Last week, I was on the train sitting next to a couple that was going to marry the next day. They were both wearing “bride” and “groom” sunglasses. They were smacking on gum and they had their feet up on the train seats next to them. The bride-to-be was scrolling through some pictures on her phone and the groom-to-be was looking on—commenting, and cheesing.

They were in bliss.

When I saw the sunglasses, I immediately congratulated them and opened up a book to do some reading.

After a few minutes the groom asked me if I had any advice for them once he noticed my wedding ring.

I love being asked that question as a personal finance coach.

I didn’t have much time to give them my advice because we were approaching their stop, but here are three of the major pieces of advice I gave to them or would give to any couple looking for a place to start with their finances once they combine lives and budgets.

1. Make amassing wealth a priority in your finances.

When I asked about their financial plan, the wife joked and said to her husband, “Hey, you better make a lot of money.” I honestly hope that they were just living off the fumes of pre-wedding bliss in that moment and had talked about their financial future before their big day.

Couples that don’t sit down and talk about how much they want to earn, save, invest, and tithe (for those that subscribe to tithing), then they will suffer a big blow in terms of using their youth and time to maximize their earning and saving potential.

On top of that, it is always more tempting and much easier to spend than save, so if, as a couple, you are not making shared decisions about your financial daily behaviors, you will be doomed to a shared life of living from paycheck to paycheck and drowning in debt.

2. Set up banking systems and structures that work for where you are in your marriage.

There is this ongoing debate about the “correct” or “ideal” number of bank accounts a married couple should have. And I personally think half of the debate is rubbish.

Based on your religious beliefs, personal experiences with the opposite sex and money, how you view money in terms of matrimony, and your current financial circumstances, you and your spouse-to-be’s shared approach to banking systems and structures will vary greatly from the next couple’s.

It will also vary as you both get to know one another more intimately as you grow in your marriage. So, if you want to start with keeping everything separate, then do it. If you want to maintain your individual accounts and establish shared checking and savings accounts, then do it.

If you want to put all of your money in one big bucket, then do it.

Don’t let anyone else’s views on money and marriage force you to do something that neither one is comfortable with.

3. Start saving as soon as possible.

The term “honeymoon” phase is such a misnomer. Aside from the many adjustments you will have to make as a new couple, especially if you haven’t lived together first, it’s important to know that the world doesn’t stop for you and doesn’t stop throwing you curve balls (or dropping anvils) just because you are newly married.

Within the first year of my marriage, my husband experienced a layoff and I was all types of sick. Each of these life occurrences had financial implications. Luckily, my husband and I could sustain ourselves with the loss of income and most of my illness was covered by my insurance.

But what if we weren’t lucky?

I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer; I’m just giving you a bigger picture of how important goal-setting, communication, and action-planning is when money and love mix.

Newly married couples have to expect the best but plan for the worst when it comes to making sense of their finances as a couple.

BMWK- What other advice would you give to newlyweds about money and marriage?