Planning Your Perfect Honeymoon

So much focus is placed on the wedding day that planning for your honeymoon can become lost in all the other detail.  However, if your dream is to end up on some exotic island, lapping up the sun and staring into each other's eyes over a sunset dinner on the beach, then this means planning!

Book your tickets early, especially if your wedding is during a peak holiday time.  You'll be surprised at how quickly flights become full and accommodation gets booked up.  Just like you need to book your venue, photographer, celebrant and other services early, the earlier you book your honeymoon, the more chance you have of getting what you want.  Besides, booking early will help ensure you can make the most of discounts and early-bird fares.

If the cost of your honeymoon is holding you back, why not allow people to contribute to your honeymoon by using a Registry at a local travel agency.  Most travel agencies offer some kind of Registry where people can contribute to your travel plans in lieu of buying presents.  One couple, who had been together for some time, had a lot of the items people would usually buy for presents.  They suggested to their guests that instead of buying presents, they could each contribute to part of their honeymoon travels.  They had planned to go to Asia and drew up a plan of places they wanted to go and things they wanted to do.  People could then 'purchase' part of their Honeymoon such as a night in a hotel in one of their locations, an adventure trip or their travel costs. 

Discuss your expectations!  The build up to your wedding is usually very intense time with so much to organise, friends and family arriving and rehearsals.  Then your actual wedding day is a big day with so much to think of and do - all this can leave you very happy but exhausted.  Many couples go from this to their Honeymoon and become disappointed when their expectations of their Honeymoon aren't met. One person was devastated when his bride spent much of their Honeymoon in tears because the emotion of leaving home and getting married suddenly overwhelmed her.  Planning for your Honeymoon should include some time talking about your expectations and making sure they are realistic.

A growing number of couples are choosing to spend their first night in a hotel not too far away so that they can enjoy being together without a lot of travel.  Then having had some time to unwind, going on to their Honeymoon the next day or a few days later.

A little planning will help ensure that your Honeymoon is everything you hope it will be, so make sure you put it on your list of things to do early on in your wedding preparations!

Author: Ron Schepers

Article may be re-produced with a link back to  www.nzweddingdirectory.co.nz

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