re: Custodial Account Funds- Schwab

Make sure you max out your Roth first. You can withdraw your Roth contributions at any time. If you fully fund a Roth for twenty years or so you could withdraw $130 K to pay for weddings, or college, or whatever. If you will be over 59 1/2 at that time, you'd have full access to your Roth tax free. It makes absolutely no sense to save for them until you have done this, other, than of course, to teach them about savings and investing, but you wanted to keep this secret?

Alternatively, if you have plenty of money in an IRA now, convert a chunk of it to Roth. You can get it in five years if you are younger than 59.5. It will then grow for 20+ years and if you don't like the dude (hopefully) she picks, you don't have to give her anything and in the meantime the growth will be in your Roth.

Start a Roth for your wife also.

The Roth is a great fit to a situation like this because all alternatives use after tax money, so the tax implications are pretty much the same. The best solution might actually be to maximize your tax deferred 401K and IRA options, and then convert the money to Roth you anticipate needing at least five years before you need it. Gives you maximum flexibility, with maybe maximum tax advantage.