How Shelly Morse Went from Planning Weddings to Building Wedding Website Templates
Location: Baltimore, MD
Started using Squarespace: 2014
Title: Website Designer & Developer, Week of the Website
Shelly Morse’s career is a full-circle moment. After logging several years as a wedding planner, she found her true calling behind the screen, trading timelines and guest lists for codes and layouts. The Circle Platinum Partner and Community Leader is now a developer on the Week of the Website team, and recently launched a template shop inspired by her experience planning her own wedding.
Shelly shares how she identified a gap in the premium template market, as well as tips for designing the often-overlooked 404 page. Plus, she offers insights on fostering smooth client partnerships and the secret for team collaboration at the agency level.
What originally drew you to web design and development, and how did you get your start in the industry?
Believe it or not, I originally wanted to be a wedding planner (and was for several eye-twitching years). In college, I took a coding intro class and ended up building an online resume for job searching. Updating the HTML and CSS felt so tedious, so I switched it over to Squarespace for easier editing. Friends started noticing and making comments like, “Wow, I love your website—can you make me one?” Before long, I was creating sites for clients, and eventually I traded in my event-planning dreams for a career in web design (turns out I’m much happier behind a screen).
What started as freelancing as SM Creative Co. also led me to working with the novel Week of the Website team, where I honed my love of creating beautiful, functional sites on tight turnarounds.
And, because life has a way of coming full circle, while planning my own wedding, I saw the need for elevated, design-forward wedding websites. I thought: “if I could create one for myself, why should other couples have to settle for plain templates that don’t reflect the event they’re dreaming up?” That inspired me to launch Maison la Marée, a template shop offering modern, luxe, and fully customizable Squarespace sites for couples who want their wedding website to be a true extension of their celebration. It’s been the perfect way to blend my backgrounds in both design and weddings into one creative home.
You’re part of the web design studio, Week of the Website. What makes Squarespace good for collaborating with a team?
Squarespace is awesome to collaborate on and even better with the Enterprise dashboard. Being able to jump from client to client and having saved sections is such a game changer when it comes to creating templates or working on websites with other developers.
One of the best parts of working with a team like Week of the Website is the people and the collaboration. Sometimes another set of eyes for a few minutes is all you need to solve that problem you’ve been stuck on for an hour. Having people to bounce ideas off of and support you when you’re stuck is invaluable and I’m truly honored to work with so many other lovely developers and project managers who are so supportive and amazing at what they do.
Plus, there’s something special about our virtual water cooler chats about everything from fonts we hate to baseball stadium snacks (my personal votes for Papyrus being the worst and hotdogs being the best).
What are the key strategies you use to ensure effective partnership with your Week of the Website teammates?
Clear and consistent communication is everything. Making sure everyone feels aligned—and that we’re all on the same team, including the client—sets the tone for a successful project.
When working with clients, how do you manage their expectations and ensure a smooth process from start to finish?
Transparency and setting clear expectations from the beginning is what makes the Week of the Website process so special. Clients know what they’ll see each day and how the process works, which helps eliminate surprises and keeps everything on track.
Sometimes that means explaining that we’re in “rough draft mode,” or that they may not see a fully developed website on day one, but I always reassure clients that the final product will shine. This clarity lets me focus on design without worrying about the moving parts behind the scenes.
What core web design principles consistently guide your work, no matter the project?
User-centered design is queen! It’s easy for clients to focus on aesthetics, so I always bring the conversation back to the user experience and how people will actually interact with the site.
Beyond that, I believe details matter. Every choice should be intentional, even if the client doesn’t notice right away. When you demonstrate that level of thoughtfulness, you build trust and create stronger relationships. My goal is to always leave clients with a website they’ll be proud to have representing them in the world. No matter the project, this is always my guiding principle.
What’s one web design trend you believe will always feel relevant or timeless?
I’m not a huge fan of chasing trends, but if I had to choose, minimalism is pretty timeless.
That said, I love focusing on something often overlooked: the 404 page. A thoughtful, creative 404 page surprises users and makes a lasting impression (and clients love that extra touch). I could go on and on about this, but I truly believe it’s the lowest time commitment to create with the highest reward. Your client will love that you put in the effort to make something cool for them, and should anyone ever hit that page, you’ll leave a lasting impression. (Hint: This may or may not be one of the first pages some of our friends at Week of the Website go look at when one of my sites launches).
Where do you find inspiration?
Actually, print design is something I look to a lot for inspiration. I’m always analyzing things like restaurant menus, billboards, and packaging. Print design often bends or breaks traditional “rules” in clever ways, and I find that mindset really inspiring when translating ideas to the web—we just get to play with a bit more movement, and it’s fun to see that come to life on a webpage.
What is your favorite part about being a Circle member?
The community, hands down. It’s full of curious, generous, and talented people who are always eager to help and share ideas. I’ve learned so much from this network, and I wouldn’t be the designer I am today without it. There are too many people to list to thank, and I think that should tell you everything you need to know about Circle!
Here are the top takeaways from Shelly’s interview:
Effective communication and clear expectation-setting are critical to sustaining a smooth and successful web design project
Every design choice should support the goal of converting visitors and giving them the best user experience
Trends come and go, but minimalism is always in style
A thoughtfully designed 404 page is a small-effort addition that leaves a big impression on your client and their customers
Print design is a great source for inspiration on bending traditional design rules
Want more?
Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers and web design agencies. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.
