Purple Tips: Planning Your Honeymoon

Perhaps one of the best parts of planning your wedding is deciding what type of honeymoon you would like! Planning a wedding can be an extremely stressful – not to mention costly – experience, and it is not in anyone’s interests (least of all yours) for you to turn into a ‘Bridezilla’ or ‘Groomzilla’ before the big day! You should make the most of all the available resources to you. There are some fantastic online guides and wedding site directories which are designed to aid with all things wedding, and are a great place start.

It is wonderful to think that the honeymoon will provide a safe haven for the two of you to escape to once all the hustle and bustle of the big day itself is over.

You may already have a fixed idea of what type of honeymoon you would like – but if you are still a little in the dark, or you simply haven’t started considering it yet – here are some tips to get you started. Before you know it you will be jetting off to the holiday of a lifetime, and the first holiday together of your married life.

– Plan around your personality:
There is simply no point in booking an expensive adventure-ridden trip in the depths of the jungle if you and your partner aren’t the outdoorsy type. Likewise, don’t book a week lounging on the beach if this will bore you senseless. Make sure to plan the details of your honeymoon around your genuine likes and interests and try to compromise! This may sound obvious, but many couples book certain types of honeymoon retreats because it is simply ‘the done honeymoon’.

– Budget wisely:
It is often the case that the honeymoon budget is ‘eaten away’ by other, seemingly more essential elements of the wedding itself. Try putting away a small amount each week for your ‘honeymoon budget’ which is completely untouchable for other purposes! That way you will have a decent kitty available when the time comes, so you can jet off and enjoy every luxury without anxiety. That said, it is also worth noting that a honeymoon does not need to cost the earth! There are some fantastic options available by mixing value hotels and flights. Living in the UK means that there is a host of European adventures on our doorstep with low-cost airlines aplenty.

– What’s your destination?
If your heart is set on the Maldives but the budget / holiday time doesn’t look favourable, have you considered Greek island-hopping? Are you a culture vulture? Try a whistle-stop tour of Italy, with opera in Verona, Roman ruins in Rome and romantic canal cruises in Venice. Paris may be an obvious choice, but if you are lucky enough to live in London you can get the Eurostar there in a couple of hours! You don’t need to jet to the other side of the globe to achieve the honeymoon of your dreams.

– Shop around, and don’t be shy!
Shopping around is essential when it comes to planning your honeymoon. Compare flight prices as well as hotels to ensure you are getting the best deal. Don’t forget to always mention when making enquiries that this is for your honeymoon – you would be surprised at people’s reactions and the freebies you could pick up as a result! Anything from a bouquet of flowers on your honeymoon hotel bed or a bottle of champagne on arrival to being bumped up to first class on your flight for a luxury send-off (well – we can dream!).