Your honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you get to enjoy with your new spouse. As such, you want to make it as special as possible. This takes planning.
But planning a honeymoon can be exhausting, especially if you already have other things to worry about (the wedding and where you’re going to live afterward).
To make planning your honeymoon easier, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Plan early with your partner
Use time to your advantage by getting a headstart on your honeymoon planning. That means set some dates for your honeymoon if you haven’t already.
Then start saving. Money might be tight with all the other wedding expenses, so the sooner you start, the better. Plus, you can often get a discount on hotels and travel tickets by booking in advance.
Whatever you do, make all honeymoon decisions together with your partner. This trip is for both of you, so both of you should be involved in planning it.
- Set a realistic budget
Next, you need to set a realistic honeymoon budget. Review your finances with your significant other, so you are on the same page.
If you only have a small budget, that’s okay. Get creative with possible destinations and activities. Look for deals. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter that much where you go since a honeymoon is mostly about being together with your loved one.
That said, one way to increase your honeymoon budget is to create a “honeyfund” that friends and family can contribute to (aka crowdfund). If you want, you can even make it fun for them by having them help you decide on what to do on your honeymoon.
- Prioritize the top things you want to do together
At this point, you can start thinking about where you want to go and what you want to do on your honeymoon. Start by listing out potential destinations and activities that you and your partner are interested in.
From there, order the items by how interested you both are in them. Prioritize experiences such as food, activities, and scenery over destinations. Be willing to compromise.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options to a top three, go ahead and do some research. Read over reviews of what others have said about your top choices and make a realistic cost estimate. Watch out for hidden expenses.
- Travel during the off-season
One way to lower the cost of your honeymoon is to travel during the off-season. In the northern hemisphere, that’s wintertime (November through February), and in the southern hemisphere, that’s summertime (June through August).
By traveling during the off-season, you can save a lot of money on hotels and airfare—especially in top tourist destinations.
- Make a packing list
It’s never too early to start making a packing list. The earlier you start, the less likely you are to forget something.
Remember all the essentials: clothes, shoes, toiletries, passports, phone, and so on. Find an ultimate packing list online to check through.
You might consider packing some fun surprises for your loved on as well, like their favorite candy or game.
- Make travel arrangements
On top of selecting your flights, you’ll want to plan how to get around the city or area you plan to stay at. For example, you could plan to rent a car or bike if it’s nice weather.
To travel from the airport to your final destination, you could hire a private airport car service or get an Uber.
The point is to have a plan ahead of time, so you’re not left stranded anywhere on your honeymoon.
- Don’t overdo it
Lastly, don’t overdo the honeymoon planning. As much as you want to be prepared, you don’t want to plan out every minute. Leave plenty of room in your schedule for some spontaneity and relaxation time.
After all, your honeymoon is all about spending quality time with your spouse—that’s it! Just follow these honeymoon planning tips and you’ll be off to a good start.
