Getting married can be one of the most exciting times of your life, but it can also be a time filled with decisions and stress. If you’re getting married, one of the things you may be looking for is help planning a honeymoon. Once you’ve planned a tropical bachelorette party and finalized all your wedding details, it’s time to begin preparing for your romantic getaway.

If you’ve been stressed and wondering, “What are the best options for how to plan my honeymoon?” - we’re here to help. We’ve created a honeymoon planning checklist that will help you tackle some of the more arduous aspects of honeymoon planning without feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed. Our honeymoon guide will give you insight, tips, and ideas to make planning your honeymoon the fun and exciting experience it should be, without the added stress! It’s important to view your honeymoon as the once-in-a-lifetime adventure that it is rather than a task that needs to be completed. When you’re planning a wedding, it can be easy to get wrapped up in all the details and forget to step back and enjoy the fun of it all and the opportunity to celebrate your love. With our honeymoon guide, we hope you can have fun planning a dream honeymoon that fits your interests perfectly.

{Photo by: @jownolasco}

Planning a honeymoon can feel like you have to make a million different decisions, but with our planning guide, we want to help you narrow down all of those decisions into a few broad categories that will help guide your planning and simplify what you have to consider. For a honeymoon to work well for your interests and your life, there are many different factors that will come into play, but it’s easier to think in terms of the big decisions and let all of the smaller considerations fall within those broader categories. We’ve found that this method makes it feel like you only have a few things to decide rather than fifty, which can make you feel overwhelmed and prevent you from enjoying the honeymoon planning process. We’ve broken down the top big decisions you’ll need to make when you’re planning your honeymoon and some of the most important considerations that should guide your decision-making so that your honeymoon is the memorable and enjoyable experience that it should be.

The first big decision you’ll need to make when planning your honeymoon is where you want to go. Are you looking for a beach getaway where you can relax on white sand beaches and go ziplining through a rainforest? If so, it’s best to target some of the top tropical destinations that will offer you the pristine beaches and ocean views you’re looking for. Are you looking to scale mountains and adventure in picturesque alpine landscapes with the person you love? It may be best to start by narrowing down places and mountains you’ve been itching to visit and then research the surrounding areas of those peaks to see what they have to offer. Are you and your loved one eager to explore a new city and take in the sights in a concrete jungle that affords you a modern, cosmopolitan honeymoon experience? Make a list of cities that you’ve been wanting to visit and try grouping cities together that are geographically close so that you can make the most of your honeymoon and see as much as possible. It’s also important to be mindful of the time of year you are planning to travel. If you’re looking for winter vacation destinations it’s important to check the weather in each area and make sure it fits your desired temperature.

This is the first big step in planning your honeymoon. For your honeymoon to be perfect for you, it’s important that it aligns with your interests and what you and your loved one enjoy doing. The perfect honeymoon is different for every couple. For some, it’s trail running in the Alps and for others, it’s relaxing on a romantic beach in Bora Bora. Once you’ve decided on the type of honeymoon you’re looking for, research the best time of year for that type of honeymoon. Remember that your honeymoon doesn’t have to be directly after your wedding if there is a more convenient time or season for it to take place. During this process, it’s also important to develop a budget of how much money you’re able to spend on your honeymoon. Make sure your budget is realistic. If you set your budget at a level that you aren’t really comfortable with, it will only end up making you stress out, instead of being excited.

By now, you should have decided on the type of honeymoon you’re looking for, the best time of year for that type of honeymoon, and what your honeymoon budget is. Once these factors are nailed down, it’s time to develop a list of your top destination contenders and research those destinations to see which one best suits your budget and what activities you would like to partake in during your honeymoon. Be sure to check travel warning sites about the destinations you’re considering and take the travel warnings into consideration as you decide on your destination. It can be helpful to enlist the help of a travel agent who specializes in the type of honeymoon you’re looking for or the destinations you love. It is also helpful to reach out to friends who have been on honeymoons and see if they have any advice or tips they can provide you with.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to your top destination, the next step is to check flights and see how much they cost. It’s best to book your airline tickets as far in advance as possible (we recommend six to nine months before your honeymoon) as you will get better rates than if you wait until close before the honeymoon. When you’re looking at airline reservations, make sure you take into considerations the time schedules, food specifications on the flights, the seat assignments, and the luggage allowances of the airline. If the cost to visit that destination falls within your budget, you’ve found your perfect honeymoon destination! We recommend looking into travel insurance when purchasing your airline reservations since issues can arise due to health concerns, weather conditions, or last-minute emergencies. Now that you’ve found your honeymoon destination, the next step is the find the perfect honeymoon accommodations to make sure you have a comfortable stay during your time there.

