How to make your wedding business website more accessible

Just like public buildings have to be as accessible as possible for anyone who wants to use them, did you know you have a legal obligation to make your wedding business website accessible to all users? 

This can come as a bit of a surprise, but it's true: under legislation such as the Equality Act 2010, anyone operating in the digital space should have a website that's accessible to all users, regardless of their disabilities. This includes people with cognitive, audio and visual impairments, and those who are neurodiverse.

While this can sound daunting, the good news is that there are lots of simple steps you can take to make sure your wedding business website is accessible. The even better news is that you don't need a massive budget or amazing tech know-how to put these into place – just a few hours of your time, and a willingness to commit to social inclusivity. (Which is something I hope all wedding businesses have at their heart.)

Five simple steps to make your wedding business website more accessible

1. Structure your pages with header tags

Having your copy properly set out on each page with header tags (H1, H2, H3 etc) makes it easier for screen readers to navigate your site. (A screen reader is a piece of software that converts text and images on your website into voice output or braille.)

The bonus of this is that header tags are vital for SEO, too, so it's a double win.

2. Check your colour contrast

Some colour contrasts make it harder for people with visual and cognitive impairments to use your site, so always check that the shades you've used provide enough contrast to be accessible. This is a great tool for checking colour contrast.

3. Add alt text to your images and captions to your videos

A simple thing that can make so much difference. By adding alt text to photos, screen readers can accurately describe what's in them to people. Video captions enable people with audio impairments to access your content (as well as those who don't like having the sound up!).

4. Use proper sentences for hyperlinks

Rather than using phrases such as 'click here' or 'more information' as the text for hyperlinks, use a proper sentence (as I've done in my first bullet point). This helps screen readers – when the link is read out loud, it makes more sense and clearly shows it's a hyperlink to a different web page.

5. Make sure your font is large enough

A good rule of thumb is a minimum size 16 font for body copy, as this makes is easier for everyone to clearly read your text.

Working on your wedding website's accessibility

If this has given you food for thought and you want to check your website's accessibility, there are loads of free accessibility resources to help you get started. 

I'd like to caveat everything I've written in this post by saying that I'm by no means an expert in accessibility, but I'm committed to learning more and improving my own website's accessibility, as well as the copy I write for other people. I'm always up for a chat to share best practice and would love to hear from you if you've got something you think I should know.

I'd also love to hear from you if you're a wedding business owner who's interested in making your website more accessible and would like to work with me on this. I also offer a free website check that looks at accessibility as well as SEO and user experience.