Wedding Planner

Has anyone out there ever planned a wedding? It's a rhetorical question, because I know most people have; but yet, it seems like I'm the only one who doesn't know about any of the details that go into having a wedding. My fiancee and I got engaged in January, and we've been planning for what is suppose to be the best day of our lives ever since. To my surprise, a wedding includes more than a justice of the peace, bridesmaids, food, and a DJ. For example, did you know that you have to send a "Save-the-date" card.?I thought those were called invitations. It seems you have to remind people to save that date and later on send an invitation as to why they're saving the date. Now I could understand if it was some sort of surprise, if people didn't know what they were saving the date for. Like, "hey I got a save-the-date card from Huguens. I wonder what the bastard's got up his sleeves now? That Huguens-- always planning something." But it's not. The date and the event are on the same card, you know, sort of like an invitation. What if someone receives a save-the-date card without an invitation to follow? Because you know its seems inevitable you'll be invited. Is that date now in limbo? Do you continue to save the date? For how long? When is it OK to go ahead and make plans? Do you go anyways, because you did save the date and all? I wonder what chain of events inspired the save-the-date card in the first place. Were people getting upset when they received their invitations with just three months notice? Who were the people saying, " Damn it! Their wedding is on the 15th of August. I've made plans with Delila since February. Wish we had a way of knowing ahead of time to protect that date."
I suggested we call everyone to remind them or just blog it: "August 15 don't forget"; but that was thrown out like the rest of my ideas.