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Planning your honeymoon can be pleasant and relaxing or it can be a stressful process as you try to balance your wishes with your budget. Here are our Top 10 Tips for planning the perfect honeymoon:
1. You may have a dream destination, but your budget is key. Include every item you can think of – traveling to the destination, accommodations, car/boat rental, great food, sightseeing or adventure trips you want to take, souvenirs to bring home, and the inevitable “taxes and gratuities”. Then add an extra 10% if you need to adjust your budget once you make reservations. |
2. Decide if you will leave right after the reception or if you will spend your wedding night in the local area. If you are traveling to a distant locale, keep in mind that jet lag may make your first day there stressful.
3. Make your travel reservations first. Take advantage of frequent flyer points either for the trip itself or to upgrade options. Be sure to reserve both travel and accommodation at the same time, so if you are delayed in reaching your destination, you will have somewhere to stay waiting.
4. Inform the hotel or cruise ship that you are newlyweds, as they may throw in extra items free of charge as a result. Imagine a free upgrade to first class on your plane trip or to a room with a balcony on the cruise!
5. With the increased security throughout the world, be certain your photo documentation of citizenship and residency is up-to-date and valid. Since the bride's passport will be in her maiden name, ensure her plane ticket and all other travel documents are in her maiden name.
6. Check if you will need visas or vaccinations for your destination. Even if you do not need additional shots, you may need to have your current vaccinations updated, particularly your tetanus shot.
7. Put together a complete listing of the place(s) you will be staying each day, with phone numbers of the hotels, in case someone needs to contact you.
8. Just as if you were going on any vacation, have the paper stopped, your mail held or picked up by a friend, automatic lights in your house or apartment, and any other precautions you normally take. Don't leave the wedding gifts in your home if you are not going to be there.
9. Bring romantic items with you, so that your honeymoon is not just an exciting trip, but you can build lifelong memories of the romance of your special time away.
10. If your budget won't stretch to a dream honeymoon, make whatever time together you have alone extra special. Spend whatever budget you have on doing things in your local area that you normally would not have time for, or try something daring and different – years later, your favorite memory may be the disastrous mountain hike you ventured on just 5 miles away. |
