After the wedding, the Honeymoon is the best time to unwind and relax with your beautiful new bride. After almost a year of planning, nagging, and setbacks, your reward is finally waiting for you. Hopefully, you’re going to a location that is warm, sunny, and mosquito free! Planning a Honeymoon isn’t nearly as nerve racking as planning a wedding, but there is still a lot to consider.

Top Ten Things to consider before booking your Honeymoon:

1. Talk about honeymoon options with your bride and discuss a budget. Explore all your options. Sit down with your fiancé and discuss where you both want to go and consider the following:

How much travel time you have?

Do you want to leave the country?

Where have you always wanted to go?

Where have the both of you never been?

What kind of activities do you enjoy?

How exclusive do you want your vacation to be?

How much can you afford?

2. Choose a location you both want to go to. The honeymoon is not the time to get in a few rounds of golf! But, you could send her to a surprise half-day spa treatment and secretly get in 9-holes.

3. You need to be sure that the honeymoon location is available and free of any distractions. Research the location. Example: Hurricane season is a good example of a distraction.

4. Work within your budget but consider upgrading above your typical vacation style. Make this a special trip! Check our recommendations for our favorite honeymoon locations and hotels. It’s also a good idea to talk to other couples on possible destinations and hotel recommendations.

5. Many hotels and resorts offer free upgrades, romance packages and other special deals to honeymooners. So make sure you inquire about these options. Tell everyone you are honeymooners! It will earn you free desserts and free champagne everywhere you go!

6. Book everything, including plane tickets, ASAP! This should be one of the first things you get done. Plan and book the Honeymoon MONTHS before you plan on going.

7. Consider using those airline miles to upgrade to first class or get your dad to use his and buy them for you.

8. If you need a passport, get them, ASAP.

Here is a quick list of helpful sites:

www.travel.state.gov
www.americanpassport.com
www.itseasypassport.com

9. Have a special gift ready for your Bride after you arrive at your Honeymoon destination. It doesn’t have to expensive; just something that will let her know that you are glad she’s your wife. Check out www.redenvelope.com for some great gift ideas.

10. Once you choose a hotel, ask to speak or email the concierge desk. They can book all your activities for you. They know the best companies and can get you the best seats at various shows, so go with their recommendations. Book your activities early too!