Planning Your Honeymoon
Planning your Honeymoon
So much time and effort goes into planning your dream wedding that you could almost be forgiven if you forgot about planning the honeymoon altogether. Almost.
Whether it is big or small, long or short, expensive or cheap, the honeymoon is the beginning of your life together with your new husband or wife.
For their honeymoon some people plan to trek around Europe for months or have a romantic resort escape while others just want to take a road trip down the coast for the weekend. Whatever it is you are planning, you need to do just that … ‘plan’.
First of all, choosing a destination should be a mutual decision and may even be the very first compromise you both make in your long and happy marriage.
Next step is to keep the time of year in mind when deciding. Don’t head somewhere without any regard for timing just because you’ve always wanted to go there. If your dream destination isn’t in season for another six months, perhaps have a weekend away now and take your big honeymoon later.
The same goes for budget. Agree on a budget together before planning and booking your holiday so you aren’t tempted to go overboard once you are talking with the travel agent. If you find your dream destination is just too expensive right now (especially after paying for the wedding!) you can take the holiday for one of your anniversaries, which will give you time to save and something to look forward to down the track.
But what if you can’t think of a destination you want to visit? A helpful trick is to try writing down what you would like to do on your ideal honeymoon. This could be along the lines of: sip cocktails by the pool, trek through wilderness with just a backpack and your new spouse or travel a country that has a completely different culture and language to what you are used to. Take this to a travel agent so they can match your wish list to the perfect destination. And by doing this, you will already have a part-planned itinerary!
Once you, or your travel agent, have planned and booked the honeymoon there are a few things you need to organise. These points are especially important for anyone planning an overseas honeymoon:
– Make sure both your passports are up-to-date and have at least 6 months on them.
– Purchase travel insurance and read the fine print.
– Make a copy of your passports and all travel documents such as hotel and plane confirmations. Hide a spare copy in your suitcase to have on hand if you lose your handbag or wallet. Also give a spare copy to someone you trust at home for the same reason.
– Along with the travel documents, leave a copy of your itinerary and also your contact details with at least one person at home. You may not want to be disturbed while on honeymoon but there should always be an option for contacting you in case of emergency.
Because the days leading up to your wedding might be quite hectic with last minute preparations it is best to have the honeymoon organised well in advance. That way it becomes one more thing where you can just relax and enjoy!