As the variety of responses to your question show, there are many opinions. I would say first of all that I personally really prefer free-standing tents. Of course you do still have to stake them down, but they don't sag as much, which is convenient, especially for camping on places like beaches.
Myself, I have 2 tents (well 3: for sentimental reasons, I can't bring myself to get rid of my old one person Windy Pass aka N Face, which sheltered me for so many years, even though I never use it anymore) First, I have a one person Big Agnes Copper Spur. But for 2 person camping, I like my REI Quarter Dome: It is fairly cheap (especially during REI's sales), really spacious inside, pretty light for two people and even light enough that I sometimes use for my solo trips, especially if I'm expecting crappy weather (it was nice during a light snowstorm in Denali last year, for eg). Plus, I really like the fact that it has 2 roomy vestibules, very convenient with two people sharing it. You can get lighter tents, but it isn't that heavy.