With the craziness of planning your wedding, the last thing you want to be doing is planning a vacation. Honeymoons are a great time to bond and unwind with your spouse, but only if planned well. Here are some tips to make your honeymoon planning less stressful, and more fun.
Photo Courtesy of: Dean Michael Photography
Make a budget, but most importantly, stick to it.
It’s tempting to go overboard with a trip, especially with your dream destination in mind. It’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while with a lavish dinner or an expensive tour, however, if you want your dream honeymoon to be everything you want it to be – and a little more – you will have to strictly adhere to a budget.
Instead of wedding presents, have a honeymoon fund.
Your dream destination out of your budget range? Start a go-fund-me page and ask your wedding guests to donate money to your honeymoon fund rather than giving a gift. Guests will appreciate you actually using their gift.
If you change your name, be sure your travel documents match it.
If you plan on changing your name before your honeymoon, make sure you have planned beforehand by putting your new name on your tickets. Nothing is worse than arriving to the airport and not being able to board your flight. Same thing goes for IDs, passports, credit cards, and anything else you would need for travel.
You decide your honeymoon date.
Going straight from your wedding reception to a plane the next day can be exhausting and difficult. Lessen your risk of getting sick and tiring yourself out by planning your honeymoon a couple of days, or even weeks, after your wedding. This allows you to not only relax a little between big events, but also gives you peace of mind at your wedding reception that you don’t have to be on a difficult time crunch.
Photo Courtesy of: 5th Avenue Digital Photography
Start planning early.
Flights, hotels, car rentals, and reservations will be cheaper the further away your travel date is. Maximizing your budget allows you to not only go on your dream vacation, but also gives you a more than you thought you could do.
In the same breath of planning early, look up weather predictions and begin to pack and buy supplies accordingly. The sooner you begin packing and buying, the less rushed and more relaxed you will feel on your honeymoon.
Balance your vacation.
You may be an adventurous vacationer, but you also have to remember not to burn yourself out. Doing physical activities everyday can wear you out easily and spoil a good time. Remember that as much fun as you want to have, you also have to give yourself a break. Take some time to relax at a beach, or get lost in a city. Quiet moments with your spouse are just as enjoyable as the fast-paced ones. The same is true if you are a more eased traveler. Book some heart-racing things to incorporate in your trip, try new things and bond with your partner over a more energetic activity.
Consider the mini-moon.
Can’t decide between a small vacation or a bigger, longer one? Why not both. A mini-moon vacation is a shorter (think long weekend), cheaper, and more localized trip that you take with your spouse immediately after your wedding reception. A shorter, closer trip permits you to not go crazy with the planning details that a bigger, longer, far-away trip would entail. A mini-moon is a nice compromise between a traditional honeymoon destination and not having a honeymoon vacation.
Can’t decide where to go?
If you’re caught between two types of honeymoon trips, or just don’t like planning, Pack Up + Go is a surprise travel agency. Entirely web based, you first begin by inputting your budget and answering a few questions (What climate do you prefer? What do you like to do?) and give them travel dates. They then book your surprise travel destination. A week before your departure, you learn the weather forecast, recommended items to pack, and where to go (nearest airport or train station and the time). A few days before your trip, you’ll receive an envelope in the mail that has your destination, city guide, recommendations for things to do, and accommodations. The day of the trip, you open the envelope and head on your way to your surprise destination!
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Feature image courtesy of Josh Lynn Photography.