Choosing Your Honeymoon
Your honeymoon marks the end of what has been a wonderful, if not stressful period of your life, culminating in your wedding. So it is little wonder that couples want to make it the trip of a lifetime and a holiday that they will always remember.
Traditionally it was the responsibility of the groom to book the honeymoon and where he booked would remain a surprise for the bride till the wedding day. These days however, many couples choose the honeymoon together and are likely to pay for it jointly too. Here are some of the pros and cons of booking the honeymoon:
Surprise Honeymoon
Pros:
• Surprises are always exciting and married life should begin as an adventure into the unknown!
• If the groom takes care of the honeymoon, then it is one less thing for the bride to worry about.
Cons:
• If the honeymoon isn’t up to scratch then it is the fault of the groom!
• The bride can spend many hours worrying about what she should be packing and if she has enough clothes to deal with every eventuality!
Jointly Chosen Honeymoon
Pros:
• Both the bride and groom can choose something that appeals to them both and will have something to look forward after the wedding is over.
• Both parties can pre-arrange trips, excursions and activities to suit them.
Cons:
• You could be spending many hours trying to find that perfect holiday, particularly if you both want different things.
• Planning your honeymoon together takes time and can add to the stress levels already created by the wedding planning.
There is also the question over who pays for the honeymoon. This can be a major expense and one which should be included in your overall wedding budget. Traditionally the groom would pay for the honeymoon as the bride’s family would traditionally pay for the wedding. However, in modern times couples can pay for the entire wedding themselves or share the cost with their parents, so it has become more common for couples to share the cost of the honeymoon jointly.
What you need to consider is just how big a honeymoon you can afford. A week on the coast in a boarding house is one thing, 2 weeks in a luxury Far East resort is another. Whilst there is a lot of pressure to organize the holiday of a lifetime it is important that you set a budget and don’t blow it all on the trip itself – remember you will need spending money whilst there. It doesn’t need to be a long trip either; a weekend in a top class resort hotel can be just as memorable as two weeks in the tropics!
As with everything to do with your wedding, your honeymoon needs to be personal to you both. If the idea of a package holiday fills you with dread then opt for a tailor made holiday where you get to say where you want to stay and what you want to do. You should also reserve some cash to add in something memorable such as a particular sight seeing tour or an activity like scuba diving.
