Are you dreaming of saying “I do” with your toes in the sand and the sound of waves crashing behind you? A destination wedding is an incredible adventure that allows you to celebrate your love in a truly unique way. However, planning a celebration far from home comes with its own set of challenges.
Most local events just need a date, time and venue, but a destination wedding requires communicating travel details, accommodation options, and itinerary updates. However, with a dedicated beach wedding website, you will get your most valuable planning tool.
Your destination wedding website is the central hub for your guests. It is the first glimpse they will get of your celebration, and it sets the tone for your entire wedding experience. More importantly, it serves as the ultimate resource for answering the dozens of questions your guests will inevitably have. They will learn about their passport requirements for resort booking codes, which your website will handle effortlessly.
Choosing the right builder means finding a platform that goes beyond basic dates and times. You need amazing features that handle travel plans and keep your friends and family excited about the journey ahead.
We’ve put together this guide to compare the very best platforms to help you build the perfect informational hotspot for the plans surrounding your big day.
Top Wedding Website Builders for Destination Weddings
We have curated a list of the absolute best platforms available today to help you navigate the sea of options out there. Not all website builders are created equal, especially when it comes to the unique needs of a destination celebration.
When we evaluated these builders, we looked for specific criteria that matter most to couples planning a wedding abroad. We paid special attention to travel-focused features, the ability to manage complex RSVP scenarios, and how easy the platform is for your guests to navigate.
We also considered customization options. Your wedding website should reflect your personal style and the vibe of your chosen destination. Whether you are planning a barefoot beach ceremony in Mexico or a lush jungle celebration in Costa Rica, your website should match that aesthetic. We looked for platforms that offer beautiful templates, intuitive design tools, and an uncomplicated user experience.
This comparison is designed to save you time and help you choose a builder that allows you to focus on the fun parts of planning. Let’s dive into the top contenders that will ensure your beach wedding website is as stunning as the destination itself!
DestinationWeddings.com
If you are planning a destination wedding, it makes sense to use a platform built specifically for that purpose. DestinationWeddings.com offers a specialized website builder designed with the unique needs of traveling couples in mind. Unlike some builders that treat location as an afterthought, this platform puts your destination front and center.
The best part is that you can create a stunning, fully functional wedding website entirely for free! It all starts when you complete a simple online wedding planning form, which also connects you with a Certified Destination Wedding Specialist for a complimentary consultation.
This platform shines when it comes to managing the complex details of planning a wedding away from home. You gain access to modern, customizable templates that perfectly capture the tropical or romantic vibe of your celebration.
The tools available on this site are incredibly useful. You can easily manage your guest list, track RSVPs, and even list your registry right on the site. One of the best features is the ability to create a custom URL, making it easy for your guests to find your site.
Communication is key when coordinating a group trip, and DestinationWeddings.com excels here. The platform allows for easy guest communication, ensuring everyone stays up to date with any changes to the itinerary.
Maybe the most valuable feature is the integration of resort booking tools. Your guests can find resort details and book their rooms directly through the guidance provided on your site. This makes the entire process simple to use, reduces stress for you, and makes the experience effortless for your loved ones. By centralizing travel and wedding details, you ensure a smoother journey for everyone involved.
Apply Couple
For couples who enjoy a high-end design, Apply Couple is a “must-consider” option. This builder is known for its very stylish and clean layouts that look polished. If you want your beach wedding website to look like it was custom-designed, this platform delivers. The templates are simple yet impactful, allowing your engagement photos and destination background to be the focus.
Apply Couple focuses a great deal on the visual experience. The interface has an easy drag-and-drop function, making it easy to design your wedding day to look exactly like you pictured it. It is particularly well-suited for couples who are particular about how everything will play out. Beyond just looks, the platform offers useful tools for managing your event. You can also create a digital invitation that matches your website perfectly.
While this website builder may not have as many travel tools as some other platforms, its strength lies in its ability to create a mood. It sets a sophisticated tone for your wedding week, promising your guests a fun and well-organized event.
Joy
Joy has quickly become a favorite among modern couples because it has powerful technology and a user-friendly interface. It is an excellent choice if you want a platform that feels smart and responsive. Joy offers a wide range of templates that are easy to customize, many of which are nicely suited for a beach or tropical theme. The setup process is quick and easy and allows you to get a basic site running within minutes.
