Tie your website launch to exactly when guests need it most: save-the-dates, travel booking, registry access, and RSVP deadlines all depend on this one date.
The short answer
Your wedding website should go live the same day your save-the-dates go in the mail. This gives guests immediate access to travel and lodging information, your registry, and any schedule updates. If you are sending save-the-dates, aim to launch at least eight to ten weeks before the wedding. For a shorter timeline with invitations only, launch as soon as you have your venue date and hotel blocks secured, so guests can book travel before prices rise.
The decisions this settles
Tie your website launch to exactly when guests need it most: save-the-dates, travel booking, registry access, and RSVP deadlines all depend on this one date.
Questions to answer before you commit
- What is the earliest date guests need to book travel or reserve rooms for your wedding weekend?
- Have you finalized your venue, time, and hotel blocks before you publish anything online?
- Will your registry be complete with working links on the day your website goes live?
- Have you set a specific RSVP deadline on your website that matches your caterer or venue headcount date?
- Do you have a way to update your website easily if you add events or change schedules after launch?
What each choice changes
| What to compare | What to ask for | The decision it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Content completeness | Does the site include travel info, registry, schedule, and couple story? Or is it just a basic page? Ask for a full checklist from your platform provider. | Whether you need to update the website before sending it to guests |
| Platform flexibility | How easy is it to edit text, add new events, or swap registry links after launch? Request a demo or trial of the editing interface. | The number of website updates you will have to make later |
| Hotel block release date | What is the room block cutoff date from your hotel contract? Compare it to the date your website will launch. | Whether guests can book travel before hotel blocks expire |
| RSVP deadline alignment | On the platform, can you set a hard RSVP deadline? Check that the deadline matches the date your venue or caterer needs final headcounts. | Whether you collect RSVPs early enough to finalize catering and seating |
| Event schedule availability | Are all events (rehearsal, welcome party, ceremony, reception) listed with times and locations? If not, can you add them after launch without republishing? | Whether guests can see the full schedule before booking flights |
| Update process | Does the platform require you to request changes from a designer, or can you edit yourself in real time? What is the turnaround for changes if you need help? | How much work you will do to maintain the site |
Where this usually goes wrong
Each of these is cheap to avoid now and expensive to fix later. They are the mistakes that surface in the final invoice.
Watch for
- Launching the website before your hotel blocks are finalized, so guests book rooms outside the block and miss your group rate.
- Publishing without registry links or with broken ones, forcing guests to ask you for gift information.
- Setting an RSVP deadline on your website that does not match the deadline your caterer or venue requires for final headcounts, creating a scramble to chase late replies.
Your next conversation, in checklist form
Your next conversation, in checklist form
- Confirm your venue date and time before writing any website text.
- Secure hotel room blocks and list the booking codes before publishing.
- Compile and verify all registry links and store names.
- Write a draft of your couple story and wedding party bios.
- Set the RSVP deadline on your website to match your final headcount due date.
- Publish the website on the exact day you mail or send save-the-dates.
Questions couples ask
What if I don't have all the details yet? Should I still launch?
Wait until you have a confirmed venue date, a completed registry, and at least one hotel block locked in. Publishing without these means updating the site twice, which risks guests acting on outdated information.
What if I'm not sending save-the-dates? When should I launch then?
If you skip save-the-dates and only send invitations, launch the website as soon as invitations go in the mail. Guests will still need time to book travel and view your registry before the RSVP deadline.
Is it better to launch too early or too late?
If you launch early, you risk guests booking hotels in the wrong block or acting on outdated information. If you launch late, guests may miss travel deals or feel rushed to RSVP. Align launch with save-the-date release to avoid both problems.
Where to go next
Now that you know when to publish, decide what to include on your wedding website and how to design the RSVP system.
