Possibly the most fun part of weddings. The part where you and your new husband are alone in a fun destination, well, you will have champagne to keep you company but otherwise it is just you and your new spouse. The honeymoon is so called because the first month of marriage is supposed to be the sweetest. It is also a well-deserved break after the stress of planning a wedding. Wichita Falls Wedding Photography. The honeymoon will require budgeting and planning just like the wedding did, but the true beauty of it is that there is only you and your spouse to please. That does not mean it will be easy however. My husband and I could not agree on where to have our honeymoon, we just wanted to go to different places. In the end either one of you or both of you may have to compromise.
Book as far in advance as you can, this will save you money. It will also help to make sure people know you are newlyweds. You should at least get some free champagne.
A sit down to decide where you both want to go is the best way to get things started. You may both have ideas of where you want to go or you might want to get some travel magazines or go on the internet. Decide what type of honeymoon you want and what will suit your personalities. Are you both active or do you just want a beach holiday? Will you want lots of activities and things to see and do or just a nice, relaxing time with a cocktail in hand? Do you want to be hot or cold? If you decide what type of honeymoon you want it will be much easier to decide where to go.
The next key thing to think about is seasons. If you have a travel agent then they will know when to go where. If not then it is time to research on the internet.
January
South Africa, Chile, India, Burma, Australia, Kenya, Cambodia, Thailand, Barbados, Maldives, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Canada, New Mexico, Belize, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Laos, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Ivory Coast or Nigeria.
February
Morocco, Marrakech, Atlas Mountains, Canary Islands, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Oman, Dubai, Jordan, The Gambia, Caribbean, Cuba, Venice, Egypt,
Northern India, Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia, Bali, Galapagos Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Moscow, Colorado, Norway, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Utah, Miami.
March
South Korea, Japan, Miami, Cape Town, Manila, Maldives, Malaysia, Mexico, Berlin, Panama, Costa Rica, Western Australia, California, Hong Kong, Ireland, France, Austria, Tuscany, Rome, Barcelona, Cuba, Guatemala, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Alps, Argentina, Florida.
April
Phoenix (USA), Bombay, Malta, Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya, Death Valley (USA), Greece, Vietnam, Australia, Guatemala, Nepal, Vietnam, Crete, Costa Rica, South Africa, Philippines, Maldives, Peru, Venezuela, Cuba, Algeria, Spain, Madagascar, Barbados, Jamaica, Bahamas, Portugal, Honolulu, Turkey, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Cape Verde, Yemen, Oman, Senegal, Egypt, Mauritania.
May
Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Portugal, Israel, Phoenix (USA), Malta, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Honolulu, Bombay, Spain, Russia, Cape Verde, Greece, Morocco, Beijing, Los Angeles, Morocco, Italy, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Barbados, Crete, Rome, Angola, South Africa, Brazil, Peru, Vietnam, Burundi, Angola, Madagascar.
June
Israel, Jordan, Peru, Spain, Brazil, Kenya, Angola, Netherlands, France, Reunion (Saint-Denis), Mauritius, London, Tanzania, Burundi, India, South Africa, Austria, Poland, Germany, Cape Verde, Italy, Spain, China, Canada, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Algeria, Australia, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Morocco, Albania, Greece, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tunisia, Turkey, Armenia, Croatia, Mauritania.
July
Jordan, Crete, Israel, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Greece, Beirut, Croatia, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Los Angeles, France, Italy, Albania, Romania, Honolulu, Morocco, Russia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Andorra, Hungary, Geneva, Bulgaria, Sweden, Seattle, San Francisco, Barcelona, The Alps, Venice, Palmero, Naples, Belarus, Australia, Finland, Mauritania, Vancouver, China, Burundi, Prague, Brazil, Tanzania,
Indonesia, Mauritius, Cape Verde, French Polynesia, London, Germany, York (UK), Togo, Peru, Angola.
