You’re engaged and happily consumed in the process of planning the wedding day that you’re been dreaming about since you were a little girl! Now that you’re decided on your date and booked the venue, your next step should be considering the question, How do I choose the perfect honeymoon location for me and my love?
The world is your canvas, and the number of different possible honeymoon destinations out there is seemingly endless. So how do you go about narrowing your choices, and picking the destination that is perfect for you? We take you through 5 Easy Questions to ask yourself that will allow you to narrow your focus and pick that perfect place!
1. What do we want to do? (Relax, explore, adventurous activities, be pampered, or some combo?)
This is question number one, because your answer is going to automatically eliminate large portions of the world and help to guide you towards one or two general areas. For example, if your main goal is relaxation and pampering, traveling across the ocean to Europe is not going to do it for you since there’s so much to see and learn there. If you’re into exploration and sightseeing, many of the smaller islands in the Caribbean may not be your cup of tea because you’ll be limited as to things to do. Maybe you’re looking for a more untraditional honeymoon and are interested in skiing, snowboarding, and cuddling by the fire. Once again this choice is going to help you focus in on some areas and eliminate others.
2. What’s your budget?
It’s not the most fun thing to think about, but even for a once-in-a-lifetime trip like a honeymoon, most of us do have a budget to think about. Airfare can eat up a large portion of that budget. So if you’d prefer to be able to spend more on accommodations and excursions, you may want to consider a location that is closer to you or even within driving distance if you’re considering staying continental. From the United States, Mexico is a great option for couples looking for sun, surf, and sand, and want to save money on airfare over what a flight would cost to the Caribbean. Hawaii may be a more cost effective trip for West-coasters, while East-Coasters will likely have better luck with Caribbean flight prices.
3. What kind of accommodations do you want?
Are you OK with a hotel room in a large resort, do you prefer a suite in a small, boutique property, or is your heart set on your own cottage/villa/hut/bungalow? You’ll find that each area of the world may be plentiful with a certain category of accommodation, but lacking in another. For example, separate villas are popular in the Caribbean and South Pacific, but will be harder to find in other areas. Also consider all-inclusive vs. non all-inclusive resorts. Do you love the idea of a one-price honeymoon, or would you prefer to find your own local restaurants and activities? All-Inclusives aren’t available in every location, so that can also help narrow your focus.
4. Does the timing of your honeymoon work for your selected destination?
You’ll want to consider weather patterns and seasonal popularity for the location you are considering. For example, if you’ll be honeymooning in September, October, or November, the Caribbean is likely not going to be the best choice since it’s prime hurricane season down there. If you’re thinking of Europe or Canada, winters can be a rough time with sub-freezing temperatures and may not be the most enjoyable time to sightsee. During the summer, you may want to avoid the southern hemisphere if very hot temperatures are not your thing.
5. Do language barriers bother you?
Think about how comfortable you are when experiencing a new culture and language. If you’re considering a lot of sightseeing and exploration on your own, will not knowing the local language be a concern to you, or do you take things like that in stride? Although the resorts will mostly have English speakers available, if you’ll be off the resort for any period of time be sure to consider your comfort level.
By answering these 5 questions, you’ll be able to get a better feel for what area of the world might be best suited for you and your soon-to-be spouse. We’d also be happy to help narrow down the endless array of options to create a list of honeymoon destinations that would be a good fit. If you’d like FREE honeymoon planning help, be sure to fill out our Custom Trip Design request form, and we’ll be in touch soon to help pick your ideal honeymoon spot!
photo credit: Zach Dischner, vgm8383, and Werner Kunz via photopin cc
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