Stacey Dyer wasn’t what the wedding industry would describe as a traditional bride—she hadn’t spent her childhood dreaming of her big day, she shied away from pastels and glitter, and she wanted her groom to have an equal part in the process. So instead of relying on industry intel, she forged her own path using the same skills that help her as a local UX designer for websites and apps. “The only way I survived was by using stuff in software design,” Dyer says. Now she’s sharing that wisdom with other couples in the throes of wedding planning as the creator of AstroWed: The Universe’s Most Kickass Wedding Planning Workbook, a comedic space-themed guide with a color palette and illustrations inspired by visual research Dyer conducted during a visit to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The gender-neutral, LGBTQ-friendly workbook may be fun—couples designate planets in their Priority Galaxy and work together to fight off ’Zillas—but it’s also a practical guide to project management that aims to help users identify potential problems in advance. “All the stress comes from unexpected surprises in the negative way,” Dyer says, noting that the book begins with a look at the science behind why we stress. And for those who don’t even know where to start, there are color-coded timelines, checklists and even a color scheme laboratory informed by Dyer’s background in graphic design.

More than 150 couples have already used AstroWed to plan their weddings, a number expected to grow as new offerings roll out in the coming months. Free non-traditional wedding planning workshops covering decision making, budgets, family expectations and wedding expos kick off on Nov. 2. A “DIY Wedding Décor + More” blog series will also debut in November, and a Top 10 Wedding Decisions podcast is in production. For Dyer, it’s all about helping couples have some fun before the celebration, not just on the big day. “If you think of it like you’re planning one big awesome party, you’ll be a little bit more like, ‘OK, my shoulders can go back. The Zen will come.’ ”

Listen Up! Stacey Dyer shared a few more of her wedding planning tips.

On the biggest mistake couples make: “From a fundamental perspective, it’s that this day is going to be perfect, that every ounce of it is going to be perfect. It’s not. Shit’s going to go wrong! Things are going to happen, but if you can get ahead of them by thinking before, then you’ll be far more at ease and ready.”

On catering to the crowd: “[My husband and I] were going to curate all these playlists…and then we sat down and were like, ‘None of this music is for us. The only music that’s for us is the music we picked to walk down the aisle and dance to.’ Once we realized that, we got on the phone with the DJ and were like, ‘Dude, just do your thing. Play the hits, don’t play these five songs, call it a day.’ ”

On remembering what’s important: “The day is so that you can marry the person that you love. Regardless of religion, regardless of whatever else you’ve got going on in your life, celebrate you two and this party that you’re having to bring people together.”