HONEYMOON PLANNING
Do you feel frustrated with how to plan a honeymoon? Or just need some direction with the many advertisements being pushed on you? Start early and give it a lot of thought and you can have a memorable vacation. Ask your newlywed friends for advice and you will surely see the benefit. We've broken the process into 5 planning steps to make it easy to follow. Check out our timeline for more detailed steps to follow!
1. What's Your Style? This is the most fundamental question that you two must figure out as a couple. If only one person is planning, make sure you ask the other about their vacation style. Just because your fiancée has said many times that she would love to backpack across Europe, doesn't mean she will want to do that the week after wedding chaos, so plan ahead! Go to our Your Perfect Honeymoon page for more detailed questions to consider while determining your style and a quiz to narrow it down for you!
2. Pick a Destination! Now it's time to pick your destination city, country or island. Refer to our Destination Guide for great ideas on how to pick your destination! Keep important factors in mind, like the local weather during your month of travel, tourist seasons, off-season rates for saving money and the hottest spots for couples.
3. Resort of Your Dreams Picking your hotel, resort or cruise ship is a tricky thing. It can make or break your vacation. This is also where you will see tons of advertisements pressing you to pick a certain place to stay. Some key points to consider is how much time will you spend in your room or at the resort, how much luxury do you need and what types of amenities are important. Look at our Pick Your Hotel page for more tips. Once you have some hotels in mind, read what couples say about them. Don't just book off of a beautiful internet photo or you might end up with a honeymoon disaster! Our resort finder has reviews of resorts by newlyweds, so see what they say about your hotel. Don't forget to give a review when you return to help other couples!
4. Travel Agent or Online Booking? Online travel bookings are very commonplace, but be careful that all the special touches you want are reserved correctly. Honeymoon travel agents will double-check your reservations and make sure that everything you ask for is there for you. Some travel agents have stayed at or visited the hotels that you are interested in, which is a plus when trying to narrow down a choice. If you book online, call the resort directly after the reservation is made and right before you debark, to verify ALL aspects of your stay (room view, in-room amenities, excursions...). Packages are often the way to go to get more for your money.
5. Prepare to Leave Well, all the big decisions are made and now you need to get all the pieces together. The following articles have all the information you need to plan the perfect romantic vacation:
HONEYMOON BASICS
Planning Timeline –
Month by month list of what to do to prepare for your stress-free trip.
Avoid a Honeymoon Disaster - Essential precautions to prevent disasters.
Make a Honeymoon Budget - Also great money saving tips.
Honeymoon Registry Tips - Make a registry work for you and save you money!
Packing Checklist - Pack all the essentials without overpacking, here are tips and a packing list.
Travel Safety - Don't be viewed as a tourist target!
Travel Resources - Currency exchange, embassies, customs, travel security warnings...
Airline Resources - Get the best deals on airfare directly from the airlines.
BEAUTY & HEALTH
Shaving or Waxing - Are you going to wax and shave?
Mosquito Bite Prevention - Don't be taken over by mosquito bites with these hints and preferred products.
Travel Health - Prevent travel sickness with these helpful tips.
Air Travel Tips - Deboard your airplane feeling your best.
ROMANCE & GIFTS
Romantic Travel Ideas - Add extra romance with some affordable ways to show your passionate side to your spouse.
Sexy Stuff to Pack - Don't leave home without something sexy from this list!
Bridal Shower Gift Advice - Tips for the perfect bridal shower gift.
Romantic Gift Ideas - Pick out the perfect honeymoon gift from this list of great gifts.Romantic Honeymoon Ideas
HONEYMOON IDEAS
Make Every Moment of Your Honeymoon a Cherished Memory
Your honeymoon is a time for you to celebrate your relationship and make special memories of your lives. We have some great romantic honeymoon ideas to enhance your honeymoon experience. Here are some low cost or free things you can do to make it that much more romantic. Plan your ideas before you leave so that you can make sure you have the resources to do them. Also, surprises are so much fun, so be spontaneous and dazzle your spouse with something romantic and from the heart. You will remember these moments forever! Check out our SITE for romantic ideas!
Sunrise Together
Ask someone at your resort where to go for a great location to see the sunrise. Wake up one morning before sunrise, make some coffee, walk to your special place and experience a new day starting as your lives together have just begun.
