A map on an online wedding invitation lets guests see the location inside the card, zoom around it and open directions on their phone from wherever they are, instead of calling you for directions an hour before the ceremony. Keep the written address too: it is quick to read, and older guests can show it to a taxi driver.

Why your card needs a map

Guests from out of town and older guests

Friends travelling in from another province rarely know the roads, and grandparents seldom search for addresses themselves. A map in the card means whoever is with them can start navigation with one tap.

Home weddings down narrow alleys

Many weddings in the countryside or old city quarters are held at home. Alley names, sub-numbers and back gates are hard to describe in words; a pin on the right gate solves it.

Several venues in one day

Many weddings move from a morning ceremony at one venue to an evening reception at another. If each venue has its own map, guests tap the one for the event they are attending.

How to add a map on VowForever

In the drag-and-drop designer

  1. Find the venue in Google Maps and confirm the pin sits on the guest entrance.
  2. Choose Share, then Embed a map, and copy the link inside the embed code.
  3. In the editor, insert a map element, paste the Google Maps embed URL and give it a label such as Reception.
  4. Drag and resize it next to the matching ceremony details. Add one map element per venue if you have several.
  5. Style it with a border, rounded corners, shadow or an entrance animation to match your card.

In the form card builder

If you build at /create/form, the Ceremony & reception section has a venue name, address and an optional map search for each event. Type what guests would type into Google Maps, and the card adds an embedded map and a directions link. Turn the reception on when it is held somewhere other than the ceremony.

Getting the location exactly right

  1. Find the official listing. For restaurants and wedding centers, pick the listing with the right name, photos and reviews; there are often duplicates created by users.
  2. Check the pin. Zoom in to see whether it sits on the main gate or the middle of the building. Large centers have several halls and entrances.
  3. For a home with no listing, stand at the gate, drop a pin on your position in Google Maps, and use that pin for the embed.
  4. Test from another phone. Send the card to a relative and ask them to start directions and confirm the destination.

Mistakes that still get guests lost

  • Choosing a same-name place in another district. Check the district and ward before selecting.
  • A pin in the middle of a building, which leads to the staff entrance. Pin the main or banquet entrance.
  • Map and written address disagree. Re-read the address text after adding the map.
  • No hall or floor name. Guests reach the right building but the wrong hall; add the hall name next to the map.
  • Zoomed too far out, so the map shows a whole district. Zoom in to street level.
  • A huge map on a long card that guests struggle to scroll past. Keep it compact.

Notes that help guests on arrival

  • Parking: basement or a lot next door, especially on streets where parking is banned.
  • A landmark: “opposite the school gate”, “next to the gas station”.
  • Welcome time and ceremony time, so guests plan when to leave.
  • A contact: the number of a relative who is free on the day, not the bride or groom.

When you send the card, add a line like “tap the map in the card for directions” so older guests know it is there. And if the wedding is at your private home, think about who receives the link; see /blog/are-online-invitations-safe-who-can-see.

Frequently asked questions

Do guests need an app to see the map?

No. The map shows inside the card in the browser, and directions open in Google Maps, in the app if installed or on the web if not.

We changed venue after sending. Do we need a new link?

No. Update the map and address, then publish again; the link stays the same. Still message guests about the change, since many will not reopen the card. For the basics of placing a pin, see /blog/google-maps-on-wedding-invitation.