Honeymoon planning is no easy task. First of all, you have to decide where you’re going to get married. Many people honeymoon in the same place they are married. In fact, it’s becoming more common for people to go to some exotic place to be married and just stay there afterwards as part of the honeymoon. But for those of you who are more traditional, effectively planning a honeymoon is essential to your marriage’s success.
The first thing with planning a honeymoon is deciding where you want to go. If you’re getting married in Seattle, for example, you may think a honeymoon to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is the place to go. On the other hand, you may want to take an exotic cruise in the Caribbean. All of this, of course, depends on the amount of money you plan on spending.
To give you an idea of budgeting, here are some statistics about honeymoon planning in the United States. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, honeymooners spend, on average, $4,000 per couple as compared to $1,300 spent on regular annual trips. Honeymooners comprise an $8 billion-a-year industry. The average length of a honeymoon lasts 7 – 9 days. Roughly 40 percent of all honeymoons are taken domestically, while 60 percent are taken in a foreign destination. About 40 percent of honeymooners will stay at a resort, 30 percent will stay at a large hotel, and 10 percent will stay at a small hotel.
As far as honeymoon planning goes, make sure everyone you talk to (i.e., travel agents, airline, hotel personnel, and ground personnel) know that you’re on your honeymoon. People display more smiles and respect when they know you’re celebrating something special. You may even receive some extra perks or bonuses for letting people know.
Make sure you research enough of the area you plan on visiting so you have plenty to do when you get there. If you’re going to be honeymooning for five days, you need to know you have five days worth of fun to look forward to. You don’t want to overextend you stay, especially when you’ve run out of things to do. It makes the honeymoon a little more boring once you’ve exhausted all of your resources for entertainment. So make sure you have every day planned with things to do. Unless, of course, you want a more laid-back environment; in that case, having nothing to do may suit your interests. But if you’re taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you probably want to see and do all that you can while in some intoxicating location.
Once you arrive at your honeymoon destination, make sure the hotel room is in order. If you’re dissatisfied with anything in your room, you can speak with the hotel manager and typically get a nicer, upgraded room for no additional charge. However, nice hotels and resorts will usually prepare your room to the finest level of accommodations, especially if they know you’re on your honeymoon.
Honeymoon planning doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult, but it does take time. Allow yourself enough time to talk with your future spouse about places you’d like to go and things you’d like to do. Once you come to an agreement on a certain honeymoon destination, plan each day and make sure the total cost of the trip falls within your expected budget. Finally, here is a short list of some other honeymoon travel tips you might not want to forget about.
- Put names on the inside and outside of all travel bags
- Check camera batteries and make sure you have extras to bring along
- Take plenty of film (extra memory cards for digital cameras)
- Make sure you have appropriate documents for entering and leaving the country
- Take books or reading materials
- Take medicines and toiletries you will need for your trip
- Put cash and other valuables in hotel safety deposit boxes
- Take an extra bag to bring home purchases from your honeymoon.
By John Ivie