August
Ivory Coast, Peru, Nigeria, Detroit, San Francisco, Benin, Togo, Netherlands, London, Angola, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, South Africa, Seychelles, Warsaw, Brazil, Reunion (Saint-Denis), Paris, Mauritius, Rio de Janeiro, Denmark, Berlin, Burundi, Indonesia, Venice, India, Seattle, Toronto, Ottawa, Prague, Vancouver, China, Spain, Jakarta, Russia, Palermo, The Alps, Budapest, Tanzania, Bratislava, Darwin, Morocco, Bulgaria, Rome, Muscat, Bucharest, Algeria, Madrid, Azerbaijan, Madrid, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Armenia, Albania, Tunisia, Istanbul, Lisbon, Beirut.
September
Jordan, Jerusalem, Cyprus, Turkey, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Crete, Cairo, Marrakesh, Namibia, Los Angeles, Izmir, Bodrum. Greece, Tunisia, Darwin, Athens, Armenia, Baku, Beirut, Guyana, Malta, Lisbon, Madrid, Dallas, San Francisco, Corsica, Honolulu, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Albania, Algeria, Istanbul, Jakarta, Beijing, Mauritius, Rome, Reunion (Saint-Denis), India, France, Greece, Naples, Brazil, Sardinia, Brisbane, Bali, French Polynesia, Bratislava, Budapest, Venice, Noumea (New Caledonia), Togo, Burundi, Paris, Milan, Benin, Rio de Janeiro, Peru, Angola.
October
Jordan, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Yemen, Namibia, Phoenix (USA), Death Valley (USA), Alice Springs, Madagascar, Cayenne, Dar es Salaam, Botswana, Cairo, Cyprus, Mauritania, Johannesburg, Reunion (Saint-Denis), Port-Louise, Pretoria, Los Angeles, Turkey, Brazil, New Caledonia, Beirut, Marrakesh, Port Elizabeth, Bombay, San Francisco, Honolulu, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, Brisbane, Cape Verde, Azerbaijan, Athens, Jerusalem, Lisbon, Malta, Togo, Kenya, Atlanta, Crete, Aegean Islands, Peru, China, Angola, Burundi, Lima.
November
Cape town, Sanaa, Muscat, Namibia, India, Senegal, Port-Louis, Mauritania, Reunion (Saint-Denis), Port Elizabeth, Bombay, Hyderabad, Brazil, Benin, Botswana, Cairo, Lome, Laos, Calcutta, Adelaide, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Praia, Noumea (New Caledonia), Bangladesh, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Turkey, Belem, Nicaragua, Almeria, Honolulu, Las Palmas, Portugal, Athens, Wuzhou, Lima, Guatemala, Hanoi, Crete, Naxos, Aegean Islands.
December
Havana, Bombay, Sanaa (Yemen), Canberra, Cape Town, Namibia, India, Oman, Cambodia, South Africa, Port Elizabeth, Adelaide, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Bangladesh, Mali, Senegal, Togo, Mauritania, Laos, Calcutta, Burma, Brazil, Jamaica, Caracas, Noumea (New Caledonia), Benin, Lagos, Miami, Melbourne, Bahamas, Praia (Cape Verde), Burma, Costa Rica, Spain, Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Angola, Guatemala, Havana, Peru, Dominican Republic, China: Wuzhou, Ho Chi Ming City, Hanoi.
There are some good ideas there and it by no means covers every destination. Before you choose a destination you should not only check the weather, but also rumours of political upheaval. You don’t want to spend your honeymoon in the mists of a civil war.
These are some of the most popular honeymoon destinations.
Mexico
Italy
Fiji
South Africa
Tanzania
Seychelles
Bahamas
Florida
Maldives
Aruba
If you do book a honeymoon with a lot of physical activities then make sure you have a few days where you can just relax and do nothing. Planning a wedding is exhausting and when it is over you will be completely exhausted and experiencing a major comedown. Give yourself some time to recover and your body and mental health will thank you later. Also make sure you are physically up to any excursions you may have planned. You may be married now but if you couldn’t climb mountains before, you can’t do it now.
