Step-by-step instructions for connecting your DreamHost domain to WedSites.

If you registered your domain with DreamHost, follow these steps to add the DNS records needed to connect it to your WedSites wedding website.

Make sure you've added your domain to WedSites first. Go to Settings > General and enter your custom domain, then save. Then come back here to set up your DNS records.

You'll need access to your DreamHost panel. Make sure you can log in and that you have permission to manage DNS for your domain.

You'll be adding these two records to your DreamHost domain:

Important: You only need the A record if you're using an apex domain (like yourwedding.com). You only need the CNAME if you're using a subdomain (like www.yourwedding.com). We recommend adding both so both versions of your domain work.

Go to panel.dreamhost.com and sign in to your DreamHost Panel.

Before adding custom DNS records, you need to set your domain to "DNS Only" mode (instead of "Fully Hosted"). This tells DreamHost to stop automatically managing DNS for your domain.

This removes DreamHost's automatic A records so you can add your own.

Look for any existing A records for the root domain.

If you see existing A records for @:
- Delete any that don't point to 37.16.10.26
- Having multiple A records causes your domain to only work sometimes
- Click the Delete or X button next to each conflicting record

Using a custom subdomain? If you're using something like wedding.yourwedding.com instead of www, replace "www" with "wedding" in the Host field.

After saving, check the DNS records list to confirm both records appear:
- An A record for the root domain pointing to 37.16.10.26
- A CNAME record for www pointing to domains.wedsites.com

Wait for DNS propagation. DreamHost DNS changes typically take 15 minutes to a few hours to fully propagate.

SSL certificate is automatic. Once your domain connects, we'll automatically add an SSL certificate so your site works with https. This happens within a few hours of your domain connecting.

Test your domain. After waiting, try visiting your domain in a browser. You should see your wedding website!

Domain not working after several hours?
- Double-check that you entered the DNS records exactly as shown above
- Make sure you set the domain to DNS Only mode (not Fully Hosted)
- Make sure you deleted any conflicting A records
- Check that you entered your domain in WedSites under Settings > General

Still seeing DreamHost page?
- Make sure the domain is set to DNS Only, not Fully Hosted or Redirect
- Delete all old A records for the root domain
- Try clearing your browser cache or testing in incognito mode

Can't add custom DNS records?
- Your domain must be set to DNS Only mode before custom A records can be added
- If the domain is Fully Hosted, DreamHost manages DNS automatically and won't let you add conflicting records

CNAME issues?
- Make sure the Host is "www" and not blank
- Verify the Points to field is exactly: domains.wedsites.com
- Check that you don't already have a CNAME for www

Need to verify DNS setup?
- Go to dnschecker.org
- Enter your domain and select "A" record type
- You should see 37.16.10.26 in the results

DNS Only mode: This is the key step for DreamHost. When a domain is "Fully Hosted," DreamHost automatically manages A records pointing to their servers. You must switch to "DNS Only" before you can add custom DNS records.

DreamHost Panel: DreamHost uses their own custom panel (not cPanel). DNS management is under Domains > DNS Records.

Nameservers: Make sure your domain uses DreamHost's nameservers (ns1.dreamhost.com, ns2.dreamhost.com, ns3.dreamhost.com) for DNS records managed through DreamHost to work.

Email hosting: If you use DreamHost for email, your MX records are separate and won't be affected by adding these A and CNAME records. However, switching to DNS Only may affect email — check DreamHost's documentation about email with DNS Only domains.

If you're having trouble with DreamHost DNS settings, reach out to our support team and we'll help you get your domain connected!