Each year, millions of couples wed, and millions of relationships - involving brides, grooms, families, and friends-are undermined by power struggles, fights, and stress before the big event arrives. Often overrun by others' demands, couples may be too exhausted to experience the outpouring of love meant for them. Now savvy brides and grooms can turn to The Smart Couple's Guide to the Wedding of Your Dreams for a new and personally empowering perspective. Written specifically for the couple, this book encourages and supports both the bride and groom in exploring their deepest dreams for what they want throughout their entire wedding journey--from engagement through the honeymoon. Illustrated by nearly 150 real-life wedding stories contributed by brides, grooms, and couples--some that took place in small backyards, some on mountain tops; one at $600, another at more than a million--each chapter walks you through easy, practical steps that help you make your special wedding vision come true, whether you want a traditional ceremony or one that is quirky and offbeat. Co-written by nationally acclaimed relationship experts who designed their entire wedding nearly eighteen years ago and are still happily married, the book helps the two of you focus on the romance, meaning, and joy of the occasion while saving you from stress and frustration by showing you how to make informed choices together. Rather than a wedding planner, each chapter shows the two of you how to express your style, so that you can define and design your wedding on your own terms. As a bonus, your partnered planning process and mutually developed decision-making skills also help the two of you establish a precedent for a long and happy marriage.