Honeymoon Planning: First Steps
Honeymooners have endless options. Following months of wedding planning, couples often retreat to a luxurious resort that caters to their every need, while others trek to an adventurous escape from their day-to-day lives. Whether a beach vacation, a cruise or a ski trip, the honeymoon should reflect your joint personality and wishes.
Keep in mind that perfect honeymoons don't just happen, and planning requires thoughtfulness, patience, careful attention to details, and a lot of decision-making along the way. The more homework you do before leaving for your honeymoon, the more you will enjoy your special vacation. A travel professional that holds a “specialist designation” in your destination of choice has gone through extensive training in a particular destination and will be most helpful. Ask to see credentials. Your travel planner should be able to point out the locations traditionally considered the greatest spots to honeymoon and top many newlyweds' travel wish lists.
If you and your fiancé are just beginning to think about your honeymoon plans, a good place to start is agreeing on a specific destination. A recommended way to do this is to sit down together and compile a list of your top dream vacations. It's easy to get overwhelmed at this stage, since you have so many possibilities, but you can narrow down the options by deciding if you'd prefer a tropical beach, big city, or a place known for adventure travel. Speak with your travel consultant about all of your honeymoon ideas, and consider including adventurous and unusual travel themes along with more popular options like mass market cruises and all-inclusive resorts.
Once you've decided where you want to go, your next step is to make a budget. The cost of your honeymoon will, of course, be the sum total of the accommodations, activities, transportation, meals, tips, souvenirs and other travel costs. Be candid with your travel consultant to make your honeymoon economically comfortable.
When considering your budget, know that all-inclusive resorts take care of most of your meals, athletic equipment, and tips. Some also include liquor and bar costs as well as resort-specific activities. These arrangements vary widely, however, with some including roundtrip airfare, so find out exactly what is and is not included in the price.
Once you have a budget, decide when to go and for how long. It's usually a good idea to give yourself a day or two to continue the honeymoon after returning home, before you head back to work and settle into your everyday life.
Don't forget to research the travel documents you might need for your honeymoon as well. Your travel consultant will assist with the necessary documentation, including documentation of your recent name change!
Be diligent about keeping copies of all correspondence, confirmation numbers, and invoices given to you by your travel consultant. Double- and triple-check all the plans to be sure that your departure and return dates are correct. Inform everyone along the way that you're traveling on your honeymoon, so you don't miss out on complimentary perks. Stay organized by creating a folder or notebook where you can keep all this information.
One last bit of advice: Have realistic expectations throughout the course of planning and taking your honeymoon trip. While it's only natural for you to want your honeymoon to be perfect, bear in mind that travel is inherently an adventure. Approach your honeymoon with an open mind, and prepare to have plenty of laughs along the way. There really are endless possibilities for honeymooners. Whether you decide to go on an exotic foreign expedition or visit a nearby luxurious resort, start planning early to make sure you're right where you want to be... and then Bon Voyage!