So you’ve decided on where you want to go, now you need to figure out the best place to stay during your honeymoon. We recommend starting this process by talking to your loved one and discussing what your ideal accommodations would look like. Do you want to go backpacking through Europe for your honeymoon and have a low-key experience? You may want to stay in hostels or Airbnb rentals during your honeymoon. Are you looking for a lavish and elegant stay in a five-star hotel at an exotic destination? You’ll need to take a look at the accommodations in the surrounding area of your destination to see if they fall within your budget and what rooms they have to offer. Is your dream to go to Paris for your honeymoon and to see the Eiffel Tower from your hotel suite? It’s best to look at the hotels surrounding the Eiffel Tower to see which ones fall within your budget while also giving you the dream honeymoon you’re looking for. Just like with choosing your honeymoon destination, finding the perfect honeymoon accommodations begins with choosing the type of experience you’re looking for and then researching from there.

Accommodations will consume a big chunk of your honeymoon budget and it’s important to align your budget with your expectations so that you can find a place to stay that will give you all the perks and views you’re looking for, while not pulling funds from actually enjoying your honeymoon while you’re there. If you and your loved one have different ideas of what you’re looking for in your honeymoon accommodations, we recommend making a list of each of your must-haves and what you could live without and then tailoring your search based on those must-haves to find something that will satisfy both of you and make you excited to enjoy your honeymoon without any lingering resentment or disappointment. It’s also important to check availability during the timeframe you’re looking at as accommodations can be secured and booked out quickly. If you find something that’s perfect, be sure to snag it, because if you wait, it will likely get booked out. Once you’ve found accommodations that you and your loved one are excited for and fit within your budget and travel timeframe, the next step is to determine how long your honeymoon is going to be.

Finding the perfect length for your honeymoon should be driven in part by what is feasible for you and your loved one financially and in terms of your employment. We know that time away from work is something that needs to be planned and approved in advance and budgeted for accordingly to make sure that you don’t spend your honeymoon stressed about finances or worried that you’ll be away from work too long. Sit down during your planning and have a discussion with your partner about how long it is feasible for you both to be on a honeymoon vacation from a financial and employment perspective and then use that to guide your decisions in booking your airline tickets and your accommodations. While your wedding will only be one day, your honeymoon will often be quite a bit longer and it’s important to make sure you can enjoy that time to the fullest.

Once you have these three big questions answered and your airline travel (if needed) and accommodations booked, there are a number of other small concerns we encourage you to think through as you are planning your honeymoon.

{Photo by: @rrayyme}

Planning the perfect honeymoon requires a certain amount of planning and organization to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed immediately before or during your honeymoon. In the hustle and bustle of wedding planning, it can be easy to overlook important things to consider and skip simple steps that will make your planning process much more organized and streamlined. Below are a few other considerations to include as a part of your honeymoon planning checklist.

• Does your destination have a different native language than yours? If so, you may want to look into learning that language (at least a few basic phrases) in the months leading up to your trip so you aren’t panicked right before or when you arrive.
• Tight on money to experience everything you’ve dreamt of for your honeymoon? Consider having a honeymoon registry in lieu of gifts to help offset the costs and put the money towards having your dream honeymoon.
• When planning your trip and travel, make sure you know how you will be getting to and from the place you are staying and the airport, train station, or other modes of transportation.
• If you’re going to need a rental car where you’re going, make sure to book in advance so you get the best rates and know what to do when you arrive at your destination.
• If you need any train tickets, research if you can purchase them in advance, and if not, how to purchase them when you arrive. This will help you feel more prepared and less stressed.
• Keep a binder or digital folder with all of your reservations, booking information, and tickets organized within it. This will keep all your important travel documents in one place so it’s easy to find something when you’re looking for it.
• Be sure to research if you need any medical clearances of vaccinations for your chosen destination. You’ll need time to get them, so it’s important to research early.
• If you’re traveling internationally and need to apply for or renew a passport, be sure to do so three to six months before your honeymoon. Also, when you’re booking your travel, make sure the name on your tickets and passport match.
• Make a packing list for all of the outfits, sexy bikinis, and clothes you will need for the specific time that you will be on vacation. Check the weather and pack accordingly. If you’re heading to a tropical destination, don’t forget to pack swimsuits! Get some ideas by reading our related blog, 5 Best Bikinis for Brides on Their Honeymoon!
• Look up if you need any type of adapters or voltage converters for charging your electronics.

We hope that our honeymoon planning checklist helps makes your honeymoon planning experience simple and stress-free! Once you have your honeymoon planned, it’s time for the fun part --- choosing honeymoon bikinis that reflect your personal style and fit you like a glove!

Sources:

https://www.realsimple.com/weddings/weddings-planning/honeymoon-planning-checklist

https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/230670/honeymoon-do-list?slide=750757

http://www.theexcitedbride.com/2013/01/28/the-ultimate-honeymoon-planning-checklist/

https://www.brides.com/story/honeymoon-booking-tips

https://www.marthastewartweddings.com/230679/how-choose-your-honeymoon?slide=750742