Save the date website: when to send and what to include
When to send save the dates, what a save the date website needs on day one, and a calculator that turns your wedding date into every send-by date.
Send save the dates six to eight months before the wedding, or eight to twelve months before for a destination wedding, and have a simple wedding website ready first so the save the date can point to it. The site only needs the date, the place and where to stay at the start. Enter your date below for every send-by date.
When to send your save the dates
Enter your wedding date to see when the website should be ready and when save the dates and invitations go out.
What is a save the date website?
It is your wedding website in its first, short form. Guests open it from the save the date to put the date in their calendar and start planning travel. You add the schedule, the reply form and the rest later, before the invitations go out.
What should it have on day one?
- Your names and the date.
- The city and, if you know it, the venue.
- Where to stay, with any hotel block and its booking cut-off date.
- A line saying an invitation will follow, so nobody tries to reply too early.
Add the rest when you send invitations. See what to put on your wedding website for the full list.
When should save the dates go out?
| Wedding | Save the dates | Invitations |
|---|---|---|
| Most weddings | 6 to 8 months before | 6 to 10 weeks before |
| Destination or holiday weekend | 8 to 12 months before | 10 to 16 weeks before |
| Small or casual | 3 to 5 months before | 4 to 8 weeks before |
The reasons are in when to send wedding invitations, and the invitation timeline tool gives you a calendar file with every date.
Do you need a save the date at all?
Not always. For a small, local wedding with a short lead time, an invitation alone is enough. Send one when guests need to travel, take time off, or plan around a holiday.
How to send it
By post, by email or by text. A digital save the date costs nothing and can link straight to your site. For wording, see digital save the date wording.
Questions
When should save the dates be sent?
Six to eight months before the wedding for most weddings, and eight to twelve months before for a destination wedding.
Does a save the date need a website?
It helps. A short website lets guests find the date and places to stay, and you can add details later without sending anything new.
What goes on a save the date?
Your names, the date, the city, a link to your website and "invitation to follow".
Who gets a save the date?
Everyone you will invite. Do not send one to anyone who may not receive an invitation.