Being a travel advisor focused predominantly on honeymoons and mini-moons, I have access to the most crucial event planning period of two people's lives. Having loved every single moment of planning my wedding, being part of this particular time for two people is what I love most about my role! I get to create the perfect post-wedding itinerary, full of romance, adventure and luxury for the happy pair!
Wherever you see fit to travel to I can arrange it; whether it be an African safari followed by some R&R on the white sand beaches of Seychelles or a seven-week road trip across Australia and New Zealand I can make it happen! This is your first trip as a married couple and a continuation on from your wedding – it needs to be perfect and a once in a lifetime trip!
When to start planning
In my opinion, the sooner, the better. You want the trip to be perfect, and this may take some time so best to do it without any time pressures. I started planning my honeymoon as soon as I was engaged, and it took about a month from start to finish. As a result, we were able to book our international flights, and I could focus more time on the wedding planning, knowing that all our travel plans were organised. Unless you have air miles, planning with plenty of time to spare can also reduce flight costs!
Choosing a location
For many couples, honeymoons are not only the perfect way to kick off the rest of their lives together but the ideal excuse to take the romantic trip of a lifetime they've always wanted to take. Location is the trickiest part, and your travel agent should be on hand to help you make the right decisions on this. Every couple is different; some want to relax on a white sand beach for two weeks; others are looking for something more adventurous. Making decisions on this is what I (or your travel agent) is here for, so do not panic too much.
The most important thing for all you sun worshippers out there is to check the weather for the time of year you want to travel. Girls – this is very important! Try and minimise the risk of bad weather by checking the average forecast for when you want to go.
When to go?
I decided to leave for my honeymoon a few days after my wedding. We spent the Monday relaxing with our family and jetted off to Zambia on Tuesday morning once we were a little more rested. However, please remember you don’t have to leave for your trip straight away. A one or two-night mini-moon is becoming more and more popular and is the perfect way to finish off your wedding weekend!!
Should you want to set off straight away, my most significant piece of advice is to wait a few days like we did, especially if you are going on Safari or an adventure holiday. I can promise you; you will be exhausted from the wedding, and those 5am safari starts will be incredibly tricky if you combine jet lag and post-wedding exhaustion! When deciding on dates also be mindful of school holidays, this can be the culprit for significant price increases.
Budget
Agreeing on a budget can be tricky, especially when weddings are SO expensive. Dependent on what you are looking for out of your trip, do not panic as anything is possible. I always advise my clients to save their money for the actual honeymoon rather than spending an additional couple of thousand pounds on business or first-class flights. In my opinion, an extra three nights at a five-star hotel is much more memorable than a little bit of extra legroom for a few hours! A honeymoon is an investment into lifetime memories with your loved one, so if you can save up a little more by not having those extra few drinks on a Friday night, do it! Book your flights as early as possible to reduce costs. If you are booking on air miles flights should be released a year in advance, and you will have a more extensive selection of options.
