Setting up a custom domain

Connect your own custom domain name to your wedding website for a personalized professional web address.

Want your wedding website at your own custom domain like "emilyand jordan.com" instead of a subdomain? You can connect a custom domain! This gives your site a personalized, professional web address.

What is a custom domain?

Subdomain: yourwedding.wedsites.com (provided by WedSites)

Custom domain: yourwedding.com (you own the domain name)

Custom domains look more professional and are easier to share!

What you need

A domain name. Purchase one from a domain registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.

Access to DNS settings. You'll need to modify DNS records (we'll explain how).

A compatible plan. Check if custom domains are included in your WedSites plan!

Choosing your domain name

Common patterns:

FirstAndSecond.com - "EmilyAndJordan.com"

LastName.com - "TheKims.com" or "KimWedding.com"

LastNames.com - "RodriguezKim.com"

WeddingHashtag.com - If you have a wedding hashtag!

Creative.com - "ForeverStarts.com" or "OurBigDay.com"

Purchasing a domain

  1. Choose a registrar: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Hover, etc.

  2. Search for your desired domain to see if it's available

  3. Buy it! Usually $10-15/year

  4. You own it now! Next step is connecting it to WedSites.

Connecting your custom domain to WedSites

  1. Go to Settings in your main navigation
  2. In the Website URL section, find the Custom domain (optional) field
  3. Enter your custom domain (e.g., yourwedding.com)
  4. Below the field, you'll see DNS instructions with the required A record and CNAME record
  5. Log into your domain registrar
  6. Add the DNS records shown in your WedSites settings
  7. Click Save changes in WedSites
  8. Wait for DNS to propagate (can take up to 48 hours)

See our full article on setting up a custom domain with DNS records for detailed instructions!

DNS records explained

You'll typically need to add DNS records depending on how you want to use your domain:

A record: Points your apex domain (like yourwedding.com) to WedSites' server
- Only needed if you're using the apex domain
- Important: You should have only one A record for @. Delete any other A records for @ that point to a different address before adding the WedSites one. Multiple A records cause your site to work only some of the time.

CNAME record: Points your subdomain (like www.yourwedding.com) to WedSites
- Only needed if you're using a subdomain
- If using a subdomain other than "www" (like wedding.yourwedding.com), use that name instead

Best practice (recommended): Add both the A record and CNAME record so both your apex domain and www subdomain work.

Don't worry if this sounds technical! Your domain registrar's help docs usually explain how to add these records.

WWW vs. non-WWW

yourwedding.com (without www)

www.yourwedding.com (with www)

Most setups support both! Guests can use either and they'll reach your site.

How long does it take?

Adding DNS records: 5-10 minutes

DNS propagation: Up to 48 hours (often faster, sometimes just a few hours)

Be patient! Don't panic if your domain doesn't work immediately after setting it up.

Testing your custom domain

After setup and waiting for propagation:

  1. Type your custom domain in a browser

  2. Your wedding website should load!

  3. Test with and without www to make sure both work

  4. Share with a friend to confirm it's working for others too

Common issues

Domain shows "Not found": Check that you have an A record for @ pointing to 37.16.10.26. A missing or incorrect A record is the most common cause of "Not found" on custom domains. Also make sure you've entered your domain in WedSites settings.

Domain doesn't work yet: Wait longer, DNS can take up to 48 hours.

SSL certificate warning: Might appear briefly while the secure certificate sets up. Usually resolves within hours.

Site works sometimes but not other times: This is usually caused by having multiple A records for your apex domain (@). Check your DNS settings and make sure there's only one A record for @ pointing to 37.16.10.26. Delete any other A records for @. Some registrars (Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, etc.) add their own A records for built-in services like website builders or parking pages — you may need to disable these services first before you can remove their records. See our FAQ on why your custom domain only works sometimes.

Wrong site appears: Double-check your DNS records match what WedSites provided. Also check for extra A records that might be pointing to another service.

"Domain already in use" error: Make sure you're not using the domain elsewhere.

Keeping your subdomain

After setting up a custom domain, your original subdomain usually still works! Both addresses lead to the same site.

Some couples share the custom domain publicly and keep the subdomain for personal reference.

SSL/HTTPS

Your custom domain should automatically get a secure SSL certificate (the little padlock icon in browsers). This usually happens within a few hours of DNS propagating.

If you see "Not Secure" warnings, wait a bit longer!

Email addresses

Connecting your domain to WedSites does NOT give you email.

If you want email@yourdomain.com, you'll need to:
- Set up email hosting separately (with your domain registrar or Google Workspace)
- Add different DNS records for email (MX records)

This is separate from your website!

Cost

Domain registration: Usually $10-20/year (paid to your registrar)

Renewal: You'll need to renew your domain annually

WedSites hosting: Basic includes 12 months, Standard includes 24 months, and Pro includes 24 months of hosting. Extended hosting options will be available if you want to keep your site live longer.

That's it! No ongoing hosting costs for the duration of your plan (12 months for Basic, 24 months for Standard and Pro). Just domain renewal.

After the wedding

You own the domain! After your wedding, you can:
- Keep your website live as a memory
- Point the domain somewhere else
- Let it expire if you don't want it anymore

Hosting included: Basic includes 12 months, Standard includes 24 months, and Pro includes 24 months of hosting. Extended hosting options will be available if you want to keep your site beyond that.

Multiple domains

Want both "EmilyAndJordan.com" and "TheKims.com" to point to your site? You can usually set up multiple custom domains or redirect one to the other!

Changing your domain later

If you want to switch to a different custom domain:

  1. Purchase the new domain
  2. Update your WedSites settings to the new domain
  3. Update DNS records
  4. The old domain stops pointing to your site (unless you set up a redirect)

Subdomains vs. custom domains

Subdomain (yourname.wedsites.com):
- ✓ Free
- ✓ Easy, no setup
- ✓ Works immediately
- ✗ Less memorable
- ✗ Longer to type/share

Custom domain (yourname.com):
- ✓ Professional
- ✓ Short and memorable
- ✓ You own it
- ✗ Costs money
- ✗ Requires setup

Both work great! Custom domains are nice but not necessary.

Custom domains add a professional touch and make your wedding website feel truly yours!