So, in an effort to pack your trousseau with more than lingerie, we're going to spill the beans about some of the not-so-pleasant things that may sneak up on you—yes, even as a blushing bride-to-be.

Marg Stark, author of What No One Tells the Bride, asked newlywed wives what they wish they had been told prior to their engagement. The responses ranged from: "I wish someone would have told me that I wasn't going to get everything I had always wanted in one man" to "I wish someone would have told me that if I wasn't happy as a single woman, I wouldn't be happy as a married woman" to "I wish someone would have told me that I could get pregnant on the honeymoon."

All of these are relatively simple thoughts, but thoughts that can often skip by the synapses of the engaged/newly-married mind. Of course you should realize that one person will never be able to fulfill all your wants and needs—only God can. Marriage doesn't cure unhappiness. And if you are a healthy, ovulating woman, you can certainly get pregnant on the honeymoon. Maybe you already knew this stuff. But did you ever hear someone say that it is normal to feel scared, unsure, confused and even doubtful about your decision to marry? And even more importantly, that these feelings needn't doom your marriage?

According to Stark, there are twelve common areas that can often derail even the most cozy fairy-tale thoughts about engagements, weddings and marriage.

INNER TURMOIL
The "Who am I now?" syndrome. Marriage is a huge life event and can seemingly blur your identity. After all, you will have just stirred your life into someone else's and everything might look a bit mixed up. Your priorities may suddenly shift and you will be forced to see the world through husband-colored glasses. But by allowing yourself lots of time to adjust and sprinkling your new life with lots of grace (along with maybe hanging on to that teddy bear your mom gave you in the first grade), you will be able to forge this new path with assurance that you didn't really lose yourself back at the church.