How To Plan the Perfect Honeymoon...
There are a few ways to ensure that you maximize your honeymoon enjoyment while you minimize your spending. If you are planning the optimum wedding day and are on a tight budget, you
may want to take your honeymoon the following year. Your honeymoon can be taken up to a year or two after your nuptials. And if you are actively planning your honeymoon, you can always say exactly where you are going and when anytime someone asks. That is the recommended way to plan it.
This way, you have your itemized costs and can make payments over a period of time just like with your vendors. (It's very possible that air arrangements can not be made over 365 days before departure. But you will still have an idea of what those costs will be.)
1. Plan An Off Season Honeymoon. The quickest way to save money on your dream honeymoon is by opting for the off-season in your "dream" locale or on its shoulder season.
Shoulder season is actually that time between off-season and high season, which is usually when most people want to visit your dream spot. High season is always the most expensive time to visit a particular destination. It's prime time for the area or region you plan to visit.
Now depending on where you are looking to honeymoon, shoulder season weather just may be a few rainy days. But if you can overlook the downfalls, you may get a fantastic honeymoon rainbow at a fraction of high costs.
2. Go All-Inclusive. If your idea of a dream honeymoon is resplendent with beaches, exotic named drinks with umbrellas and being constantly catered to, then an all-inclusive—a resort or a cruise is definitely the honeymoon choice for you.
Sure, rather than a Caribbean resort, you may prefer a lodge in Aspen or a transatlantic cruise to England's South Hampton. But if you want luxury with a 2 to 1 staff to client ratio, an all inclusive honeymoon is the one for you.
You and your spouse will be pampered in more comfort than you thought possible. These options also offer additional Romance Packages that can include couples massages, intimate candlelit dinners, and snorkeling, parasailing or horseback riding in the surf.
3. Go Off the Beaten Track. Off the beaten path destinations are a way to ensure a honeymoon filled with excitement and panache. Professional assistance—a travel agent or specialist—can ensure that all the deals available and details required are employed. You'll need to be up front regarding your budget. But rest assured, your dream honeymoon to a remote or unusual location can become a reality if you plan early, take your time, be open to possibilities and clearly define your priorities--level of adventure and activities required.
So whether you long for the isles of Rapanui, a stroll through Giza, or a cruise up the Yangtze, you are sure to book a honeymoon that is intriguing and different with enough time to plan.
One of the best things you can do when planning your honeymoon is not to arrange to depart on your honeymoon the day after your wedding. With the excitement of the wedding and reception, the endless toasts, the all-night dancing, you two are not going to be in good shape for a trip that day.
Plus, there are usually things the need to be completed before you leave. You may want to drop off your gown or bouquet to be preserved. You may still have out of town guests.
One thing you can be assured of is that going at the right time, to a place slightly off the beaten track, and getting as much as possible included will give you the honeymoon you want.
Emma McKnight is travel agent specializing in cruise vacations. View her website at: Cruise With Emma or contact her.