Honestly, is there a trip planning experience with more at stake than your honeymoon? Ask any newlywed drunk on nerves and excitement and they’ll likely say no. But why? What dark magic summons the clouds of anxiety over a trip that is meant to embody love, connection, and celebration? It’s not as though you’re a pair of diplomats travelling abroad to broker a peace deal.
The truth is, as with most things, your anxiety is unfounded, a nagging voice you can silence with the right approach. But what is the right approach? Say you’ve been reading review after review about the best accommodation at the destination you have in mind and feel none the wiser. Well, to help part those clouds, here’s a brief but helpful guide about other things to consider and methods you can use to take all the stress out of planning your honeymoon.
Do it together
By now, you probably know which of you is happy to make the plans and which of you is happy to follow the plans. And no doubt this arrangement works. For your honeymoon, though, it’s important you plan things together, regardless of whether this is your first trip together or your fiftieth. After all, it’s a trip that should celebrate you both; for this reason alone, the planning demands equal investment.
By planning your honeymoon together, you’ll also be able to align your expectations, which is vital if you want the trip to run as smoothly as possible. For example, if one of you expects a week on a remote isle with little more than a steady supply of cocktails while the other wants to explore every cathedral in Europe, you need to find the middle ground. In this case, it would be a faraway island that still has plenty of stunning European architecture that you can take in.
Set that budget
Let’s face it: no one gets excited about setting a holiday budget. But if you don’t set it, and set it early, you run the risk that you’ll blow it wide open without even realising. And the last thing you want is to come home with debt that you weren’t expecting – especially after footing the bill for a wedding!
The important thing to remember when setting a budget is not to dwell on it. Keep things simple. Break your honeymoon into its main categories — flights, accommodation, food, entertainment, etc — and give yourself a rough figure for each. That way, you know your limitations, and can build your honeymoon trip itinerary around them.
The trick here is to allow yourselves a little more for each category (except perhaps for flights). Doing so will give you the flexibility to be spontaneous, if the occasion strikes. And spontaneity is often the gold dust you need to make your honeymoon unforgettable.
Use your experience
For most of us, a honeymoon is a unique experience we enjoy once in our life. But it’s important to keep in mind that the planning of a honeymoon, though, is no more unique than any other trip you plan. This means that if you and your partner have travelled together in the past, you should be comfortable to draw on all the knowledge you gained the last time you ventured out into the world as a two-person travel party.
From the planning timeframe to putting the finishing touches on your itinerary to knowing the best time of year to visit the place you have in mind, all that past admin from trips gone by will undoubtedly help inform the planning of your honeymoon. That’s the beauty of travelling; the more you do it, the more it enriches your next adventure.
Get your hustle on
Don’t ask, don’t get. How often in your life have you heard these words? No doubt, the number is beyond counting. Which is beside the point. The point is, it’s a universal truth that should be embraced, not ignored. Especially when it comes to planning your honeymoon. You never know what honeymoon specials you might find if you don’t ask.
What you can gain from asking about honeymoon deals and getting your hustle on will likely depend on where you want to go and what you want to do during your time away together. But if you both have your hearts set on a place that’s already popular with newlyweds, you might be pleasantly surprised by the deals that are made available to you as newlyweds or soon-to-be weds.
Surprise each other
Speaking of surprises, another lovely touch you can add to your honeymoon is to plan a surprise for each other. How grand or intricate you make this little surprise is up to you too; the vital detail is that your other half knows nothing of your plan.
If you are looking to surprise your partner with a honeymoon that’s grander than what they anticipated or even just an accommodation option that’s wholly different to what they thought you’d be getting, then remember that it’s your honeymoon too and you do deserve a break. In other words, don’t get too weighed down by trying to plan the ultimate surprise. It’s the gesture that’s most important here, and a lasting reminder of the value of bringing positive surprises into your marriage. And if the act of planning a surprise grows too stressful to bear on your own, your partner would likely want you to take a step back. Just have fun with it, and let the anticipation of seeing their reaction to this sentiment be what drives you in this process.
What’s the rush?
Yes, we know your honeymoon is traditionally meant to happen in the weeks following your wedding, but who says you need to bow to tradition? You’ve already given each other a sacred vow and the future is now yours to build as you please. Philosophical debates aside, the reason it’s good to give yourselves some space between your wedding and your honeymoon is because your wedding will demand a lot of emotional energy. And the last thing you want to feel on your honeymoon is emotionally drained.
If you give yourselves time to rest and process, you’ll have the right amount of energy to plan—and more importantly, enjoy—your honeymoon. So what’s the rush?
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As you may have gleaned from most of the advice provided here, there really are no rules to your honeymoon planning process. So all in all, you should just do what feels right to you at all times. Ask married friends for advice, ask single friends for advice. It doesn’t matter. Just be patient and thorough and let instinct guide your path forward. If you approach it this way, you’ll find yourself in a good headspace with a watertight plan in your hands. Good luck!
