Honeymoon Essentials Part 1 - It's All in the Planning!

Image via Austin’s Wedding Guide Bridal Blog via Packing for Your Honeymoon

The days following your wedding are moments of pure bliss with you and your loved one. All the hustle, pre-wedding planning and moments of stress are now behind you and it’s nothing but relaxation and romance for the next days, weeks or months (for the super lucky ones!) on your honeymoon – so let’s make that time the best it can be!

It’s All in the Planning!

Destination

This is key! You want your honeymoon destination to be a reflection of who you are as a couple and to be ideally suited to what you want from a honeymoon. When looking for the perfect honeymoon destination, there are a number of factors you need to consider.

1. Dream Destination: Everyone has that dream honeymoon destination (Maldives over the water bungalows anyone?!) so now is the time to dig out those travel brochures or create a Pinterest board and dream up everything you want from your ideal honeymoon.

Image from One&Only Reethi Rah Maldives via Honeymoon In The Maldives At The One&Only Reethi Rah Resort

2. Budget: Now that you’ve got an idea of what you want, it’s time to get to the nitty-gritty part of determining your budget. No one likes being restricted by a budget, but when it comes to your big day (and the days following) it is important to keep your budget in check as this is a time with many expenses at once.

If your budget doesn’t meet your initial thoughts of your dream destination, do your research to find similar places a little closer to home – eg: Over the Water Bungalows are plentiful in the Asian Pacific region for a much more attainable price point

3. Weather: This is a huge factor when choosing your ideal location. If you’re headed to a neighbouring island for their tropical weather, take note of their wet seasons. A simple Google search will give you all the answers you need.

4. Time frame: Always dreamt of doing a round the world trip on your honeymoon but you only have 2 weeks off work? You should apply budgeting principles to your available time. Pick the absolute key places you want to see and prioritize your time in those areas. You’ll have more time to enjoy the culture and lifestyle by focusing on only a few places if you’re strapped for time.

Organisation

To make sure your honeymoon is completely stress free, there are a few crucial elements that need to be arranged prior to jet setting off.

1. Travel Insurance: Nothing spoils a perfect holiday like loss of luggage, sickness or a myriad of other incidents that can occur, so travel insurance is an essential part of planning your perfect honeymoon! Be sure to read the fine print as some policies don’t cover various activities you might be planning while you’re away.

2. Passports: If you’re planning an international honeymoon, double check your passport will still be valid throughout the entire duration of your honeymoon and if you need to arrange a passport, make sure this is done well in advance to allow plenty of processing time.

3. House Sitting/Pet Sitting: Before you leave for your honeymoon, think about if you’re going to want to arrange a house sitter and if you have pets, where are they are going to stay. If your friends and family aren’t able to look after your furry friends, your local area is sure to have boarding kennels to keep your pets safe.

Image by Memory Bank Photography via Kerrie and Mark’s Surprise Wedding

4. Confirmations: In all the planning and preparations in the lead up to your big day, it is easy to get overwhelmed with all the details. Keeping a spreadsheet of all your vendors and travel arrangements is a simple way to track what date you booked, who your contact is and when you confirmed your bookings.

5. Airport transfers: If you’re traveling to your dream destination via the airport, there are a number of transfers that you need to think about. How will you getting to and from the airport to begin and end your trip? Will you be driving yourselves, having a friend or family member drive you, using public transport or splurging on a chauffeured drive? However you may be travelling, be sure to arrange this well in advance to your departure date. Your airport transfers at your destination can easily be booked through a travel agent with multiple options to suit every budget.

6. Luggage: In amongst shopping for your perfect dress, selecting wedding presents and approving a cake design, give a thought to the luggage that you’ll be taking on your honeymoon. Quality luggage is always a worthwhile investment so choose wisely if you are purchasing your own.

7. Medications/Vaccinations: If your honeymoon involves overseas stops, be sure to check with your doctor about any vaccinations that you may need for each of the countries you are staying. Also make sure that you have any medications that you may be on!

8. Packing: In the lead up to your big day, be sure that you schedule in some time for packing (and shopping – new lingerie perhaps?) in the weeks prior to your wedding – no last minute packing stress!

Organizing your honeymoon is one of the most exciting aspects of planning your entire wedding. It’s just you and your loved one doing exactly what you want to do to begin your lives together – make sure it’s everything you want!

COMING UP: We’ve picked out some of our dream honeymoon destinations from around the world – special places for adventure junkies to those just wanting to relax on a secluded beach for the week! Part 2 of our Honeymoon special will be Australian based locations whilst Part 3 will showcase locations from every corner of the globe.