Little Presents
Bring with you a little present for each day of your honeymoon, and give it to your spouse at a special moment during the day. This could be bubble bath, massage oil or a new CD and your favorite bottle of wine to drink while spending a night indoors with a deck of cards. These little presents don’t need to be expensive, just something that fits both of you and can add a little zest to your honeymoon.
Jacuzzi
Bring scented bubble bath and tea light candles with you on your honeymoon and prepare a warm bath for the two of you. Make sure to request a room with a bathtub or Jacuzzi. Place the scented candles around the room and turn off the lights to enjoy your warm moment together.
Reasons Why I Love You...
Before leaving on your honeymoon, right down all the reasons why you love your fiancé. You could put these on separate pieces of paper and present them in an adorned box or write them on one decorative piece of paper, maybe in scrapbook style. Either way, your fiancé will be surprised at the thought and effort you took to express all the little things you love about him/her.
Walking in the Moonlight
At least one night on your honeymoon, take a long walk, hand-in-hand, with the moon shining on you both. Talk about your happy union and your excited plans for your future together. Share your dreams and make a wish on a star.
Romantic Dinner for Two
Find a way to have a secluded dinner, outside if possible. Some resorts will even put a private table on your deck/veranda or under a beach cabana so that you can only hear the ocean waves and the sound of each other’s voices. If this isn’t available, prepare a basket of shrimp cocktail and cheese with French baguettes, or buy take-out food and go make your own excluded dinner somewhere romantic, maybe in the park or on the beach.
Massage
Have a moment for you to give a massage to your spouse. This will hopefully be followed by you receiving a massage in return. Try this out at the beginning of your honeymoon to get you and your spouse to start off relaxing right away. Since you just finished a stressful period of time planning your wedding, this massage will be very much needed. Don’t forget the massage oil! An alternative is to arrange for a couple’s massage in your room or the resort’s facilities.
Breakfast in Bed
Pre-order breakfast for a reasonable hour and spend one whole morning in bed, eating, cuddling or even watching your favorite movie. This movie could be another little gift that you bring along, but don’t forget to find out if the room has VHS/DVD access. Whatever your preference, this is a nice way to relax and spend some quality time lounging around together.
Love Poem
Even if the talent of writing isn’t bestowed on you, you can write a meaningful poem that will make your spouse be overwhelmed with happiness. Start off with the reasons for your love and then put them into poetry format. If you’re really worried about how it sounds, ask a friend or family member. You can read the poem over dinner or a cocktail, whatever your style. This will be a treasured memory.
PASSION PIECES:- ROMANTIC HONEYMOON PRODUCTS
This isn't just another vacation, make it extra special with some sultry treats! Pack these in your luggage to make for extra special surprises and moments to fully experience the honeymoon mood.
Sexy Lingerie - Isn't this why the bridal shower was invented? Bring your favorite pieces to slip into while relaxing in your resort room. Take several along to add new flavor each day.
Silk Boxers - Men hardly take the time out to buy something sexy for themselves, so use this honeymoon as an opportunity to get some fun boxers.
Massage Oil - After the wedding craze, you will need some massage time and what's better than getting a more sensual massage from the person you love.
Tea Light Candles - Have the perfect romantic mood lighting with easy to pack tea light candles. Bring just a few or dozens, either amount will create the perfect honeymoon atmosphere.
Linen Mist Spray - Bring your favorite linen spray to refresh the mood in your resort room.
Fake Rose Petals - If you can get real rose petals at your honeymoon location, then by all mean, have them sprinkled about. If not, fake rose petals have a pleasant rose smell and make the mood without the mess, especially effective with candle lighting.
Champagne or Wine - Have a glass of champagne or wine while enjoying your time together. See if your room offers this complimentary, if not, bring a couple bottles along or buy them at a local store.
Chocolates - Nothing brings about a romantic mood more than chocolate! Indulge, this is your honeymoon! If your a huge fan, buy some chocolate body paint and let your artist side come out.
Bubble Bath - Bring your favorite scent since this will add fragrance to your whole room and your bodies. The more the better!
Music - Whether this be CDs or your IPod, bring your favorite romance music that is unique to your relationship. If you want to add to the tropical theme, bring an ocean melody or open the windows to hear the real thing.
Back Massager - This will add a little extra pressure to relieve those stress points from the wedding.
Bath Oils - These add great fragrance to the bath as well as make your skin so soft for after the bath.
Loofah Sponge - This adds a little touch when bathing together.
Feather Tickler - Nothing is more fun and sensual than a feather tickler to lighten the mood at the same time as making you both relax.
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