By Susan Farewell
 Spectacular
views of the Caribbean Sea at the Jamaica Inn
Island hopping in the South Pacific. Visiting castles in
the French countryside. A journey to Patagonia. When it comes
to choosing a honeymoon destination, the tendency is to think
big. Understandably, so many of us have grown up with the
notion that your honeymoon is supposed to be the trip of
a lifetime.
Indeed, it can be. But before setting yourselves up for
huge disappointments, take time to really think it through
and talk out the possibilities. Here are seven strategies
to help you zoom in on what sort of honeymoon will work best
for you.
- Start by sitting down and sharing your thoughts with
each other. Has it always been your dream to go to London?
Yes…but maybe your fiancé has been there many times on
business. Do you want to go some place and chill or are
you up for some serious sightseeing? Do you want the same
things?
- Keep it simple. While you might be tempted to plan a
two-week journey to Vietnam, ask yourselves if this is
really the right time to take on such an ambitious trip.
Do you really want to be moving around that much right
after spending so much time preparing for a wedding?
- Discuss the budget. The last thing you need to do as
newlyweds is face huge credit card debt because you splurged
on your honeymoon. Take a serious look at how much you
really can spend on the trip and stick to it as much as
possible.
- Don’t combine personal visits unless they are mutual
friends. Your BFF from elementary school lives on St. Lucia
and wants to “hang out” with you guys for a couple of days.
Don’t go there! Keep the wedding trip between the two of
you only.
- Consider choosing a different date if the timing’s off.
While you both might be itching to go to Greece, it may
not be the best idea to head for Mykonos the last two weeks
of July when the island is jam-packed with visitors from
around the world. If you get married in July, consider
taking the honeymoon later in the season. The crowds are
gone by the middle of August.
- Think about taking several smaller honeymoons instead
of one big one. If you’re both busy and can’t get away
for an extended period of time immediately following your
wedding day, there’s nothing wrong with planning a couple
of weekends away instead. Just be sure to commit to these
(making credit card reservations should do the trick).
 A
true honeymoon getaway, at The Islands of Siankaba in
Zambia,
where guests stay in private chalets, linked by footbridges.
- Handle all travel details as soon as you can. The minute
you decide where to go, start a list of what’s necessary
and get going on it. If you need passports or visas, start
the application process. It can take longer than you think.
Shots? Call your doctor and find out what you need and
where you get them. You can even start packing in advance.
That way, you’ll really zoom in on what you need and if
you realize early enough you’re missing something, it won’t
be a scramble trying to find it later when all the wedding
arrangements are in full swing.
As for doing the travel research itself, we’ll be providing
you with all sorts of great ideas in coming months, right
here. Check back for our honeymoon travel updates. |
