Don’t Procrastinate When It Comes To Planning Your Honeymoon location
With all the stress of wedding planning, it’s easy to make planning the honeymoon the last thing on the wedding list. But it’s not the time to procrastinate.
Cruises are a popular choice for honeymooners because they combine plenty of shipboard activities with exotic destinations. They are ideally booked six to nine months in advance, according to Nancy Yoffe, owner of Cruise Planners travel agency in Spartanburg.
Pricing is likely to be better in advance, and chances are, the bride and groom will be able to get the cruise ship, room and destination they want.
‘The farther out you book, the better,’ she advises.
Yoffee says that destination weddings, where the wedding is held in a location that is also a perfect honeymoon location, are popular, as is actually getting married on the cruise ship. Particularly for second marriages, these options are often appealing. But they require even more advance planning – ideally twelve months before the wedding, she recommends.
Popular honeymoon destinations include Hawaii and the Caribbean, Yoffee says. And now Hawaiian cruises are now available year-round, with seven- or 10-day trips available.
Ready to plan your honeymoon? The timeline generally goes like this:
Six to Eight Months in Advance
- Determine the type of honeymoon you would like to have.
- Begin investigating possible honeymoon destinations.
- Set a honeymoon budget. Figure in different expenses such as plane tickets, meals, car rental, taxes and gifts.
- Find a travel agent who specializes in the type of honeymoon you want to take.
- Check out your frequent flyer miles.
- Book your tickets. Ask about special honeymoon discounts or packages. Get confirmation numbers.
