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Tips for
the Perfect Honeymoon
Ten tips to
make sure yours is Perfect
1. Use
a travel agent.
Agents rarely charge for their services, and, thanks to their
expertise and computerized systems, good travel agents almost
always save their clients money as well as time.
2.
Begin planning early.
The sooner the better. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to
research your trip—it’s actually part of the fun!—and you’ll be
able to get exactly what you want. (Some places are reserved as
much as a year in advance for popular dates.)
3.
Share the planning.
After all, this
honeymoon is for both
of you. If you make all the decisions, you’ll feel guilty if
things don’t go perfectly. Conversely, if you don’t take part in
planning, you may end up dissatisfied.
4. Set
a tentative budget.
Talk about your expectations and priorities so you can agree
before you go about what you’ll splurge on and where you’ll
skimp. This way, you’ll avoid money hassles en route.
Suggestion: Splurge on your
accommodations. Even
if you think you won’t spend much time in your room, you’ll
probably be sorry if it’s not special.
Take it
easy.
The first few days so you can recover from post-wedding
exhaustion and focus on each other. Don’t try to do too much –
remember, you’ll have lots of time to travel together, but only
one honeymoon.
6. Take
advantage of free info. Call your destination’s tourist board—many have toll-free telephone
numbers and websites—for free information on hotels,
restaurants, activities and festive events. Some even provide
discount-coupon books.
Register for your honeymoon with a travel agent or tour
operator.
Gifts are put toward the total cost of your trip. The average
couple who uses a registry gets $500 to $1,000, which can really
makes a difference.
8.
Planning to take your spouse’s name? Unless you’re taking a delayed honeymoon, you won’t be
able to amend your passport, driver’s license, etc., until after
you’ve returned from your honeymoon. Even though you’ll be
anxious to start using your married name, it can be a real
nightmare if you haven’t legally changed it yet. Instead, use
your maiden name on visas, airline tickets, etc., so they match
your name as it appears on your official documents.
9. Pack
a sense of humor.
A bit of flexibility can go a long way on a honeymoon. Expect
that things won’t always go as planned. Do what you can to
remedy the situation, then relax and enjoy your honeymoon.
Years, or even a few hours from now, you’ll probably laugh.
10.
Tell the world you’re honeymooners! Don’t be bashful about your status—you’re likely to enjoy
special treatment such as complimentary champagne in-flight, or
a gift basket in your room.
By Geri
Bain
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