After marrying the love of your life, you’ll look forward to many years, and hopefully decades of marital bliss (and some challenging moments you can address together). But before any of that, you’ll want to plan the perfect romantic honeymoon.
Your honeymoon is an opportunity to relax and see an interesting corner of the world together. It’s the first big adventure you’ll have as a married couple – and the perfect way to cement this experience in your memory forever.
Seven Steps Can You Take To Plan the Perfect Romantic Honeymoon
1. Start Early
One way to instantly make everything easier on yourself is to start as early as possible. Most couples start planning their wedding many months, and sometimes years in advance. That’s because it takes time to pull all your resources together, make hard decisions, and get your event scheduled properly.
Honeymoons aren’t much different. There are many things you’ll need to plan, and there’s much that can go wrong, so the earlier you start, the more likely you’ll be to avoid these problems and plan smoothly.
2. Work Together
This is a trip for both of you, so both of you should be intimately involved in the planning process. If one of you is better at planning, or if they have stronger preferences for how the honeymoon should play out, they can take the lead. But it takes two people to plan a successful honeymoon. Make sure both of you are involved in all the important conversations.
3. Choose the Right Destination
One of the most important decisions you’ll make for your honeymoon is where you go. Your choice in location will affect almost everything about your trip, including the ease of travel, the level of comfort you experience, and even the activities to which you have access.
Consider the following as you review different locations.
- Scenery. Exotic, beautiful scenery can instantly elevate a honeymoon, making it stick out in your memory, helping you relax, and giving you some amazing photographs as well. For example, Iceland is an increasingly popular destination because of how beautiful it is; waterfalls, mountains, cliffs, and other natural wonders are abundant here.
- Climate. You’ll also need to think about the climate of your chosen destination. Choosing someplace in the Caribbean will likely give you warm and consistent temperatures so you can enjoy the outdoors – but the heat may also be oppressive.
- Activity options. What kind of activities are available in this area? Most honeymoon locations will have ample access to hotels, restaurants, and other basic amenities. But can you go scuba diving? Are there trails for you to hike? Is there an amusement park nearby?
- Ease of navigation, travel, and more. Consider the ease of navigation, travel, and conversation in this area. Do you or your partner speak this language? Is this an area that’s friendly to tourists? Is it easy to find a flight here?
- Budget. In the United States, couples spend an average of $4,800 on a honeymoon, but extravagant, luxury trips can cost upwards of $35,000, and small, budget-friendly trips can cost less than $1,000. No matter how much money you make or how much you’re willing to spend, you’ll need to think about your budget carefully.
4. Give Yourself More Time
When planning the timing for various activities, always give yourself more time than you think you need. The last thing you want is to be rushing around from one place to another when you’re trying to relax on vacation. Building in an extra hour or two between events, or giving yourself a few extra days in total can instantly make the experience feel more manageable and less stressful. On a similar note, avoid overplanning! Leave some room for spontaneity.
5. Make Upgrades When You Can
First-class flights and luxury hotels may seem prohibitively expensive, but this isn’t always the case – and in many instances, they’re worth the upgrade. Spending a bit more could give you access to a much higher quality experience and a more comfortable journey.
6. Tell People You’re on Your Honeymoon
Throughout the planning process and when you start actually traveling, tell people that you’re on your honeymoon. Hotel managers, servers, and other professionals may be willing to give you special offers or freebies just because you’re a newlywed couple.
7. Add a Few Surprises
Finally, consider adding a few surprises to the honeymoon. Bringing a gift for your new spouse, taking them to a surprise destination, or adding a few fun twists could make the event even more special and more memorable.
No two honeymoons are exactly alike, nor should they be, as no two married couples are exactly alike. What’s important is that you plan the honeymoon you want – and the one that works best to strengthen your new marriage.
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This content is made possible by Larry Alton.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
