First: Break open the good Champagne. But you knew that already. OK, so once you’ve both had a few glasses (and sobered up again), talk turkey. With a clear head, have a serious discussion about finances with your spouse-to-be, says Nihara Choudhri, the author of What to Do Before I Do (Sphinx, $15, www.amazon.com). Cover income and assets but, even more important, also debts and liabilities. Ask about credit-card debt, student-loan debt, any loans from friends and family, and mortgage debt. Know that “if your spouse has preexisting debt and you combine your assets, your own finances can be at risk,” she says.

Then: Consult a financial planner to help you develop a mutually agreeable strategy for merging your finances — or keeping them separate. (Or, if it delivers peace of mind, have a lawyer draw up a prenuptial agreement.) “Couples who postpone talking about money before the wedding pay heavily later,” says Chicago psychiatrist and couples specialist Dan Haycraft.