# When to Make a Wedding Website (A Month-by-Month Timeline) > Canonical: https://wedflip.com/blog/when-to-make-a-wedding-website > Updated: 2026-10-24 When to make a wedding website, what to publish first, when to share the link and when RSVPs open, plus a launch checklist and honest advice. _By Wedflip Team ยท 7 min read_ When to make a wedding website comes down to one date: when your save-the-dates go out. Build the site before then, so the link is ready to print on them, and add the rest in stages as your plans firm up. Here is exactly what to publish first, what can wait, and when to share the link. ## The short answer Start your wedding website a month or two before you send save-the-dates. Save-the-dates typically go out 6 to 8 months before the wedding, and earlier for destination weddings or holiday weekends. That puts the ideal start somewhere between 8 and 10 months out for most couples. Do not wait until invitations. Guests will look you up the day a save-the-date lands, and an empty page is better than no page. | When | What to do | Who sees it | |------|-----------|-------------| | 8 to 10 months out | Pick a template, add names, date, city | Just you | | 6 to 8 months out | Publish and share with save-the-dates | Everyone on your list | | 3 to 5 months out | Add travel, stay and schedule details | Everyone | | 6 to 8 weeks out | Open RSVPs, send invitations | Invited guests | | 3 to 4 weeks out | RSVP deadline, chase replies | Invited guests | | Final weeks | Post updates and logistics | Invited guests | | After the wedding | Thank guests, share photos | Everyone | These are typical etiquette timings. Adjust them for your guest list, your season and how far people must travel. Our [wedding invitation timeline calculator](/wedding-invitation-timeline-calculator) turns your wedding date into exact dates. ## Do you need a wedding website? Not strictly. Plenty of couples marry happily without one. But if you are asking "do I need a wedding website," the honest answer is that it saves you a lot of repeat messages. A website gives guests one place to find: - The date, venue and start time - Where to stay and how to get there - What to wear - How to RSVP - Your registry or gift preferences - Answers to the questions you would otherwise get by text Instead of answering "what time does it start?" forty times, you answer it once. For a wedding with out-of-town guests, a plus-one policy or multiple events, that is a big win. ## You might not need one if... Be honest about your situation. A website may be overkill if: - **Your guest list is tiny.** If you can message everyone in a single group chat, a shared note may be enough. - **It is a simple elopement or courthouse ceremony.** There is nothing to coordinate. - **Everyone lives nearby and knows the plan.** No travel, no hotel questions, no schedule to explain. - **You will not keep it up to date.** A half-finished site is worse than none. Our post on [wedding website mistakes couples make](/blog/wedding-website-mistakes-couples-make) covers this trap. - **Your guests are not online.** If most of your guests prefer paper, a printed details card may do the job. Even then, a one-page site with the date, place and RSVP takes little time. If you are on the fence, build the simplest version and expand it only if questions start piling up. ## How to start a wedding website You do not need a long process. Five steps are enough: 1. **Pick an address.** Use your names and, if you like, the year. Keep it easy to spell out loud. 2. **Choose a template.** Browse the [templates](/templates) and pick one that matches your tone. You can change colors and wording later. 3. **Add the basics.** Names, date, city, and one line such as "Formal invitation to follow." 4. **Preview on your phone.** Most guests will open it on their phone, so check that it reads well there. 5. **Ask one friend to test it.** A fresh pair of eyes will spot a confusing line in seconds. Wedflip templates include sections for your story, schedule and travel details, and every site has online RSVP, so you can fill in only what you know today. ## Your wedding website timeline ### 8 to 12 months out: build the skeleton You are engaged, you have a date or at least a season, and the to-do list is long. This is the time to claim your address and set up a template, not to publish everything. If you are still in the early planning flurry, the [12-month wedding planning timeline](/blog/wedding-planning-timeline-12-months) shows where the website fits. At this stage, add: - Your names and the date (or "Summer 2027" if you are unsure) - The city or region - A welcome photo ### 6 to 8 months out: publish with your save-the-dates This is the moment to go live. Print the web address on your save-the-date or include the link if you send it digitally. Your site only needs a few things at this point: - Names, date and location - A note that the formal invitation will follow - Any hotel block or travel advice that guests need early, such as a note to book flights soon - A contact email for questions Not sure how to word it? These [wedding website wording examples](/blog/wedding-website-wording-examples) give you lines to borrow. So when should you send out your wedding website link? With the save-the-date, and again with the invitation. Traveling guests get the early details they need, and you never have to make a separate announcement. ### 3 to 5 months out: fill in the details Now the practical pages. Add: - Where to stay, with booking instructions - The schedule for the weekend - Travel and parking notes - Your registry - A short FAQ covering dress code, kids, plus-ones and accommodations (see these [wedding website FAQ examples](/blog/wedding-website-faq-examples)) Keep it clear, not clever. Guests scan their phones for answers. ### 6 to 8 weeks out: invitations and RSVPs Send invitations around 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, or a little earlier if guests are traveling. Put the web address on the invitation or a small insert, and make RSVP the first thing guests see when they land on your site. Open RSVPs the day invitations go out, not before. Ask for meal choices and dietary needs in the same form so you only chase guests once. ### 3 to 4 weeks out: close RSVPs Set your RSVP deadline roughly 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding. Your caterer and venue usually need a final headcount around then, so check their date first and set yours a few days earlier. Message anyone who has not replied; a short, kind text works better than a second formal request. ### The final weeks: update and simplify This is when your site earns its keep. Use it to: - Confirm arrival times, parking and shuttle details - Share the weather forecast and suggest what to bring - Post last-minute changes in one obvious place - Remind guests of the dress code and any ceremony rules Stop making changes about a week before so guests are not reading new information at the last minute. Point everyone to the website when a question comes up. ### After the wedding Your site does not have to vanish the day after. Post a thank-you note, link to your photo gallery and let people revisit the day. If you want to keep it, check how long your host keeps it live. With Wedflip, the Plus plan ($15, one-time) keeps your site for a year and Pro ($29, one-time) keeps it forever. ## Launch checklist Before you share the link, run through this list: - Names and wedding date are correct - Venue, city and time are accurate - You previewed it on a phone - RSVP works and goes to the right person - A contact name or email is easy to find - Hotel or travel notes are included if guests need to book early - Someone else has proofread it - The link works on your save-the-date ## Make yours with Wedflip You can [start free for 30 days](/free-wedding-website) with no credit card, pick a template and collect RSVPs online right away. Build the simple version now, add details as plans settle and share the link when your save-the-dates go out.