Six tips for planning the best honeymoon ever. Photo by Ibrahim Asad
I collaborated with Sam Johnson from Sandals Resorts to bring you these six awesome tips for planning your honeymoon. This post is packed with useful information, so read it carefully before making your honeymoon plans.
Six Things to Consider Before Booking Your Honeymoon
The year before a wedding is always jam-packed with planning. There are wedding venues to reserve, wedding cakes to purchase, a wedding officiant to hire. By the time you reach your honeymoon, you’re in desperate need of a break from all that hustle and bustle.
In 2019, the concept of a “traditional” honeymoon is changing. Pinterest revealed that more honeymooners than ever are opting for adventurous trips over slow, relaxing stays. Couples are using their honeymoon as a chance to check items off their bucket lists with exotic destinations and experiences like safaris or mountain climbing.
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“Couples are using their honeymoon as a chance to check items off their bucket lists with exotic destinations and experiences like safaris or mountain climbing. ”
If you’d like to join in the new year’s trend and embark on a honeymoon that’s packed with memories and adventure, here are the top six tips that will help you plan the perfect trip.
1. Start Early
In order to check off a few items on your bucket list, you’re going to need to plan ahead. Many hotels, experiences, and famous restaurants book up several months in advance. International flights should be booked around three months in advance in order to secure the best deal.
The months leading up to your wedding will be full of last-minute errands and a mile-long to-do list. Do yourself a favor and take care of all the honeymoon planning ahead of time so that you aren’t fretting about flights while also strategizing for your big day.
2. Think About What You Want Out of the Trip
Although many honeymooners are seeking adventure on their trips, there are many different kinds of adventures you can pursue. Do you want to explore Europe? Hike through mountains in Switzerland? Take a safari in Kenya? Think about the kind of experience you want to share with your new spouse, then begin taking steps to get there.
If you’re looking for adventure but aren’t a big planner, you may want to go with an all-inclusive resort somewhere exotic. That way, you’ll get to participate in scheduled experiences without having to lift a finger while planning for the wedding. It’ll take a weight off your shoulders and help you build a dream trip. Also, these packages aren’t as expensive as you might think, so it may help you budget more accurately during this expensive time of your life.
Photo by Yoann Boyer
3. Open a Travel Savings Account
Although we’d all love to have an endless supply of cash funding our dream honeymoon, most couples need to save up thousands of dollars to plan their trip. Begin doing that soon after you get engaged and make sure that you’re separating honeymoon expenses from wedding costs.
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“Make sure that you’re separating honeymoon expenses from wedding costs.”
One easy way to let the money for your vacation pile up is to open a high-yield savings account. Then, automatically transfer in an allotted amount of money every month. Based on average honeymoon expenses in America, you’ll probably need to save a couple thousand dollars. By the time your honeymoon rolls around, you’ll have a sizable sum waiting in the account, plus it will have accrued a sizable amount of interest.
4. Consider Funding Your Trip With a Wedding Registry
In 2019, many couples won’t be asking for fancy china or a new toaster on their wedding registry. Instead, they’ll use services like Honeyfund. This online registry allows wedding guests to pay for the couples’ honeymoon experiences, not just items for their future home. Grandma can pay for a cage-diving reservation while Uncle Joe buys you one night of accommodations at a luxurious hotel. So, if you know you’re not in need of home furnishings, consider asking people to help fund your dream trip.
5. Research the Best Travel Destinations of 2019
At the end of every year, The Lonely Planet comes out with a list of the top places to visit in the following year. In 2019, some of their top destinations include Copenhagen, Shēnzhèn, Novi Sad, and Miami. If you’re looking to follow this year’s trends, those are some of the top places to hit on your honeymoon.
On the other hand, if you like getting off the beaten path a bit more, you might want to steer clear of overpopulated areas like Italy and Thailand, which have been forced to deal with high rates of tourism over the past decade. Instead, head to Guatemala or South Korea where you can find lower prices and fewer crowds.
Photo by Kevin Grieve
6. Remember That Life Will Go on After the Vacation Ends
Last but not least, remember that after the vows have been exchanged and you’ve returned from your international trip, life will go on. There will be bills to pay, a home to buy, and a life to build together as a newly-wedded couple.
Don’t blow your entire savings on one trip. There will be dozens more throughout your lifetime, so be conscious of how much you spend. The average couple spends between $4,000 and $5,000 on their honeymoon, but there’s no reason you can’t shoot for a lower cost if you play your cards right. Think ahead, pick somewhere special, and focus on building memories that will last for the rest of your married life.
