Confessions of a wedding planner: Samantha Goldberg has orchestrated the nuptials of hundreds of couples. And because she works intimately with soon-to-be-hitched duos, she knows what makes and breaks lasting love. Listen in as she spills the five signs that a marriage will crash and burn.(TOTALLY COSMO)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I plan 50 to 80 weddings per year. And let me tell you, I've dealt with all types of brides--from those who were more obsessed with me than with their fiance because they had seen me on the Style Network's Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? to women who called the whole thing off with just a week to go.

Crazy brides aside, planning such a big day means I get to witness behaviors that a couple doesn't always reveal to others. And over the years, I've deduced that certain actions--as trivial as they may seem--are predictors of whether a couple will live happily ever after or bite the dust. These red flags that pop up during the planning process tell me a couple doesn't have a shot in hell at making it.

The Bride Refuses to Let the Groom Choose the Cake

It's true: Brides are almost always more interested in the minutiae of wedding planning than grooms are. But when I encounter a woman who refuses to relinquish any control to her fiance, it doesn't bode well. I can think of a few instances in which the woman ruled the event with an iron fist and the couple ended up in divorce court a few years later. Basically, they weren't able to make decisions together.

On the flip side, it's a positive sign when a bride takes the time to understand which part of the wedding is most important to her groom and then gives him full say in that area. A couple I worked with years ago--who happen to still be very happily married serves as an example. He couldn't have cared less about the flowers, color palette, and hors d'oeuvres, but he was completely obsessed with the cake. When it came time for the tasting, the bride said, "Let's get whatever you want." Whether it's the cake, the photographer, the open bar, whatever, a bride who lets her almost-hubby have some say proves she's empathetic, and a guy who wants his taste to count shows he's not aloof both necessary traits for the relationship to pan out.

The Groom Lets His Mom Cell the Shots