Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something on the Internet, too. Wedding Web sites have become an important part of the planning process and a vital place for guests to find everything from maps to your online gift registry.

Before the wedding, the most important information to have on the site is directions and a gift registry. After the wedding, you may want to go back and add images taken during the ceremony.

Many people like to keep the gift registry on their site even after the wedding date, to give guests a chance to send late gifts.

Maps and instructions for finding your wedding and reception locations are probably the most valuable resources you can include on a wedding site. In addition to writing out the directions, you may want to link directly to a map at Yahoo! Maps.

You can also make it easier for your friends and family to buy you presents (and what’s better for them may also be better for you). Most wedding Web sites include a page with links to online stores and other Web sites that offer gift registry services. Shops such as Williams Sonoma and Macy’s make it easy to create your own gift registry and identify the place settings and home furnishings you’d like as you start your new life together. If you search Google.com with the words wedding gift registry, you’ll find dozens of Web sites that provide gift registry services.

Even before the wedding, you can create a wedding album section and feature photos of the engaged couple and even the bachelor party (if you’re not too embarrassed). Creating a section for the photo album now lets your visitors know that this is the place to come back to later to see the wedding photos -- and saves you time later when you’re anxious to put those wedding photos online.