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Not sure if you should tell him how much the wedding cake costs? Avoid huge financial arguments by being up front about money before you're married.

Lying to a partner about how much something cost is all too common (the wedding flowers were only $250, honest!). Couples need to be up-front with each other before the wedding, says Dayana Yochim, investment adviser at MotleyFool.com, because this will set the tone for your marriage. Don’t hide bills or expenses from each other—and don’t hide debt. “It can be a real shocker when people discover after the wedding that their partner has a bad credit rating,” she says. “People find it more difficult to talk about money than sex.” One option is for newlyweds to open a joint account for household expenses and decide how much each should contribute, based upon income. Each partner should also have a separate account to use for personal must-haves.

Another option: Some couples make a pact that, as individuals, they can spend, say, $100, without consulting the other; anything over that, they must discuss. Or they might agree on not going over a set amount each week. “Couples need to decide what’s comfortable for them,” Yochim says, “so that neither of you needs to lie or feel guilty.” By talking these things through before the wedding planning begins, she adds, you’ll be removing a source of tension and doing your relationship a huge favor.