One of the biggest advantages of using Joy for a destination wedding is its strong guest communication features. The platform allows you to send digital save-the-dates and invitations that link directly to your website.
The RSVP collection tool is customizable. You can ask guests specific questions, such as their arrival dates or dietary restrictions, which are essential for planning catering and transport abroad. Joy also offers a mobile app that guests can download. This app helps bridge the gap between an information page and an active social hub for your wedding week.
Zola
Zola has made a giant name for itself as an all-in-one wedding platform, and rightly so! It makes planning for your trip to the wedding easy and all under one roof. For the bride and groom, Zola offers free wedding websites that are incredibly easy to build and manage. There are a variety of modern templates, with plenty of options that fit a seaside or vacation setting.
The standout feature of Zola is their registry. You can register for traditional gifts, cash funds, and even honeymoon experiences all in one place. For a destination wedding, this is particularly useful if you want to ask for contributions towards excursions or travel expenses instead of physical gifts that you would have to ship home. The seamless integration means guests do not have to leave your site to buy a gift for you.
Zola also offers excellent RSVP management tools. You can track who is coming, who is bringing somebody with them, and who has booked their hotel room if you add that custom question. Zola handles the basics perfectly while offering enough flexibility to manage the extra details a destination event requires.
RELATED: Best Free Wedding Details Websites
The Knot
The Knot is well known, a veteran in the wedding industry, and it remains a go-to resource for millions of couples. Its wedding website builder is reliable, robust, and trusted by guests across generations. When you build a site with The Knot, you are tapping into a vast system of planning tools. The builder itself is straightforward, easy to use, and it offers a wide variety of traditional and trendy templates. Are you looking for palm leaves, ocean waves, or elegant scripts suitable for a beach wedding website? You have come to the right place!
One of the key benefits of The Knot is its popularity. Most of your guests have likely attended a wedding that used The Knot, so they will know exactly where to find the registry, the RSVP button, and the travel details. This ease of use is valuable when you are asking guests to keep track of complicated travel information. The platform allows you to create detailed pages for accommodations, map integrations, and a schedule of events.
While The Knot is very appealing to almost everyone, its reliability makes it a strong contender for destination weddings, where all the details are laid out before you. It ensures that even your least tech-savvy relatives can access all the information they need to join you in paradise.
Minted
Minted is primarily known for its stunning stationery designed by independent artists, but its wedding websites are equally impressive. If you are a couple who values artistic design and wants a classy look across all your wedding materials, Minted is the top choice. You can match your wedding website design exactly to your save-the-dates, invitations, and even your day-of menus and programs. This creates a beautiful, branded experience for your wedding that feels incredibly high-end.
The website builder itself is free, but Minted works on a business model. While basic designs are free, you can pay a one-time fee to unlock premium custom URLs and unique design layouts. For many couples, this small investment is worth it for the visual quality provided. The templates are unique and far less generic than what you might find on other free builders.
Despite the focus on art, this website is highly functional. You can manage RSVPs, share maps, and introduce your wedding party. The interface is clean and does not overwhelm your guests with too much clutter. While it may lack some of the deeper backend management tools of DestinationWeddings.com, it makes up for it with impressive style and the ability to coordinate everything with your physical paper goods.
Other Strong Contenders
While the dedicated wedding platforms listed above are fantastic, they are not the only way to build a beautiful site. There are several general website builders and newer platforms that are also worth considering. These are especially good options if you have very specific design needs or want complete control over the layout.
These contenders might require a bit more hands-on effort to set up, but they offer flexibility that some couples crave for their destination wedding.
Squarespace
Squarespace is widely recognized as a premium website builder used by creative professionals, small businesses, and discerning couples. It is famous for its award-winning designs and modern templates. If you want your wedding website to look like a high-end travel magazine or a luxury lifestyle blog, Squarespace is the tool for you.
Using Squarespace gives you a great amount of control over the look and feel of your site. You are not locked into a rigid structure. You can add video backgrounds, custom galleries, and unique navigation menus. However, because it is not exclusively a wedding builder, you will need to do a bit more setup. You will have to manually create forms for RSVPs or integrate third-party tools to handle registries.
