You’ve finally decided to take the plunge and get new kitchen cabinets. It’s almost as exciting as getting married—if you’ve been married a while, you should be giggling with glee. All that excitement might mean overlooking a few things; that’s why it’s important to keep this list of questions handy for cabinet design team.

What will the cabinets be made of?

Kitchen cabinets can be made of all sorts of materials these days. To get your money’s worth make sure your cabinet boxes are made from a solid wood core, and your cabinet faces are made from a solid hardwood. Particle board from 20 years ago may be cheap, but it won’t get you very far. Remember: You get time to test drive a new spouse through the dating process; there isn’t a similar process for new cabinets.

How are my cabinets being assembled?

You’ve probably seen or used a drill, a staple gun, a hammer, and a screwdriver before. The tools used to assemble your cabinets make a difference. Cabinets that are simply stapled together aren’t structurally sound, and won’t last very long. You want to be sure that all of the right glues and screws are used for cabinet construction. Side note: cat fur doesn’t count as an assembly solution, either.

Where and how will my cabinets be finished?

A small bit of strange discomfort comes with getting your kitchen cabinets replaced, refinished or refaced. After all, you might be missing cabinets, or their faces, for a few days. But you’ll want to make sure the paint and glue jobs aren’t to be done in your house. Remember: The mess and the smell of cabinets finished in your house will make you forget all that giddy “newlywed-esque” joy.

What am I receiving with my cabinets?

It might seem strange to ask what you’re receiving with your cabinets. But you’ll want to know the shelves, pulls, handles, drawers, bins, etc. are included to your specifications. Ask for detailed drawings of custom kitchen cabinet solutions. Think about it: A wedding comes with plenty of gifts. You don’t want your cabinets to come empty.

Are you going to uninstall the current cabinets and install the new ones?

If you’re having custom cabinets made, or you’ve paid for cabinet refacing or cabinet refinishing, it’s easy to assume deinstallation of the old and installation of the new is included. And it should be. But it’s always best to check. You don’t want to be stuck doing some of the hardest labor on your own. Remember: You hire a kitchen cabinet design firm for the same reason you hire a wedding planner…so that you can enjoy the outcome and avoid the hard parts.

Getting new kitchen cabinets, or refacing or refinishing the ones you have, should absolutely feel like planning a wedding—with all of the excitement and none of the stress. Keep this questions list handy to keep yourself feeling like a newlywed or soon-to-be-wed through the whole process.