Another good tip is to keep away from anywhere that holds bad memories and anywhere that you went with an ex. You don’t need ghosts or bad memories hanging around your honeymoon.
If you already have children you might want to bring them. There are no rules. Do so if you want. You could leave them with a family member of course and celebrate your honeymoon just the two of you. If you do end up bringing your children then check for childcare facilities at the hotel.
If you are a couple who have been married before and are bringing children to the relationship then a familymoon will be a great way for the family to get to know one another and get used to living in the same space. It can be a good introduction into the new family scenario. It is also a good idea to plan a trip where children can have some time on their own. Camping may be too much, especially if you have teenagers. A resort or a cruise with adjoining rooms is a good idea. Make sure each child gets some time with you and your new spouse but that you also have some time alone. Make sure no one feels excluded. Keep everyone’s different interests in mind, you want there to be something for everyone. Don’t push the children into doing anything or liking each other. Just let everyone get to know each other on their own terms.
You can try and take a proper honeymoon after the familymoon if you can. Even if it is just a minimoon (a mini honeymoon).
They are worth a try. They know their stuff and might be able to get you a good deal. You could also include a honeymoon option on your gift list.
Secret Escapes is a great site with a lot of great travel deals. They tend to give good discounts. We booked our minimoon to Langshott Manor in Surrey through them. We got a good deal and we had a lot of fun.
The internet is an amazing resource. It will have a ton of information and even just typing ‘honeymoon’ into a search engine will give you a good amount of ideas and options.
Bridal magazines are also a great source of information and have a lot of recourses and links. Be sure to check out their websites too.
The internet allows you to be your own travel agent. There are many discount travel sites and lots of great deals available. There will also be customer reviews online which will make sure you don’t get scammed. Also check the company you want to book with on watchdog sites. You could also check that they are with ABTA, ABTA makes sure that companies adhere to a strict code of conduct. This ensures a high standard.
You can also use the internet to make sure you are getting the cheapest deal on your flight and hotel booking. There are also many comparison sites on which you can check all of the different flight prices against each other.
In some cases the man would plan the entire honeymoon as a surprise for the bride. This is because the bride generally planned the wedding. You could still do this of course. A surprise honeymoon will delight many brides and I asked my husband to do this for me as I planned our entire wedding and was just sick of planning. If you have done all of the wedding, it is only fair that the groom pulls his weight in some way. If you planned the wedding together however then also planning the honeymoon together is fair and can also be fun.
While travel agents do take commission, working with one might also save you money in the long run. They are very knowledgeable and have good contacts. Just make sure you know what you want and don’t get bullied into spending more money than you are comfortable with, or going somewhere that your heart is not set on.
Give the travel agent some options and then ask them what they recommend. Ask the travel agent if they have been there personally. Check that, if something goes wrong, they can help and you won’t just be stranded. Asking for contact details or a contact person/phone number is a good idea. Ask them what kind of deals they can do for you, if they have specific honeymoon packages and what kind of discount they can get you. Bargain hard and don’t be embarrassed to negotiate. Check if they work in conjunction with the tour operators and how quickly they will return your phone calls. Will they help you with visas, passports, any immunisations or documents that you will need? Ask them when you will receive all of your tickets and documentations, make sure that you will get them on time. It is also a good idea to enquire if you can get any references or testimonials from other couples who had their honeymoon planned by the agent. This would be even better if the couple are going to the same place and have the same budget as you. Ask them if they have any videos or literature that you can look at. You want to know what your hotel looks like and exactly where you will be staying. Ask if the pictures and information are up-to-date. It won’t be fun if you get there and there is now a building site next to your hotel. It also helps if the agent in particular specialises in the area where you want to go. Ask friends and people on the internet for recommendations on specific agents, instead of an agency.
Rent a house instead of staying in a hotel.
Renting a home can be surprisingly cheap. Hotels can be very expensive and there are usually extra service charges. You can also buy your own food and alcohol if you stay in a private home. It can be cheaper still if you book off-peak.
