inviting.
On functionality, the site still lacks in some areas. For instance, guests have no way of telling if their RSVP responses have been submitted successfully. Also, in the case of any changes, each guest would need to be contacted individually. To have an overview of the responses received, the information will need to be exported to your local device in a preferred format for example Microsoft Excel.
Feature image – Screenshot from Riley & Grey