10 steps to planning your honeymoon

For some newlyweds, their honeymoon may be the first trip they’ve ever planned themselves. It’s their first chance to prove how well they work together as a pair. But planning the honeymoon is often as much stress and work as planning the wedding itself. Whether you are taking the easiest route (an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean arranged by a travel company) or the most difficult (perhaps a month in Europe), you have things to consider and plans to make.

Here are 10 steps to planning your honeymoon

1. Sit down with your spouse to figure out what kind of vacation you want to have. Are you looking for adventure? A relaxing beach? Do you want to explore a new city? How about voluntourism, a trend emerging among newlyweds, where the couple volunteer to do teaching or labor during their vacation? Area travel agents say the most popular type of honeymoon remains the all-inclusive resort.

Veronica White of the Honeymoon Gal in St. Louis, honeymoongal.com, says that with so many more couples living together before marriage, the destination can be tricky. “If they’ve been together for a long time, there is a difference in how they plan,” White said. “We have to do something that’s new for the both of you. Sometimes one has traveled more than the other. Truly we should try to make it somewhere you haven’t been. You want the couple to experience something new together.”

2. Figure out your budget — time and money. Do you have a month off from school and work? Do you only have the weekend? The amount of time you have can easily limit your options. Budget can also limit your options. “If they don’t start with their budget, they fall in love things they can’t afford,” White said.

3. Discuss dates. It used to be that couples were married on Saturday and left for their honeymoon the next morning. Pat Blassie of Altair Travel says honeymooners are moving their trip days and often weeks after the wedding. “New careers offer challenges to how long the honeymoon can be. Plus, on the financial side, student loans play a role,” she said.

4. Do your research. If you are opting for the resort, what kind of resort culture are you looking for? Small or large? Heavy on the water sports or are fine dining and cooking classes more your thing? Next, talk with your friends, look at online reviews. Narrow things down.

5. Find a travel agent who can solidify your plans for you. Jan Mantovani of Altair says, “Let a trained professional do the work. If you are not making your own wedding dress, baking your own wedding cake or cooking the food for your reception, why would you do this yourself?” Travel agents also know where to look for upgrades, especially for honeymooners.

6. Plan activities during your stay. You can either book your activities and excursions before you leave or do it when you get there. But if you are going to wait, be sure to at least be educated about what is offered before you go. And White suggests that you do not overplan. “It’s your honeymoon. Relax.”

7. Schedule a surprise for your spouse. A bouquet waiting for her when she gets in, surfing lessons for him … think of your spouse and his or her interests and think how delighted he or she will be with one last wedding surprise.

8. Be sure the bride’s trip is booked in her maiden name. Your name won’t legally be changed the minute you get married, so make sure all your traveling documents are in your maiden name. Also consider, that at some resorts, if you book the honeymoon package you are required to bring not only the marriage certificate but also a photograph from the wedding. White says this is to prevent people from pretending they are on a honeymoon and getting the freebies that come with it.

9. Think of safety. Yes, you have a big rock on your hand now, but that might be an invitation for thieves or maybe it’s not sized quite right and could fall off in the water. Make sure your hotel has a safe deposit box, and use it if you think you might lose it. Or consider keeping the ring at home.

10. Use this time to find common interests as a couple. “For your honeymoon, you are there to create the first new memories and lay the groundwork for this marriage,” White said. “Try things you many not like but your spouse likes so you may find common interests together.”