The Pocket Wedding Noticeboard: One Free Web Page for Four Very Different Parties

Four events in one weekend sounds lovely until someone asks, for the fifth time, whether the Friday pub thing is smart-casual or “just whatever”. Multiply that by aunties, cousins, plus-ones and a best friend who has already lost the printed invite, and you have the case for a single wedding webpage.

Not a glossy mini-site with a countdown clock and a playlist vote. Just one calm, free page that acts as the noticeboard for the whole weekend. It sits in pockets, gets forwarded on WhatsApp and saves you from repeating the same parking instructions while you’re trying to eat a bacon roll.

Start with the questions, not the design

Before you open a website builder, make a note of what people actually ask you. In a four-party wedding weekend, it’s usually the same handful of things: what time, where exactly, what do I wear, can I bring the kids, where do I park, and how do I get back to the Travelodge after the last dance?

That list is your website. Everything else is decoration.

A free builder such as Google Sites, or the free tier of a mainstream site builder, is plenty. You do not need a custom domain for this. A clear short link, a QR code on the printed invite and a page that loads quickly on a phone will do more for your guests than a fancy font.

The four-event skeleton

Keep the homepage simple: one short welcome, then four clear blocks — one for each event. Give every block the same structure so people can scan it quickly.

Each event card should include:

• Event name and date — “Friday drinks”, “Saturday ceremony and reception”, “Sunday lunch”, “Monday breakfast”, whatever yours are called.
• Start and finish times — including the bit people forget, like “carriages at 11.30pm” or “pub garden closes at 10pm”.
• Venue name and full address — plus a map link. For rural venues, a what3words pin can be genuinely useful.
• Dress code in plain English — “summer wedding guest”, “pub casual”, “walking shoes advised”. Avoid mysterious phrases like “country chic”.
• Parking and arrival notes — where to leave the car, whether the lane is tight, whether there’s a step-free entrance.
• Food and drink — is there a meal, a buffet, a pay-your-own pub supper? Are dietary requests needed by a certain date?
• Children and plus-ones — a clear yes, no or “we’ve spoken to you directly” line saves awkwardness.
• Access notes — gravel paths, stairs, hearing loops, quiet spaces. Say what you know, and give a contact for questions.

The boring bits that save the weekend

Under the four events, add a short “Good to know” section. This is where the unglamorous details live, and it is the part guests will thank you for.

Include a travel note with the nearest train station, local taxi numbers and a reminder to book taxis in advance if the village is small. Add accommodation names if you have a block booking. Put the curfew and noise rules in plain sight — especially if the venue is near neighbours or you’re using a village hall. A line like “music off by 11pm, and please keep voices low in the lane” is friendlier than a stern notice.

A simple dietary form is worth its weight in gold. Google Forms is free, and one link on the page is easier than collecting replies from three different group chats. Set a deadline, then stop chasing after it.

You might also add a short weather line nearer the time — “British weather doing its thing; bring a coat and flat shoes” — but don’t turn the page into a forecast blog. One practical note is enough.

What to leave off

A wedding webpage is a noticeboard, not a confessional. Leave off the full guest list, the seating plan and anything that could cause a family debate in the comments. Don’t publish personal phone numbers without permission; use a nominated “day-of” contact instead, or a wedding phone if you have one.

Skip the public RSVP if you’d rather not have your guest list visible. A private form or a simple email address is fine. And don’t put bank details, gift fund links or anything money-related on a public page unless you’re certain about privacy settings.

Also resist the urge to upload every engagement photo. A couple of images are lovely; a slow-loading gallery is not. The same goes for background music. Nobody needs a wedding website that autoplays a saxophone.

Bringing the less tech-savvy with you

This is the bit that makes or breaks the plan. A free webpage is only useful if Auntie Jean can find it.

Print the link and a QR code on the invite or a small details card. Use a short, readable URL — no random string of letters. If you can, make the page print-friendly so relatives can bring a paper copy. Ask one patient cousin or friend to be the “digital steward” for older guests: they can send the link by text, offer to fill in the dietary form over the phone and answer the “what do I wear” question without you getting involved.

When you send the link, add one line of instructions: “Everything’s on this page — timings, maps and taxi numbers. Tap the event you need.” That’s it. Don’t send a 12-paragraph message as well.

The admin rhythm

You do not need to update the page daily. Treat it like a wedding newsletter with three or four sends: the save-the-date version, the full details version, a two-week reminder and a day-before “here’s the link again” note.

Keep decisions on the page, not buried in WhatsApp. If something changes, update the page first, then send the link with a short note. That way there’s one version of the truth, and you’re not scrolling back through 47 messages to check whether the Sunday lunch is at noon or one.

A single free webpage won’t plan the wedding for you. But it will quietly stop the same five questions from landing on your plate during the weekend you’re meant to be enjoying. And that is money — or rather, no money at all — well spent.