We all know that planning a wedding is time-consuming stressful – but the stress of honeymoon planning is often overlooked. Whilst it should be the perfect way to relax after your wedding, the honeymoon planning process itself can be lengthy and difficult, with many couples lacking the time or energy to plan both their luxury wedding and honeymoon.
Which is why, earlier in the year, we utilised our extensive travel experience to extend our offering to include honeymoon planning – offering our couples the ability to plan both their wedding and honeymoon through us, saving you maximum time and energy. Read on for our top tips on planning the perfect honeymoon…
Budget
Whilst wedding planning is an expensive process in itself, it’s important to set aside sufficient budget to allocate towards your honeymoon. With the majority of couples now living together before getting married, the traditional gift list has gone out the window, with many couples now opting honeymoon gift lists, either in the form of cash contributions or the buying of ‘experiences’ on your travels. The latter works particularly well for the more traditional guests and family members who like the idea of ‘giving’ something specific, and also allows you to share photos of your specific experiences with each of your guests.
It can of course be hard to know how much you will receive in terms of wedding gift donations, so many couples opt to have their minimoon then plan their honeymoon further down the line, once they know how much budget they have to play with.
Location, Location, Location
Choosing the right destination can be tricky, with so many amazing places to go. With long-haul destinations seeing their prime season run from December through to May, many couples are postponing their honeymoon to not only save up more money post-wedding, but also to allow them to travel at the optimal time of year.
Whilst locations such as the Maldives have long topped the lists for the most popular honeymoon destinations (and for good reason), there are so many more hidden gem destinations out there which can provide you with totally unique experiences and avoid the cookie cutter honeymoon experience. Think outside the box and get off the beaten track! If you’re after idyllic white sand beaches, try the Philippines or Belize. Or how about swapping your traditional safari for wildlife spotting in the rainforests of Brazil?
To help you narrow it down, think about when you ideally want to go, how long for, and how far you want to travel to get there. If you need assistance and are struggling to decide, we offer bespoke inspiration sessions to get the creative juices flowing and help you with narrowing down some top destinations which tick all your boxes. Having so far visited over 40 countries, we’re well placed to help you find those hidden gems and find the right destination, or destinations, for you.
Tailored to You
Travel is very personal and it’s important that wherever you decide to go, your honeymoon plans are bespoke. Whilst wedding planning requires considering the wants and needs of your guests, your honeymoon is a chance to think purely about you.
Whether you’re after five-star luxury or unique homestay experiences, gourmet dining at Michelin-starred restaurants or grazing on local street food, a bespoke honeymoon tailored to you is so important to allow you to fully enjoy that precious time off and celebrate your recent marriage.
Switch Off
Together, make a list of your priorities, getting a balance between taking time out to chill, and getting involved in some activities or excursions to let your hair down and have fun together.
After all the excitement of the wedding, it’s important that you set aside some time to relax and just ‘be’ – spending precious time together and taking time to process the recent events! At the same time, your honeymoon is the perfect time to have fun as a couple, and make memories to last a lifetime, so try and strike the balance.
Where possible, try and do a digital detox. Whilst it can be tempting to share all your experiences to Instagram, it’s important that you make the most of every minute of your honeymoon, so make a pact to switch off for at least parts of your trip and just focus on being there with each other.
If you need a hand planning your honeymoon, feel free to get in touch or check out our sister company Follow in My Footprints for more information.