For today’s Wedding Wellness post I’d like to introduce guest blogger Erica of TheWorldWideWebers.com. Erica and I lifeguarded together as teens many years ago, and more recently, I’ve been creepily stalking her Facebook account because she always seems to be on the most amazing adventures, like living in Singapore, South Africa and Switzerland and countless trips in between. I didn’t know the story behind all her travels until recently when she launched her blog The World Wide Webers (read her story here), and as bloggers go, we reconnected.
I am thrilled to have expert traveler Erica sharing advice on how to plan an epic honeymoon. I love traveling and know that I want a once-in-a-lifetime sort of honeymoon, but that’s about as far as I’ve gotten. As a reminder, wedding planning can be stressful, but in the end it will be worth it, and hopefully after all the fuss is over, you will have your amazing honeymoon to look forward to as husband and wife. Planning an unforgettable honeymoon should not be something that stresses you out as you plan your wedding (way too many other details are reserved for your stress). Thanks to Erica, I now have a better handle on how to plan the perfect trip.
So without further ado, here are Erica’s 10 Tips to Planning the Ultimate Honeymoon!
Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam… And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…especially to the far corners of the earth on the best honeymoon of all time. Ok, they don’t say the last part in Princess Bride but they should have.
In honor of Passover we ask, “How is this trip different from all other trips?” Well, like any other travel there’s luggage to pack, money to spend and logistics to conquer, but unique to a honeymoon is the pressure for perfection and the all-important excuse to go BALLS OUT. So, here’s 10 tips for planning the best honeymoon, and just remember, people will only ask you where you went for the REST OF YOUR LIFE…no pressure.
1. Commit to taking a honeymoon: Taking time off is tough, weddings are expensive and the world is going to hell in a hand basket; there are a million reasons why honeymoons are increasingly difficult to carve out time for, but this is the one trip not even your boss will give you grief about, so stop making excuses and plan one!
2. Take your time: Can’t go right after the wedding? Can’t travel too far due to budget and time constraints? Waiting for off-peak season? As Frankie says, RELAX. Whether it’s a 3 day staycation or 3 months around the world, it’s not any less special if it’s long after your hangover from your wedding has disappeared, just get out there in your first year of marriage.
3. Don’t plan a full beach holiday: This is the most common mistake people make. Relaxation after the wedding is necessary (repeat VERY NECESSARY), so definitely plan a few days of sunshine-filled lounging in a beautiful place with a gorgeous room for your “inside” time 😉 But, if you attempt to spend all your days at a beach destination you run the risk of becoming engrossed in conversation with a volleyball by day 6.
4. Be well-rounded (ideally not physically): Pay attention: this is the most important honeymoon planning tip! Combine different environments to make the best experience. Lounging on a beach + exploring ancient temples, eating through a trendy city + tracking rhinos on safari, drinking your way through wine country + hiking mountains (even small hills will suffice). Don’t be a one note honeymooner; spend a few days in each location to make the most of your holiday.
5. Experience something together: Get out there and work off those breakfast buffets! Whether it be crawling up sand dunes in Namibia, climbing 900 steps in Petra, parasailing off a cliff in Nepal, or hiking Table Mountain, get your endorphins moving and have something to tell people you two accomplished when you get back, besides just making babies.
6. Go fishing (for free stuff, not actual fishing…actual fishing is not that sexy): ALWAYS state it’s your honeymoon to get free upgrades, special discounts, champagne, chocolates, spa treatments, etc. Someone just paid a lot for a wedding (even if it was your parents) so honor their empty wallets by getting something free out of the deal.
7. Prevent divorce: Reduce your chance of issues and newlywed arguments by making the travel logistics of your honeymoon as seamless as possible. Choose places that are reachable by direct or 1-stop flights and easy transit (whether public or private) on the ground. And work with good safari or tour operators where necessary, you don’t have to go it alone.
8. Be careful of your honeymoon souvenir: Getting pregnant on malaria pills is a big no-no, so if you want a honeymoon baby do your research on your location to make sure your African safari or Asian adventure doesn’t require them.
9. Be adventurous: Maldives, Seychelles, Hawaii, Bora Bora, they’re terrible! Just kidding, they’re straight up gorgeous, but they’re sand and water. Make your honeymoon as unique as you are and venture outside of the standard honeymoon destinations, or at least combine them with other extraordinary locations (i.e. Sri Lanka + Maldives, South African Safari + Mauritius, Namibia + Cape Town).
10. Make it special: this is a once in a relationship trip, different from all other trips you’ll take. Be detailed, plan ahead and create special moments that you’ll remember forever, like a hot air balloon ride, helicopter ride, couples massage, private dinner on a secluded beach, eating at the chef’s table, after hours tour of a museum…whatever tickles your fancy! Don’t wait to knock off items on your bucket list when you’re 64, start now when your taxes still have no dependents listed.
Kick off the honeymoon period with an amazing experience creating great memories to last you until you get to use your first anniversary as the next trip excuse. And remember what Princess Bride says, “tweasuwe youw wove” 🙂
Why not?!
Have any honeymoon questions for Erica? Leave them below!
And make sure to check out TheWorldWideWebers for travel tips, a peek at what it’s like living abroad (with a baby & two pups!) and to basically be jealous of and get inspired by all the world traveling Erica does.
*all photos c/o Erica Levine Weber
