Planning Your Honeymoon

Nearly as fun as planning your wedding is planning your honeymoon. You desire your first trip together as husband and wife to be memorable and it's enticing to take an 'anything goes' approach. After all, you're likely to get lots of wedding presents in the form of cold, hard cash so why not?

Well for one, you hope to be able to eat and see the sights when you arrive, so you've got to use some good sense when making your preparations. Many couples discover that it is plausible to have a great honeymoon, even if they're sticking to a budget and all it takes is some planning.

When is the best time to plan the honeymoon? Clearly sooner is better, especially if you plan to travel to a favoured destination during top season. But at a minimum, while you are putting together your wedding budget, it's a good plan to allocate funds for this escapade together and work from there.

To help decide an apt budget, you've got to dream about your possibilities, and of course, you've got to be down-to-earth. A good way to begin planning your honeymoon is to think about the things you both like to do in your free time, think about places you've only dreamed of visiting, and think about what you realistically propose to do while away. You can also use the Internet or a travel agent to help you come up with honeymoon ideas.

Once you've selected a destination, it's time to get busy making your travel preparations. Special deals are out there, but you've got to be aggressive in your search for them. Don't despair; it'll likely be worth the effort. And the big deals might not always involve acquiring the lowest price. It's the extras that'll turn this routine trip into something remarkable. Maybe the deal includes obtaining a suite next to a marvellous view, or being greeted with a bottle of champagne.

When you're down to only 3 months left until the wedding date, you should have your travel arrangements securely in place. Know where you're going, how you're getting to the airport (after the reception) and once you arrive at your destination, how you'll be getting to your accommodations. Once you're in place, the rest of the vacation can run its course. If you want, you can plan several day trips in advance. This far out, also make certain vaccinations and passports are current, if applicable.

A few weeks before your departure, start gathering the effects you'll take with you on your honeymoon: camera and film/memory cards, swimsuits, day and evening wear, traveler's checks, tickets, documents, confirmation numbers for ALL reservations (including person's name if possible), and a bit of local money for tipping. Set aside somewhere secure.

Then as the approaching days become more stressful than you can handle, close your eyes and picture yourselves lazily lying around your honeymoon suite, with not a worry in the world except how soon you'll be able to return!