Stress, love, and a whole lot of Spanx; in other words, wedding season. That time when two individuals tie the knot in a legal, tax-paying union. And what better way to celebrate this new matrimony than with a vacation of sorts to break free from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This vacation has been dubbed the honeymoon. Thousands upon thousands of new couples embark on joyous trips to all inclusive honeymoon resorts and far away destinations each and every year.
Whether you’re in the chaotic midst of planning your wedding, or you have happily tied the knot, it is never too early to begin planning for that special honeymoon. In fact, there are a few basic steps that you can take to ensure everything flows as smoothly as possible.
First and foremost, you need to determine your budget. If you were successful in planning and executing that fairytale wedding, then chances are good that your bank account will reflect it. Therefore, it may be a wise decision to create a financial plan for your honeymoon well in advance. If you are working with a somewhat limited budget, then don’t fret as there are plenty of hotels, resorts and getaways, suited to match just about every budget. There are a few ways to save though. First, you could plan your trip for the “off-season,” when hotels and airlines slash their prices to attract more people. Or, if you’re able to book your honeymoon well ahead of time, some airlines and cruise ships will offer discounted rates.
The financial planning is generally the most meticulous and stressful part of the process. Once that is out of the way, you can start planning out the finer details—the activities and sights—of your trip. However, an unspoken rule of honeymoons is to relax and unwind for the first couple of days. So take the first two or three days of your trip and be lazy. From there, you can determine what the rest of the honeymoon will entail. Factor in your budget to see what is feasible. Depending on where you go, the activities are quite abundant. For instance, a romantic honeymoon in Italy may call for authentic Tuscan cooking classes, or a tropical resort vacation in the Caribbean may just beckon for you and your new spouse to take up scuba diving.
While you’re planning your honeymoon agenda, be sure to take into consideration the weather and, ultimately, the season. Naturally, rain can put a damper on most things, especially if they’re outdoors. However, what a lot of couples fail to recognize is that while it may be a hot summer day where they are currently, it may be cold and wintry in their honeymoon destination. It all just depends on the location. As we all know, seasons can affect a number of aspects. Summer draws in crowds and hot weather, while winter can just be miserable all around (unless skiing is your thing). So plan your honeymoon accordingly as you could wind up in a spring break nightmare filled with thousands of hormonal teenagers. Who wants that, right?
While not necessary, I am going to leave you with a little piece of advice that helped me—hire a travel agent. Think about it! You just spend hours upon hours of time and energy planning a perfect wedding. That entailed everything from picking a venue to duking it out with your spouse over which flowers to choose. That might make planning a honeymoon feel like more work than it has to be. So instead of planning it yourself, let an expert plan it for you. Not only are most travel agents up-to-date on some of the best honeymoon locations, but they are also well equipped to find deals and discounts to save you as much money as possible. Also, some travel agents have longstanding relationships with hotels, concierges, and so on. What that means is that you could end up with additional perks (ex: chocolate on the pillow, rose petals, etc.) on top of everything else.
So remember, no wedding is ever truly complete without an unforgettable honeymoon accompanying it. Whether you travel all the way overseas or just 50 miles up the road, a honeymoon is your chance to spend quality time with your significant other. Besides, depending on your work life, who knows how much of that you will get in the future. So follow these steps and you will have the basic foundation for a perfect honeymoon. The finer details will come naturally.
