How to Plan the Honeymoon of Your Dreams

You’ve spent months planning your wedding, but what you’re most looking forward to is the honeymoon: a chance to get away and relax with the one you love. I know that was something I really was pumped about. We went to a Sandals resort, so I had a week or sitting by a pool and eating and drinking as much as I wanted. Just like your wedding, your honeymoon requires planning to make it all work! Take these steps to help you plan your ideal honeymoon!

How to Plan the Honeymoon of Your Dreams

Let your imagination run wild.

Your honeymoon should be one of the most exciting trips of your life, so go big and really plan something awesome. Sit down with your fiancé and think of all the places you would both like to go for your honeymoon. Start making a list and write down any idea that comes to mind. Think about places local, places in America, and then places anywhere in the world. At this point, put it all on the list. No reason to hold back!

Talk about what kind of environment you want for your trip. Do you want it to be very private with only a few people around or do you like the idea of large crowds? This will lead to very different honeymoons. If you like a lot of people, maybe you decide to go to a music festival for a week. If you want something more private, maybe you rent a cabin out in the woods.

Don’t hold back on ideas! Suggest every place you can think of and create a list of possibilities. You’ll have to make more rational decisions later, but the first step is just to brainstorm and have fun with it!

Determine your priorities.

Ask yourself some questions about what you want from your honeymoon and what you envision for the trip. What do you need to enjoy your honeymoon? What will make it memorable for you? Are you the type of person that enjoys relaxing or do you need a bunch of activities? Imagine creating a scrapbook for your trip: What activities and sights would you like to fill the pages?

It is extremely important to get both people’s feelings on this. For example, my wife really likes sitting on the beach during vacations. I, on the other hand, hate it. I don’t like sitting out in the sun or sand, and I need something to do. We’ve managed to find a compromise. Instead of sitting on a beach, we will sit out by a pool, and I can watch TV shows on an Ipad. Win, win.

Crunch the numbers.

Unfortunately, like everything wedding related, there is a price, and that can definitely limit some of your options. Once you’ve determined what you and your fiancé want out of your honeymoon, figure out your budget. Who will be contributing? Will it be one set of parents, both, just you, or a mixture of people? This will help you find a realistic number.

Once you’ve got a number, there are still ways to increase your budget. You can set up a honeymoon fund and let other people contribute to that instead of buying you gifts. Another option is to find something to cut out. You could possibly cancel your cable subscription and save around $1000. You can also always take advantage or airline miles or hotel points, so feel free to ask around.

One other thing that might affect your budget and the trip is how long can you take off of work. While you’re on vacation you won’t be working and that is money you won’t be making. Can you afford a whole week or can you only do a weekend?

Take time to reevaluate.

Go back to your list of vacation spots and look at the options with your budget and timeframe in mind. Which idea works best for your situation? Cross off any options that don’t meet your vision of your honeymoon or that don’t work with your budget. This may mean saying goodbye to some dreams, but there are always anniversary trips to plan in the future! I know that’s tough to do, but it’s best to be realistic and trim that list down than to keep your hopes up on something that won’t happen.

Choose the top contenders.

Pick two or three possible destinations that you and your fiancé think you’d love and begin gathering information. Check out reviews online and on social media, talk to friends who are frequent travelers, and make a list of hotels, restaurants, and activities that others recommend.

One important thing to consider with each is how will Covid 19 affect them. Could your trip be cancelled because you can no longer enter the country? Is the place likely to get shutdown with another outbreak? Will you even have fun at this type of place with all the restrictions? I hate that even your honeymoon is being changed by Covid, but it’s better to consider all of this before investing the money.

Consider asking for help.

Planning a trip can be a challenge, especially if it’s not something you do often. Knowing how much time you and your fiancé can actually devote to planning your honeymoon can save you a lot of stress in the long run. You can work with a travel agent to make sure everything is booked and to put your mind at ease about your honeymoon and make planning a little more fun.

Besides making things easier, a travel agent can help out in a lot of ways. One, they can probably save you money. They have access to all types of deals that you might not know about. Two, they know how things work and are there to help you. For many, you can call them if you have any issues. Three, as far as I know, travel agents are free, so you get all the benefits without any cost.

Make your decision and book.

Choose from your top potential honeymoon destinations and pick a place you and your fiancé are both excited about. Whether with a travel agent or on your own, book all your flights and hotels for your trip. Plan to have everything booked at least three months before your departure, both to help secure the best prices and to ease the stress of planning.

When you book, look into insurance and the cancelation policy. Some places will take care of you if something goes wrong, and others make you eat the cost. Insurance might be a good option to protect your honeymoon.

Honeymoon Pre-Planning Tips

There are a few other things to consider before the big trip happens. Make sure to put your plane tickets in your current maiden name. I’ve heard of people using their new last name, but at that point, you won’t have a new license or passport. With that, also make sure your passport and license won’t expire. It takes some time to get a new passport so plan accordingly. Lastly, make a list of all the things you need and pack a few nights before. This way, you are ready to go and won’t be rushing to do anything the day after the wedding.

Now, all that’s left to do is enjoy your wedding and make sure you have everything you need for your trip! Whether you’re traveling to the beach, a foreign city, or going for a cozy retreat in the mountains, be sure to relax and have fun!