Love Society

By: Rebecca Sherman

The honeymoon is the beginning of your new life as husband and wife. These first few days as a married couple you begin your new adventure based on your likes, dislikes, dreams, budget and time constraints.

For the couple short on time, and possibly cash, a destination close to home can prove to be just the honeymoon getaway a couple needs. Many cities offer a variety of beautiful inns and hotels along with fabulous dining and entertainment experiences throughout the year. Larger cities, or those geared specifically to tourist and convention activities, will offer a wide array of shopping, theatre, dining and sightseeing opportunities. For those with a greater sense of adventure, hiking, rock climbing, rafting and outdoor camping are other low cost options which can be scheduled for as long or as short of a time as you have.

If the bride and groom desire a destination that’s completely new to them or bit farther from home, assistance from a professional travel agent is invaluable. Whether you have an exact destination warm, or just want to go somewhere warm, travel agents can help make sure your honeymoon plans are a vacation dream come true. These experts can help you decide what the perfect destination may be and handle every minute detail so you and your new spouse can do what you should be; relaxing and enjoying your time together.

According to travel agents, some of the most popular honeymoon destinations include Jamaica, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and Caribbean cruises. Within the continental United States, the magic of Disney, the romance of the Poconos, western destinations such as San Diego, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas are great options for a honeymoon getaway. Wherever you choose, there are many details to plan. A qualified travel agent has the knowledge and experience to help you make those plans.

Making reservations as far in advance as possible is very important, especially if you are on a limited budget with a certain destination in mind. The best rates and availability are usually offered months in advance and then become more and more limited as the dates get closer. Plus, once the honeymoon is finalized and reserved, that’s one less thing to worry about before the big day!

One of the most important factors considered when planning a honeymoon is the budget. Many couples are now choosing all-inclusive packages so they know in advance exactly what they will be spending. All-inclusive resorts and cruises generally include your meals and entertainment, but may not cover beverages depending on the package chosen. Paying for everything in advance can give you peace of mind, knowing once you arrive you can relax and do what you want, without worrying about the cost.

With the unlimited options available for honeymoon plans, take this time for yourselves and enjoy the start of your new life together!

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com
Planning a Wedding. Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP’s, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel.

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By: Nola Redd

With the hustle and bustle of picking out the right dress, cake, and flowers, the honeymoon often gets only passing consideration. Most people pick out a nice vacation spot, make reservations, and give the trip little more thought. But the time you spend together on your honeymoon is the first time you will spend together as husband and wife, and deserves a little more thought.

In earlier customs, a newly married couple spent time alone together to be certain they could survive the strain. Today, most divorces are filed after family vacations – after a couple spends time alone together (or together with their children). As an engaged couple, you probably can’t imagine disliking your spouse, but statistics show that many people wind up feeling that way. Why not take the necessary steps to make sure your marriage starts off on the right foot? Thirty minutes of discussion can ensure a smoother honeymoon.

The first thing you want to discuss is what you both plan to do while together. Frankly, when most people think of a honeymoon, they think of sex. But if you have one person who was planning to spend the trip cuddling and another who planned to go snorkeling, you will have a tense trip indeed. As newlyweds, you will most likely spend more time in bed than you would on a traditional family vacation. The question is, do you plan to stay in your room 24/7, or interact with the world?

Once you have decided on activities, you can look at locations. If you both intend to spend your time inside your room, you might consider springing for a luxury suite with full-scale room service and a dining room downstairs. At the same time, you wouldn’t need to be in a resort location, which would balance the cost.

On the other hand, if you both want to spend some time in a room and sometime exploring your locale, then you need to decide where, precisely, you want to go. Do you want to visit an ocean location, a place in the mountains, or a site that has emotional ties for you both? Picking your location can give you an idea of what other activities – scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding – you have to choose from.

You should also take mealtime into consideration. My husband and I chose a place with a full kitchen – stove, microwave, and fridge – and only one restaurant within an hour’s drive. This turned out to be a serious mistake. There was also only one grocery store, a mom ‘n pop type place, within an hour’s drive, and it came with a poor selection. I hadn’t realized that when my fiancée said we were going to the middle of nowhere, he meant it. I would have preferred to eat dinner out each night and save my experiments in cooking for our first few days at home. But cooking may be a dream for you. If so, make sure that you can get the supplies you need within a reasonable location. And, as mentioned before, if you want to spend most of your time in the hotel room, choose a place with an attached dining room and/or room service.

You may have a limited budget to work with, or someone may have already selected the destination for your honeymoon. The important thing is that you sit down with your spouse-to-be and communicate what expectations you each have. The last thing you want is to fight over what to do on your honeymoon. Although you may enjoy getting a head start on the making up!

Nola Redd is a freelance writer. You can view more of her fiction and nonfiction writings at her Writing.com portfolio. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a site for Wedding Invitations.

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