How to Plan a Honeymoon

The good news about planning a honeymoon is that it's much easier than planning a wedding! There are no invitations to send out and you don't have to plan a reception for a room full of people.

The hardest part in honeymoon planning, of course, is deciding where to go. We've given you many ideas in our pages on:

Top Honeymoon Destinations

Cheap Honeymoon Destinations

Romantic Honeymoon Cruises

Rather than trying to pick the exact location at first, begin your honeymoon planning by considering the type of honeymoon atmosphere you want. Do tropical beaches appeal to you? Maybe laying on the beach doesn't really interest you. Maybe a walking trip from inn to inn in New England sounds more romantic. Or a cozy cabin in the Catskills. Or a gondola ride in Venice. Everyone is unique. The green hills of Ireland will sound romantic to one couple. Another may prefer sunny Rome. Still others may find Aruba the perfect honeymoon atmosphere. Choosing mountain destinations versus metropolitan versus tropical will help guide your specific destination choice.

Part of the process of planning your honeymoon, which will affect choice of location and budgeting, is deciding on a time of year. Your wedding can take place in June, but that doesn't mean your honeymoon has to. You may want to have the honeymoon in October or February. You get to relax from all the craziness leading up to the wedding and can take advantage of off-season rates. Cruises and hotels often lower their prices during certain periods.

Take into account that when it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere it's winter in the Southern, and vice versa. If you get married January 1 in Chicago, it's still January 1 in Sydney. But while you're fighting ice, the Australians are enjoying the sun.

Some questions to ask yourselves when planning your honeymoon:

• What is most important? Suntan lotion, sand and surf, or the privacy and seclusion a mountain retreat?
• Are you looking to experience new cultures in distant lands, or do you just want to get away from it all?
• Would you prefer to travel in your local area?
• Or would you prefer to travel to an international location?
• Do you want to spend more money on the wedding or the honeymoon?
• Do you want to say in an all-inclusive resort or cruise, or in a "do-it-yourself" location?

After giving plenty of thought to your budget, time of year you wish to honeymoon, and weighing the pros and cons of different types of honeymoon, try to narrow your choices down to two or three destinations. Then sit with those choices for a week or two until your number one choice becomes clear.

Once you know the type of honeymoon you desire and the place, it's straightforward to develop a budget. You might have received an all-inclusive honeymoon vacation as a wedding gift. Signing up at a Honeymoon Registry will improve your odds, too! But even on your own, there's a place to suit every budget.

Inexpensive packages are available for honeymoon couples in Las Vegas. Or, suppose you live in London. You can set off on a trip around Paris, then stay in a château in the wine country for a very modest cost. The train trip in and out is easy and gives you something extra to do. For those with more to spend, of course, the options become wider. But even the Hotel Ritz in Madrid offers terrific deals for newlyweds.

The key to honeymoon planning is to explore all your options early. Sure, your mind is filled with all the things you need to do to have the wedding come off perfectly. So treat yourself and look into the honeymoon of your choice. Location, budget and more will all be easier if you take it one step at a time well in advance.

Synonyms:  honymoon, honeymon, honnymoon, hunnymoon and hoonymoon are typos for the word, "honeymoon."