Do we really need those?

Like a dutiful bride-to-be, after getting engaged, I immediately began researching what I needed to do and by when.  I looked at a whole bunch of checklists and timelines from a couple different sources, eager to make sure that I wasn't falling behind in the wedding planning mayhem.  Most of the items were straightforward, and I had no problem tackling them right away.  Get a church?  Sure.  Book a reception spot?  No problem.  Pick your bridal party?  Got it.  However, one item kind of gave me pause, since I'm not fully convinced it's a necessary step in wedding planning.

Image via Wedding Planning Checklist

That item?  Save the dates.  For those of you who don't scour wedding blogs like it's your friggin' job, save the dates are little cards sent out approximately six months before your wedding date.  You send these cards to anyone who is invited to the wedding, giving guests a heads-up of exactly which date they should keep free on their calendars (in case you couldn't figure THAT one out), and helping out-of-town guests get a head start on booking any travel or lodging accommodations they may need for the wedding.

Sure, sure, they sound practical and nice and all that jazz.  However, here's my dilemma.  Pretty much all of our out-of-town guests (now called OOTers) know we're getting married and where and when it's happening.  Most OOTers are college friends or relatives who are pretty in-the-loop with wedding stuff.  Do I really need to shell out the time, money, and energy to create these cards so people can see information on a piece of paper that they already have in their brains?  And if they are a bit hazy on the details, is it fair game to just email them and sort it out on a case-by-case basis?  Maybe I'm a stick in the mud, or maybe I'm lazy, but a decent-sized part of me sees STDs (hee hee, I have the maturity of a five-year-old) as unnecessary time-suckers and money-wasters.

Buuuuuut on the other hand, I've recently discovered that STDs can be really cute and surprisingly not that expensive.  If you go with a popular printing site like Snapfish or VistaPrint, they are quick to make, too, since you pretty much pick a format, fill in the blanks, and *BOOM*, STDs!   

Image via Wedding Paper Divas / Photo by Photorange Photography

 

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Kristin Vining

Image via Brooklyn Bride / Photo by Bright Fizz Photo

Maybe I'm getting sucked in by the wedding industry; while I still don't think STDs are necessary in our case, I think they could be super fun and a cute little wedding project for me.  What do you think?  Should my clearer head prevail and I scrap the whole STD phenomenon, or should I join the masses of other brides who fall victim to the excitement of kicking off wedding festivities many, many months in advance?