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Although the process of planning a wedding is stressful, organising the honeymoon is definitely one of the more exciting aspects. Thoughts of jetting off into the sun following the happiest day of your life will fill your heads, as you look forward to finally relaxing and enjoying the first days of life as a married couple.
With so much else going on, though, it can be hard to find the opportunity to put together the holiday of a lifetime. That’s why we’re offering some helpful tips to ensure everything goes to plan.
As you’ll know even before you start the planning process, there is so much to do and time is constantly ticking towards the big day. Therefore it’s a good idea to get started on the honeymoon sooner rather than later so you can get it sorted early.
Not only will this mean that you can tick it off your list and have one less thing to worry about, you will also benefit from better prices and possibly some early booking deals. Flights are typically released around 9 months before departure but you can start researching way before then so you are ready to go as soon as they become available.
Booking everything early will also help avoid any disappointment that could be caused by a hotel being fully booked or a certain activity not being available.
Being each other’s perfect match is likely to mean that you both enjoy the same kind of holiday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will both have the same destination in kind. It’s important to compromise when making the final decision, though, to find something that you will both enjoy and remember for the rest of your lives.
This could mean opting for a twin-centre break during which you spend some time in one destination before going on to another for the rest of the holiday. This is also a great choice if you do prefer different travelling styles (taking it easy vs trying to see everything).
Mexico, for example, has some great historic sights like Chicken Itza and other Mayan ruins and also some amazing beaches. You could spend a week on the go, exploring the top tourist attractions, before heading out to the coast and relaxing on pristine sands for the second week.
Unless you’re in the enviable position of not having to worry about money, weddings are all about budget, and every couple will have a different one. However, it may be worth stretching it to the limit in order to create your ultimate dream holiday. After all, you are never going to do this again.
Having said that, it is important to splurge in the right places. Many people think about spending big on flight upgrades but that money may actually go further when used for something else. The cost of a first-class ticket may be the same as an upgrade to a luxurious suite for the whole duration of the trip, so think about what’s important to you.
The one thing you don’t want to do is arrive and regret any of the decisions you made whilst planning. So, if you wouldn’t normally splash out on a five-star hotel or a gourmet meal but have always wanted to, maybe this is the time to do it.
There was a time when every couple’s wedding gift list was full of things like washing machines, elegant cutlery sets and plush bath mats – ready for life together as a married couple. However, these days, young lovers are living together a lot longer before they tie the knot (trying to save for a wedding) and therefore tend to have a lot of this stuff already.
As a result, there is a big trend for using your wedding gift list to pay for your honeymoon. This is a great way of giving yourself the chance to enjoy an extra special holiday without having to shoulder the entire cost yourself.
Travel agents and other companies now offer services that allow your guests to pay off certain parts of your honeymoon as their gift. Similar options include asking for travel vouchers which you can then use to customise your trip in your own way or simply asking for spending money to ensure you have the best time whilst you’re there.
One thing that sometimes gets forgotten about amid the chaos of planning a wedding is how changing your name will affect your travel plans. If you are planning on changing it straight away, be sure that your passport and other travel documents also reflect this change.
The Gov.uk website will let you change the name on your passport up to 90 days before your wedding day and will then send you a new passport which can be used from this date. You obviously also need to make sure flights are then booked in your married name to avoid any issues at the gate or check-in. You may also need to take a copy of your marriage certificate with you to confirm your new name.
The other option is to book everything in your maiden name and then wait until you return to change everything. It’s down to your personal preference.
One of the best ways to reduce your wedding planning stress is to let a travel agent take some of the hassles out of organising your honeymoon. The team at TravelQuest can offer great insight into some perfect destinations and will tell you everything you need to know about booking.
Their advice and recommendations will help create the holiday of a lifetime and their expertise will save you time during the planning stage – time that could be better spent straightening out the details of your big day.
Knowing that everything is being taken care of by someone who has done this many times before will be a big weight off your mind. Then all that’s left for you to do is enjoy yourself whilst you’re away.
If you would like us to help plan your honeymoon, call 0800 021 3237 and speak to the team. Alternatively, you can click here to send an online enquiry.
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