Right now, you and your husband-to-be are busy planning your wedding, but you should also remember that what you're really planning for is your future as a married couple. As you'll be the ones taking care of each other for the rest of your lives, it's good to know each other's medical backgrounds and find out how to prevent possible health risks. Plus you might be planning to start a family somewhere down the road--getting a pre-marriage check up is one way of preparing yourselves for having children. Below are some health check ups you might want to accomplish as part of your wedding preparations.

• General physical exam
  

  Find out your blood group, family medical history and potential health risks. These tests are especially important with regard to starting a family, since knowing your blood group and family medical history will help address situations that may arise when you start to have children.

• General gynecology exam
  

  Whether or not you plan to have kids, a general gynecology exam will be advantageous to you. It's helpful to know early on whether there could be abnormalities that might lead to serious diseases--such as cervical cancer--or complications during pregnancy.

• Genetic testing
  

  Find out whether there are conditions that run in either side of the family, as doing so would allow you to anticipate any illnesses that might be passed on to your children. In preparation for having kids, genetic testing also helps determine whether you and your husband-to-be are genetically compatible.

• STD, HIV or AIDS exam
  

  These tests are usually for couples who are sexually active or have been sexually active with previous partners. Getting tested for sexually-transmitted diseases, HIV or the AIDS virus may make you feel uncomfortable, but finding out early on will allow you to address any situation appropriately.

At the end of any of these tests, whether the results have come up clean or either of you will need treatment for anything, make sure to talk to your hubby-to-be about the results so you can deal with the situation together. And when you exchange your "I do's," you'll both be ready for the future, in sickness and in health.