Want to know how the marriage is going to go? Check out the wedding planning, so say husband-and-wife psychologists Judith Sherven and Jim Sniekowski. The husband-and-wife psychologists say the march to the wedding provides a lot of clues on the marriage itself.

They provide help on ways to avoid the angst, debt, and contentiousness in The Smart Couple's Guide to the Wedding of Your Dreams. Sherven and Sniekowski believe that wedding planning can bring you closer together as you plan an event that's unique and relevant to you as a couple.

The process begins with a questionnaire that explores such issues as financial objectives, religious practices, physical fitness, "Are you a spender or a saver?" "What do you believe about God?" "How important is your/your spouse's physical appearance?"

Afraid to ask? Better you get the answers to those questions before rather than after.

Pass that hurdle, then it's on to the actual wedding planning. Sherven and Sniekowski provide tips on tailoring your wedding so it fits you as well as a couture gown. Some examples:

Write Your Own Vows
Split up the topics according to your interests. Figure out which ones you will say alone, and which vows you will say as a couple.

Remembering Those Who Are Gone
Blow up photos of your departed loved ones and place them in an honored location. Bring along a keepsake from a loved one (a Bible or a teddy bear) and seat the item in a chair of honor.

Get With The Program
Use the wedding program to list more than the title of the harpist's solo. Spell out how you met. Explain the significance of ceremony rituals. Include a photo of your first date.

The book ends with the honeymoon, which is just the beginning of happily ever after if you planned for it.

Review by Lena Nozizwe, author of  Starring In Your Own Life