When STD's are a good idea

Wedding acronyms are everywhere online. Most are self explanatory, but some can be slightly confusing. 

Since most of my FH's family, most our BP, almost all our friends will be coming OOT to the wedding, and we are getting married in a popular wedding month, STD's are essential. 

Did you understand what I said?

Since most of my future husbands family, most of our bridal party, almost all our friends will be coming out of town to the wedding, and we are getting married in a popular wedding month, save the dates are essential. 

So now lets chat about STD's! 

Save the dates are cards sent to potential wedding guests ahead of your formal invitations. This pre-invitation mailing officially announces your wedding date and lets guests know that they will, in fact, be invited to the celebration. Their purpose is literally to ask guests to "save the wedding date" and not book another event on that date. Of course, you don't have to send one if you don't want, but it will give guests the heads up about your wedding plans. Between travel arrangements and busy schedules, sending a save-the-date will increase guests' chances of attending your celebration. And that's the goal, right?

Save the dates are usually sent out six months to a year before the wedding. They are especially important for a destination wedding, a wedding with a large number of out-of-town guests, or a wedding around a holiday. Save the Dates provide guests sufficient time to make travel arrangements, and may even include information about the nearest airports and hotel blocks. They do not need to include much more than Who, What, Where, When, and your wedding website.

If you choose to include a picture of you two on your save the date, its nice to have taken your engagement pictures and use them. I knew that I wanted to take snowy engagement pictures and since Nate and I will be sending our save the dates in September, that meant we had to take our pictures this winter - a whole 18 months earlier than our wedding! 

So one snowy day in December, Jennifer, Nate, and I headed up to Camp Roganunda (which is empty and for sale!) - and here are some of our engagement pictures!

Here are some of my favorite sites for save the dates : Wedding Paper Divas, Minted, and Magnetstreet. 

And here is a helpful cheat sheet, if wedding acronyms are confusing you. 

So what are you doing? Are you planning on sending out STD's?