Register for a honeymoon fund rather than a gift list.
Most of us already have far too many things. More clutter is usually not needed and buying more things is not good for the environment. Instead of making a list of things you want you can register for a honeymoon fund instead. Plenty of sites like Prezola allow you to create a honeymoon fund, giving guests the option of paying for a honeymoon meal, a flight upgrade or some champagne. Even if you register with Debenhams or John Lewis there will be an option to include a honeymoon fund. The catch is that you must do it with their travel agent. For John Lewis this is Kuoni and for Debenhams it is Virgin Holidays.
Putting ‘the couple prefer honeymoon contributions to gifts’ on your invite lets people know your preference. Don’t worry if some guests don’t like it or make comments, it is much wiser financially and better for the environment than accumulating more stuff. Let them be stuffy about it.
Go off-peak. Having a honeymoon in July or August is bound to be expensive. This may mean delaying your honeymoon but it will be worth it if you can save a lot of money.
Get travel insurance. This can save you a substantial amount of money if something goes wrong.
Make sure everything is legit. Book with a reputable travel agent or travel website. Watch out for scams.
Get a competitive deal when exchanging currency. Shop around and don’t just accept the first deal you get. Check with your bank on how much they charge for cash withdrawals when you are abroad. Find out the cheapest and easiest way to get your hands on your own money.
Always ask if the price includes VAT. VAT really does add a lot on top. Also check for other taxes and service charges.
Use Student Discounts
Avoid the minibar. Even better, ask the hotel to remove everything from it and then put your own stuff in. Try to avoid room service too, it is usually horrendously expensive.
Book in advance. Booking in advance will always help to keep costs down.
Make sure you pack enough stuff so you don’t need to buy anything when on holiday.
Take a copy of your marriage certificate with you. Many hotels and resorts will give some added extras or discounts for newlyweds. Most do this so you will keep coming back. Take a copy, not the original document.
Use any air miles you have. Join a frequent flyer club and gain benefits.
Some youth hostels have private rooms which will be cheaper than a hotel and, hopefully, nice enough for a stay.
Think carefully before you go all-inclusive. It might be cheaper not to do so.
Dropping hints that you just got married might also end up in some perks. Don’t be loud about it but a few subtle comments might make a difference.
Before you go make sure you have an up-to-date passport in the correct name (change your name after or before the wedding). Many countries require that you have at least six months left on your passport for entry. All of the vaccinations that are needed, visas and some countries require HIV/AIDS testing. Check this first. The Foreign Office www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice should help you with anything you need to know.
If you are renting a car then try and prepay through a travel agent. Prices can fluctuate. Making sure the tank is full when you return it is also usually a good idea as it is cheaper than paying the hire company’s per-gallon charge.
Remember that in America you have to be twenty-five to rent a car with a lot of the big companies. Alamo will rent to drivers between twenty-one and twenty-four for an extra $20 per day. Unfair but worth noting. If you are younger then seeking out a smaller, little-known hire company will probably save you money.
Have your luggage sent to the hotel or at least make sure it is in the boot of the car. If you are leaving for your honeymoon straight away then give your outfits to a member of the wedding party or a family member to be dry-cleaned/returned to the rental shop.
Honeymoon clothes.
Hairdryer.
Insect repellent.
Some sexy underwear. It is your honeymoon after all.
Sun lotion.
After Sun.
Bottle Opener.
Camera and camera battery and charger.
Contraceptive. Unless you are trying to conceive.
Passports.
Drivers licence.
Earplugs.
Adapter.
Hats.
Tablets for indigestion, diarrhoea and other possible ailments. Also include plasters and painkillers.
Sandals.
Music.
Manicure set.
All of your tickets.
Vitamins.
Torch.
Mini sewing kit.
A travel pillow.
You might also want to bring a sealable plastic bag as you will probably have to put your toiletries into one and some airports now try to charge you £1 for one. Daylight robbery.