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Amidst all the wedding planning you’ll have to carve out some time to plan your honeymoon as well. The honeymoon is meant to be a fun and relaxing time for you and your new partner to celebrate your marriage and love for one another. But with all the stress and pressure of planning the actual wedding, the honeymoon often falls to the backburner and in turn suffers from the lack of preparation. We’re here to help you avoid these horrible mistakes couple make when planning their honeymoons.
1. Do not procrastinate
We know that planning the wedding day is stressful and busy enough as it is, but if you want to travel someone (especially internationally) for your honeymoon, you need to leave yourself ample time to plan and book everything. Ideally you will book your honeymoon six to eight months in advance so that you have plenty of time to adequately research flights, hotels, activities and transportation and book things within your budget.
2. Set a practical budget
You’ve probably been planning your dream wedding since you were a little kid, so you’re probably allocating more of your total wedding budget to the ceremony and reception. But, you don’t want to leave your honeymoon budget so small that you’re scrounging for bargains and deals that are not the appropriate caliber for your honeymoon. We’re all for doing things cheaply and staying wallet-friendly, but don’t pinch pennies so much that your entire experience suffers. Remember, more often than not, you get what you pay for. Set a realistic budget ahead of time and if your initial research indicates your first choice destination is too expensive, perhaps it’s time to choose a different destination.
Photo Credit: Asia.com
3. Do your research
Many times couples have an idea of where they want to go and what they want to do and they book the first flights and hotels that meet their minimum requirements. This is a terrible idea as you could be vastly overpaying for something if you don’t conduct any research first. Do your homework and compare different flights and accommodations in terms of price, schedule and quality. There are many resources online to help you with this task, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp. By spending some time researching potential honeymoon options, you can book the best possible honeymoon.
4. Check the weather
Oftentimes honeymoons involve tropical beachfront destinations. However, these tropical locales are also generally prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters. Check the weather for the time of year you plan to go and make sure it’s not hurricane or monsoon season. If you can’t handle extremely high temperatures and humidity, make sure the averages for that month are suitable for your needs.
Photo Credit: Rental Cars 24h
5. Don’t over pack
A common mistake all travelers make, including those embarking on their honeymoons, is overpacking. Bringing the appropriate amount of clothing and having enough options and versatility is always tough, but overpacking means having to lug around more weight and volume, potential hassles while going through airport security and not having room to bring home souvenirs.
6. Be realistic with your schedule
You may be going to a place you’ve been wanting to go for ages, but one of the biggest mistakes couples make is overbooking their schedules. If there are tons of tourist attractions and activities you want to do while on your honeymoon, make sure there is a realistic amount of time to do everything you want to do. Keep in mind that things often take much longer than you expect, and you’ll need to account for transportation to and from the attractions as well as potential unforeseen delays. An over packed schedule will be stressful and take away from your relaxing honeymoon experience. Choose the attractions and activities that are the most important to you and prioritize your time wisely.
Photo Credit: Sandals Weddings
7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Not everyone is a master travel agent. Many people hardly ever have to book travel arrangements, so booking something as huge as a honeymoon can be a daunting task. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Ask your friends and family for tips and advice on where to go, where to stay and attractions not to miss. If you don’t even know where to begin to book, find a travel agent to help you book your trip. By asking for help from others you can learn about tons of different options that you may have never considered if you hadn’t asked for help.
Photo Credit: Amazing Travel Adventure
8. Stay organized
Although you are planning a fun trip in an exciting location, there are still organizational details that need to be managed. If you’re going out of the country, make sure you have a current passport and check the country’s requirements for passport expiration dates and visas. Another thing many couples forget is travel insurance. Travel insurance covers things like medical expenses, emergencies and lost luggage and is especially important to have in foreign countries where your regular insurance may not apply. Stay organized and keep your documents in order so that you don’t show up to your honeymoon unprepared.
