I myself am getting married this year in July - a small restaurant in Rockville Centre on Long Island - informal, less traditional, and hopefully, less expensive! Anyway, after conducting close to 500 weddings, you'd think that I would understand what couples are going through as they plan their weddings! After all, I meet with most of them, and I always ask how they met, how they got engaged, how the wedding planning is going, etc. But I discovered what I should have realized already, that there is no substitute for experiencing something yourself! Now I'm the one asking the vendors "How much?" too soon in the conversation. I'm the one who shoves all the wedding planning papers into one big envelope (and where IS that envelope?) Now we're the ones who don't have a venue six months before the ceremony - and who keep having nightmares that go something like this, "Wait, did we get the wedding license?" (said as the bridal party gathers at the church) No wonder so many couples forget to prepare for the marriage itself! Now I understand. So, couples, you have my sympathy, my empathy, and whatever else might be left of me when this is over. I just keep repeating that quote from Herman Melville, "A smooth sea never made a successful sailor." I'm sure that applies.