The Honeymoon
The honeymoon is the first trip that you and your partner will enjoy together as a married couple. It should be well-planned in order to keep your stress level down. Planning your honeymoon can be extremely stressful, but it’s probably the easiest thing to plan that has to do with the wedding. Some top honeymoon tips I read about are the following:
Stellar Exchange
Make overseas purchases with your credit card. You’ll often get the lowest possible exchange rate, and you’ll be protected from unauthorized charges. Just make sure your bank won’t charge you for spending abroad.
From Brides magazine
Bodacious Bags
Make an entrance with the stylish red rolling suitcase and hat box from Swany (walkinbag.com).
From Brides magazine
Fit for the King
Calling all Elvis fans…for an event that would make the King proud, marry at Memphis’s newly opened Graceland Chapel, then honeymoon at the Heartbreak Hotel across the street.
From Modern Bride magazine
Home Away From Home
Stay in a condo or villa instead of a hotel on your honeymoon. You’ll save money and have homey comforts such as a living room and kitchen. Browse rentals at resortquest.com and rentalo.com.
From Brides.com
Just the Ticket
Comparison-shop airfares before you purchase your tickets to get the lowest price. Log on to online aggregators such as Expedia and Travelocity, check out official airline sites, and browse low-cost carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue.
From Brides.com
Package It Up
When planning a honeymoon with multiple components, buy a vacation package instead of booking your airfare, accommodations, and rental car separately. You’ll save up to 30 percent.
From Brides.com
Cheap Seats
Fly on a weekday instead of a weekend to cut airfare costs to and from your honeymoon destination.
From Brides.com
Carry-On
Pack your essentials—currency, medication, hotel confirmation, passport, plane tickets, and one change of clothes—in your carry-on so you won’t be stranded if your luggage is lost.
From Modern Bride magazine
Insure It
Before you jet off on your honeymoon, get travel insurance to protect you in an emergency, such as an illness, injury, or family death (travelguard.com or accessamerica.com).
From Modern Bride magazine
Discount Destinations
Let off-season deals guide your honeymoon choice. In fall, save up to 20 percent off Hawaii hotel rooms; in summer, head to the Caribbean or Mexico to save up to 40 percent off accommodations.
From Brides.com
Call of the Wild
Get in touch with nature on your honeymoon—whale-watch in Alaska, go on safari in Africa, ride elephants in India, or see kangaroos in Australia.
From Brides magazine
Language Lesson
Going abroad for your honeymoon? Get the 12-Language Portable Translator, an electronic handheld that offers help in French, German, Italian, and more (hammacher.com).
From Brides magazine
Honeymoon Fund
Register with Distinctive Honeymoons (distinctivehoneymoons.com) or Honeymoon Wishes (honeymoonwishes.com) for extra money toward your trip of a lifetime.
From Modern Bride magazine
Shop ‘Til You Drop
Leave room in your luggage to bring home new purchases. If you’re going to a fabulous shopping destination like Paris or Milan, bring an extra bag.
From Modern Bride magazine
Well-Packed
Make a list of each item that you want to bring on your honeymoon, and cross it off as you pack it. That way, you’ll be sure to bring all of your essentials.
From Modern Bride magazine
From Brides.com
Lighten Your Load
Pack just a few key essentials with accessories-to-match to keep your suitcase light and manageable. If you’re going to the beach, for example, you’ll need little more than a bathing suit and flip-flops.
From Modern Bride magazine
Restful Respite
Don’t leave for your honeymoon right away. Wait a day or two after your wedding so that you’ll feel refreshed―not exhausted―when you arrive at your destination.
From Elegant Bride magazine
Travel Updates
International travel is tricky and some big changes have recently taken place. If you’re planning on traveling abroad, visit travel.state.gov to find out about the regulations and costs (entry fees, visa requirements, etc.) of your destination. You should also visit cdc.gov to see if immunizations are required.
From Modern Bride magazine
Mist Opportunity
En route to your honeymoon in Hawaii is no time to catch a cold. So share a breath of fresh air with No Cooties Travel Spray’s purifying essential oils and antibacterial agents, $9, Flight 001, flight001.com.
From Modern Bride magazine
Spa Secret
Why waste half of your honeymoon winding down? To enjoy your vacation right from the start, book a massage for the day you arrive. Not only will it help melt away any lingering wedding stress but it will get rid of those pesky airplane aches too.
From Modern Bride magazine
Honeymoon Condo
If you or your new husband like to cook, consider renting a condo or other space that includes a kitchen. Your candle-lit dinners will be that much more romantic if you never have to leave the room.
From Modern Bride magazine
Your Own Row
In an aircraft with three-seat configurations, up the odds of having your own row by choosing a window for you and an aisle for him; you can always swap with the person in the middle.
From Brides magazine
Affordable Indulgence
Are you newlyweds with caviar tastes and carrot-stick budgets? Book a few indulgent nights in a five-star resort and the remainder in a more affordable property. Tip: Start with the steal and end with the splurge, so you’re trading up, not down.
From Modern Bride magazine
Culinary Adventures
If you and your new husband crave privacy and/or love to cook, rent a villa or condo instead of booking a room at a resort. Often it’s the hubby in the kitchen whipping up something delish!
From Modern Bride magazine
Giving Back
Why not do some good in between sightseeing and mid-afternoon siestas? “Volunteer honeymoons” let couples spend part of their trip helping others, like clearing trails in Costa Rica or building schools in Vietnam.
From Modern Bride magazine
The Satisfying Quickie
When your vacation days are in short supply, nothing beats a “minimoon”: typically, four or five days of indulgence in a romantic locale close to home. You can always book that longer honeymoon later when time allows.
From Modern Bride magazine
Dual Locations
Can’t agree on one honeymoon hot spot? These days, couple are settling for a split decision. Some popular combos: Vegas and Hawaii, Tahiti and New Zealand, and France and Greece.
From Modern Bride magazine
Pack Light
If you’re trying to get by with only carry-on bags for the honeymoon, veteran flight attendant Jean Hansen recommends packing three outfits in complementary colors (so you can mix and match)—and remember: roll, don’t fold.
From Modern Bride magazine
Listen Up
The last thing you want to pack on your honeymoon is a bunch of guide books! Take advantage of free travel podcasts available online, and your MP3 player can become your own personal tour guide.
From Modern Bride magazine
Travel Chic
Luggage restrictions weighing you down? There are services that will pick up your bags at your home and ship them almost anywhere—so they’ll be waiting in your honeymoon suite. Visit: travellighter.com, luggageforward.com or luggagefree.com
From Modern Bride magazine
Overdue Downtime
After your honeymoon, consider giving yourself a few days to spare before you return to work. Following all those months of wedding preparation and excitement, a couple of quiet, relaxing days at home enjoying the company of your new hubby are in order.
From Modern Bride magazine
Honeymoon Hint
If you’ll be hiking on your honeymoon, don’t forget to tuck insect repellant, a cap and good shades into a backpack.
From Brides magazine
Two-for-One Fun
Want more bang for your buck? Listen up! Some hoteliers offer major honeymoon perks to couples who book a wedding at one of their properties. For example: Spend more than $15,000 at one of eight RockResorts, rockresorts.com, and you’re eligible for a complimentary four-night stay to be used within three months.
From Modern Bride magazine