Find Your Perfect Honeymoon Destination

Don't just close your eyes and stick your finger on a map hoping to come up with a great honeymoon destination at random. It’s worth the extra effort to put some thought and time into deciding on the perfect honeymoon destination for you and your fiancé. Here are five steps to help you do it:

• Talk about what you want your honeymoon to be like. Do you want to relax on a warm tropical beach, take a cruise with non-stop activities to participate in, visit a historical European city with many sight-seeing opportunities, or climb a scenic mountain together? Most people think that taking a honeymoon involves a tropical island. While this is a great option for many couples, it may just not be right for you.  

Remember, you can take lots of trips together after you're married, but you only take one honeymoon. Make it something you'll both love and remember! Consider activities that involve romance, adventure, excitement, natural beauty, and relaxation. It’s best to start talking about honeymoon options soon after you’ve set a wedding date so you can start planning early!

• Talk about a budget. It’s important to have limits on your budget, but it’s also important to know that most honeymoon experiences can be tailored to fit most any budget, both large and small. This includes cruises, tropical resorts, and mountain getaways. You just have to think creatively and do some research! For instance, if you're on a tight budget, you can travel in the shoulder or the low season, when everything will be cheaper. You can stay at all-inclusive resorts which tend to be less expensive and often have special rates. You also have the benefit of knowing what your total bill will be at the beginning of your honeymoon, which makes planning on a budget easier. Planning is crucial, as you don’t want to find yourself having money arguments during your honeymoon. Instead, during the planning process, you can decide which aspects of your honeymoon are a “must have” and which can be cut. With a budget guideline, you are less likely to max out your credit cards. Instead of savoring memories of your honeymoon when you return home, you'll have to worry about new credit card payments, and that's never a good thing!
• Narrow down your list. Based on what you'd like to do on your honeymoon and what your budget looks like, narrow down a list of possible honeymoon destinations. It's best to have two or three destinations on your list before you start doing more extensive research. Even if you think a place might be a little beyond your budget, put it on your list because you may be able to find ways to make the most exotic location affordable. Once your list is narrowed down, it's time to research what each location has to offer. What sets one destination apart from another? Which location has the best amenities and scenery? Are the specific activities (that you want to) available at these locations? Are there any package deals available? Can you take advantage of lower shoulder-season rates? 

• Make a mock honeymoon registry. Making up a honeymoon registry can actually be a great way to simplify your honeymoon planning and to help you narrow down your final destination. Honeymoon registries can be a treasure trove of travel and honeymoon information. You can evaluate different destinations, dining, fun activities and excursions.  We highly recommend using HoneymoonPixie.com as there is no obligation and no cost to set-up a honeymoon registry, and you have access to all their free resources. The great thing is that you can do this exercise for multiple honeymoon destinations that you are considering. And when you’ve made your final selection, your honeymoon registry will be ready to publish.
• Now decide! After performing the research described above, you should have a clear picture of what each location has to offer. Based on your preferences and budget, you can select the honeymoon destination that is best for you. Don’t agonize over the details. What’s important is that you will be together with your spouse and enjoying each moment on your honeymoon!  Once you’ve made your final choice for your honeymoon destination, you can publish your honeymoon registry. The great part about your honeymoon registry is that you'll often get gifts ahead of your wedding, which can help you prepay for airfare and accommodations. Other guests may gift you a fun excursion, which you otherwise might not have taken – if it wasn’t factored into your budget. Overall, a honeymoon registry is a win-win for all parties.

About the Author: Andrew Marino is the CEO of HoneymoonPixie.com, an industry leader in providing honeymoon gift registries for engaged couples.  Couples create their free honeymoon registry website and receive honeymoon planning advice and travel tips.  Andrew also serves as a contributing Senior Travel Editor.

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Write by: AN - Tuesday, September 11, 2012