You've finally decided to tie the knot and now comes the all important decision about exactly when you should venture down the aisle. Will the wedding be a kiss or a quack? With a little foresight and these handy tips, you can look forward to as perfect a day as you can make it and of course give your marriage an excellent chance of going the distance.

So you're engaged - congratulations! Now that you have decided to tie the knot, one of your first steps is going to be selecting a date.

People who don't know how to use astrology assume that one date is just as good as another. They choose according to the weather or travel conditions. Without a doubt, these are important considerations. But we who understand astrology, even a little bit, know that some days are just better than others for important events. And we include the planets in our plans as well.

Astrological wisdom holds that the beginning of something, whether a human life or a formal partnership, is a crucial moment which contains within it the seeds of what is to come. It pays to know in advance whether there will be a "hallelujah chorus" or a trainwreck in the sky (or something in-between) on the day of your celebration. As above, so below.

While astrology cannot guarantee the newly joined couple will see their golden anniversary, having a good astrological date is excellent insurance that the caterer shows up, the flowers are perfect, and everything goes as planned.

This good day then becomes the marriage chart for the newlyweds - they are off to a good start.

The same principles apply to all commitment ceremonies, legally recognized or not, gay or straight. The planets do not discriminate.

The basics

1. Plan the union for an easygoing day. We all know that there are days when everyone seems to be in an easy mood (kiss), and there are days when folks are more tightly wound (quack). As above, so below - these "kisses and quacks" show up in the heavens, and we can look ahead to see what the planets will be doing on a potential wedding day. You need some kind of astrological calendar to find this.
2. We have individual kiss and quack days as well. As the planets move around the skies, they "zing" areas that are sensitive just for you - shown by your birth chart. Some of these transits are easy, and others are difficult. Maximize easy, peaceful transits, and minimize harsh ones for both partners.
3. The strongest planets flavor the chart most powerfully. Make sure the benefics, Venus and Jupiter, are well-placed and in good shape in the wedding chart.

Good

• Waxing Moon trine or sextile Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, or Neptune. Moon conjunct Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune.
• Venus is strongest in the signs of her rulership and exaltation: Taurus, Libra, Cancer and Pisces.
• One of the easiest ways to strengthen the chart is to pick a time when Venus or Jupiter is close to the Midheaven or 7th house cusp of the chart. The Midheaven is especially important.
• Venus (love) trine or sextile Saturn (stability, endurance and tradition). Other planets in easy aspect to Saturn are also good. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter.
• Venus, Sun, Moon, Mercury, or Saturn trine, sextile, conjunct, or opposite Jupiter is lucky, optimistic and bounces back from trouble easily. Mars with Jupiter is especially lucky.
• Venus conjunct, trine, sextile or opposite Mars supports a healthy sex life.
• Venus, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, or Saturn in easy aspect to Neptune supports compassion and spiritual growth.

Avoid

• Venus retrograde
• Waning or void of course Moon
• Venus conjunct, square or opposite Saturn. Saturn stabilizes but can be like a wet blanket on Venus. It may work if there are other planets in supportive aspects (trine, sextile) to the conjunction or opposition. You definitely don't want anything else squaring it.
• Moon conjunct or square Mars, Saturn, or Pluto.
• Venus in the signs of her detriment and fall: Scorpio, Aries, Capricorn and Virgo. These signs may work if Venus is very well aspected, strongly placed, and in harmony with both natal charts.
• Mars under stress (squares, oppositions, some conjunctions) is passionate and sexual, but can also indicate fighting and arguments.
• Saturn, Uranus, or Mars in an angular house (unless Mars is conjunct Venus).

Finer points

• Having the rulers of the 1st and 7th houses in a favorable aspect is good.
• If you can't put Venus or Jupiter on an angle, see if you can put the Venus/Jupiter midpoint there.

Unfortunately, we can't arrange the planets to our liking. We have to work with the planets and what they are doing, and there is no perfect chart. A few klunkers are unavoidable. In fact, a chart without klunkers tends to be weak and lacks focus. Imagine how boring life would be if there were only sweet, and no bitter.

But you don't want the klunkers driving the bus in your marriage chart. Let's say in your chart the Moon trines Venus - good! But she squares Uranus - hmmm... The thing to do here is look for a time when Venus is in an angular house and Uranus is not. Remember, the angular houses are much more powerful. Planets in angular houses "have the microphone." In a harmonious wedding chart the stronger, happier planets hold the mike.