Wednesday, June 10, 2009

After the "I Do:- Planning a honeymoon to remember

There is so much to do in planning your wedding, your stress level can be off the charts. How do you survive all of that, and still have time to arrange for the perfect honeymoon?

As a Certified Honeymoon and Destination Wedding Specialist, I participate in a lot of area Bridal shows. I see these poor girls, scrambling through the booths, trying to get information on every aspect of the wedding in a 2 hour time period.. They get to the honeymoon booth with this look of exhaustion and longing on their faces, knowing they are going to need the relaxation, but wondering how they are going to arrange one more thing without a breakdown.

The answer is- Plan, Communicate, and DELEGATE.

Plan

It may not seem top priority when there is so much to arrange for the wedding itself, but when that day is over, most couples only have a week, to make honeymoon memories to last a lifetime. Advance planning can alleviate a lot of last-minute stress.

Apply for a passport right away. They can take 6-10 weeks to arrive.

Get travel brochures. You can obtain from a travel agent, or from the suppliers themselves. It is relaxing to cuddle up on the couch together, and go through these brochures, and just the process of doing that begins to form your honeymoon wish list in your head.

Budget. Don’t forget the honeymoon costs is your wedding budget. It IS important.. If you can budget for a florist, cake, invitations, etc, why not budget in $ to Celebrate your love, your marriage, and memories you will make. A lot of couples say they will do the honeymoon later, and sadly, later never comes. Life gets in the way.

An emerging trend is the Destination Wedding, as it combines the costs of BOTH the wedding AND the honeymoon. This can save thousands over planning the two separately.

You can also consider a honeymoon registry to offset your honeymoon budget. It is a great way to afford the honeymoon you’ve dreamed of, and allows your guests to give a gift they know you will love- a contribution to your honeymoon.


Communicate

The honeymoon is one trip I DEFINITELY recommend the use of a travel agent, and more particularly, one who specializes in honeymoons. The internet is great for research, but, if you want to make the honeymoon perfect for BOTH of you, you need someone who can hear you.

I had clients with two different wish lists- one wanted Colorado in the mountains, and ziplining, and the other wanted a beach in Cancun, which is a bustling busy place. By listening to both of them, I was able to determine her main desires were privacy, seclusion, and ziplining. His was a beach. They are now going to a secluded hideaway in the Riviera Maya, and are BOTH thrilled.

Delegate

As previously discussed, this is one trip I definitely recommend the use of a Honeymoon specialist. There is so much for you to do with the wedding, and unless you have hired a wedding planner, you are responsible for most of the work. You will NEED the honeymoon, so delegate the work involved to a professional who understands your wants, needs, and desires.


A little planning, communicating and delegating can result in a lifetime of cherished honeymoon memories..