Choosing your honeymoon can be surprisingly stressful. There is a lot of expectation immediately put on to it as it has to be the best holiday you have ever been on. So our first piece of advice is to take this pressure off of yourselves. It is so easy to forget that it is your holiday and not everybody else's who has an opinion! You have probably been on holiday with each other before, and don't feel under pressure to live out other people's ultimate holiday desires. An example of this is the assumption as soon as you mention honeymoon that you are off to a secluded, sun drenched beach in the Caribbean or to far-flung Australia. Whilst this is nice, the fact is you can go wherever and do whatever you like and if that is a week in a tent on the Isle of Skye in the rain, then why not!
Your first steps should be to sit down with each other and ask yourselves, what do you like doing, followed by, what can you realistically afford? Holiday destinations are limitless as are the costs.. here are some questions that might help you come to a decision:
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Do you want to relax for two whole weeks?
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Do you want to go somewhere hot?
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Do you want to see some culture?
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Do you want to do some activities?
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Do you want to experience different cuisines?
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Mountains, seaside, towns or countries - what do you like doing?
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Travelling or static?
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Hotels, B&Bs, camping, caravanning, boating or cruising?
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Do you want to return to a previous destination?
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Do you want to combine any of the above?
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By asking these simple questions you might get a better idea about what you want to do.
Here are a few combinations:
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A weeks relaxation in the Sonoma Valley in California at a spa resort, surround by good vineyards and scenery, stopping off in San Francisco for a few days to see the sights such as Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in a city famous for its Pacific cuisine
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A cruise around the fjords of Scandinavia and the Baltic, relaxing as you arrive every morning at a new destination. taking in the scenery of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Denmark and Germany. Stopping off in cultural cities to view the parks, museums and cultures of cities such as Stockholm, St Petersburg and Copenhagen
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A romantic week at a top hotel in Paris. Visit the Louvre, see the Mona Lisa, Palace of Versailles, visit Notre Dame Cathedral and take in the sights and sounds (not to mention the food) of this most historic and romantic of cities
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Combine adventure and sightseeing of the most breathtaking scenery in the world in New Zealand. Tour in a car between various B&Bs on North and South Islands, looking at the scenery and taking advantage of the hospitality offered. Go kayaking, water rafting, mountaineering and even bungee jumping if you dare!
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A beach holiday in Cuba with some of the cleanest beaches in the world. Whilst there, sample the intriguing sights of Havana, get a deep tan, see how the most famous cigars in the world are made and brush up on your latin dance moves in the evening
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And how about that relaxing cottage on the Isle of Skye with the majestic Cuillins looming outside your window? Visit the famous Three Chimneys restaurant with its fabulous menu, trek up some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Europe, see a castle (or two or three) and relax by a warming fire in the evening
The point is you can have whatever you want. Just make sure it will satisfy both of you. Remember that some parts often world have different climates at different times: avoid hurricane season in Florida and the Caribbean (beginning of June to end of November), the monsoon season in India (this varies between regions so check), winter in the southern hemisphere (when it is summer in the northern hemisphere) - do some homework!
Also don't forget that many parts of the world require vaccinations and medicines. Don't forget these on the run up to the wedding as most need to be done some weeks before you are exposed to the risks!
Finally, you will be emotionally exhausted after the wedding, some time by yourselves is great, relax, have a wonderful holiday and the feel-good-factor of the wedding will continue long into married life!