Despite the extra effort, the result is often a truly tailored website that stands out from the crowd. It is ideal for visually driven couples who are comfortable with a bit of technology. If you are willing to pay a monthly or annual fee for a superior design, Squarespace is a powerful option that elevates the perceived value of your event.
Wix
Wix is the ultimate platform for couples who want complete creative freedom. It is a drag-and-drop website builder that literally lets you place any element anywhere on the screen. There are no strict grids or limitations. If you have a very specific vision for your beach wedding website that standard templates cannot achieve, Wix can make it happen. You can start from a blank canvas or choose from hundreds of templates, many of which are wedding-specific.
The flexibility of Wix is its greatest strength. You can add unlimited pages, which is great if you want to include extensive travel guides, local history of your destination, or detailed information about your wedding party. Wix also has a massive app market where you can add features like countdown clocks, weather widgets for your destination, and Instagram feeds.
Like Squarespace, Wix requires more effort than a dedicated wedding platform. You are building the site structure yourself, which takes time. However, Wix has improved its management tools significantly. You can now manage guest lists and RSVPs directly through their event’s app. For the tech-savvy couple who enjoy the creative process of building something from scratch, Wix offers the tools to build a truly one-of-a-kind, amazing resource for your guests.
WedSites
WedSites is a newer player in the market that acts as a cross between a website builder and a project management tool. It positions itself as a platform for modern couples who want the design flexibility of a builder like Squarespace but with the wedding-specific features of The Knot. The templates are very modern and highly customizable. You can change colors, fonts, and layouts to match your destination theme perfectly.
What sets WedSites apart is its backend dashboard. It includes a suite of planning tools designed to keep you organized. You can manage your budget, track tasks, and handle guest list details all within the same platform. For a destination wedding, the guest management features are particularly strong. You can collect addresses, track meal preferences, and manage RSVPs for multiple events.
WedSites offers a good balance. You get the drag-and-drop design capabilities that allow for a unique look, but you don’t have to sacrifice the essential wedding tools. It is a strong contender for couples who want a beautiful site backed by powerful organizational software to keep their planning on track.
Key Features to Look for in a Destination Wedding Website
When selecting the best builder for your beach wedding website, you need to look beyond just the colors that are available. The functionality of the site will directly impact how many frantic text messages you receive from confused guests.
First and foremost, prioritize a platform with a superior RSVP system. For a destination wedding, a simple “yes or no” is rarely enough. You need a system that can capture arrival dates, resort choices and reservations, and attendance for secondary events like welcome parties or farewell brunches.
Detailed travel and accommodation sections are non-negotiable. Your website needs to clearly display room block codes, booking links, and airport transfer information. Look for builders that allow you to create password-protected pages if you want to keep certain details private.
Custom URLs are also a great feature to look for. A memorable web address like “SarahAndTomInTulum.com” is much easier for guests to remember than a long, randomly generated link.
How all of this information looks on a cell phone is critical. Most of your guests will be referencing your website from their phones while they are traveling. The site must be easy to read and navigate on a small screen.
Finally, consider guest communication tools. The ability to send email blasts or updates directly from your website platform is a lifesaver when last-minute changes happen due to weather or travel delays. Evaluate each platform based on the size of your guest list and the specific complexity of your destination. The right features will turn your website into a helpful tool for your guests.
Start Planning Your Dream Destination Wedding Today!
Choosing the right website builder is just the first step in creating an unforgettable experience for you and your guests. A great website simplifies details and builds excitement for the journey ahead. It serves as the anchor for your entire planning process, ensuring that your friends and family feel informed and cared for from the moment they receive their invitation.
We want to help you make this process as seamless as possible. At DestinationWeddings.com, we specialize in turning dream weddings into reality. By filling out our online wedding planning form, you can connect with a Certified Destination Wedding Specialist who will guide you through every step of the process. Not only will you get expert advice on venues and travel packages, but you will also have access to a free wedding website that you can start working on right away!
Do not navigate the waters of destination wedding planning alone. Let us help you find the perfect resort, secure the best group rates, and create a stunning website that captures your beautiful love story.
Your dream wedding in paradise is closer than you think. Start planning today and get ready to celebrate in style!
