"Now, I don’t want to seem as a critic of the bridal princess dream. I must admit that I truly fantasize about having an extraordinary wedding gown and love all the beautiful little things that make a wedding so appalling."

Appalling means disgusting. Something that elicits a strong negative reaction. I dunno about you, but aren't weddings supposed to be good things?

Malapropism aside, you're exactly right in pretty much everything you write here. I just got married last month, and both my wife and I wanted nothing to do with the corporate wedding monstrosity. Thankfully, we both thought on the same wavelength. We knew what we wanted, and we sought to make sure each other had the best day possible. (Hint: it was!)

But I've known couples like the ones you describe. When they don't communicate, when they don't talk through things, it does not bode well for the couple. Sounds like you've figured that out, yourself!