Debra McClinton

Financial Questions to Ask Your Spouse Before the Wedding

Are you a spender? Is he a saver? Here's how to work out your financial plan now.

7. Do you use credit cards for everyday expenses?

Using credit cards for everyday expenditures, such as lunch, does not show a wise use of dollars. If the credit-card bill is not paid in full every month, you could get slammed with interest fees.

8. Do you pay your credit-card balance in full each month?

If so, this shows that you or your partner has control over spending and credit-card use. If the answer is no, encourage him to pay as much as possible each month, or do so yourself, if this has not been your habit. Making only the required minimum payments can show that you don’t have adequate control over your credit or the means to manage it.

9. Have you ever maxed out your credit cards?

Spending to the limit may negatively affect your debt-to-credit ratio on your credit reports and, again, can show that your partner is not well prepared financially or organized.

10. Do you do research before making major purchases?

A man who does his homework before making big purchases knows he can save a lot of money and get a quality product. If you are the one doing all the research, it will impress him to know how savvy you are.

11. Do you keep receipts?

It’s important to save receipts for accounting purposes, especially around tax time. They are also invaluable in helping you keep track of your spending and accounts.

12. What are your debts?

You don’t marry just the person; you also marry his debts and financial obligations. Find out about any debts or liens your fiancé may have acquired, which will affect your own financial status and future.

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Creative Guest-Book Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with setting out a traditional guest book at the reception for friends and family to sign, but you’ll probably slide it onto the bookshelf and never look at it again. Here, a few innovative options:

Place a variety of note cards and paper on a table so guests can write short letters. Seal them, then open them on your first anniversary.
Provide a stack of construction-paper strips―like the kind used in grade school to make paper chains―and ask each guest to write a message on one link that he or she then attaches to the chain. Beginning the day after your honeymoon, remove a link and read it together to relive your big day.
Buy a coffee table cook. If you’re looking for something a bit more personal than a standard guest book but you just don’t have the time (or the skills) to make something yourself, buy a coffee-table book that has beautiful imagery of something of significance to you or your wedding. You could find a photography book of your wedding location (the mountains of Colorado), where you plan to honeymoon (Italian countryside), or a favorite children’s book (Good Night Moon). Set it on a table with Sharpie markers for guests to customize.

Get more guest-book ideas.

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Quick Tip

If you would rather forgo tradition, the wording of the invitation can be as creative as you want: Think meaningful quotations, song lyrics, or any other phrases that will give your guests a sense of the style of your wedding. Just don’t forget to include the basics. Get more wedding advice.

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