Most couples can come up with some pretty elaborate ideas when it comes to planning out their honeymoon. A lot of people see the honeymoon as a chance to get their dream vacations with the love of their life. Although this is ideal, it is of course not always the most budget friendly plan for newly weds. There are, however, ways in which you can still get the perfect honeymoon without having to take out loans to pay for it. With these ten tips your honeymoon will not only be memorable, but will set the two of you off to a great financial start that can keep your marriage strong for a long time.
1. Timing is Everything
If you’re planning to head to a popular location for your honeymoon then you might want to check out the prices of an off season honeymoon. Typically most tourist cities will offer visitors great deals when the tourist season is out, so you can plan a romantic vacation for a much lower price. This is also great because you won’t have to stand in long lines or share your personal space with a lot of people. Of course, if you do plan on taking the big trip during the tourist season then try your hardest to book ahead of time. Booking ahead will give you deals that you won’t be able to imagine. The best thing is you can get the best of rooms and reservations when you make sure to get your time slots booked before others do. Be careful when you do book ahead though as many different flights might switch up their schedule, so your afternoon flight could become a red eye.
2. Join a Registry
Wedding registries typically include a list of stores that have items that the bride and groom need for their new life together. If you want to spice up your honeymoon you could sacrifice the china sets and silverware collections and instead give your guest a website that will help you get the honey moon of your dreams. All you have to do is pick a location and add things that you would like to do on your honeymoon. Your guest can be various amount of money on the events that they want to help you do, so that you will actually end up paying a lot less for the honeymoon you want. This registry is a great way to make your guest feel as if they are a bigger part of the wedding and everyone will love seeing pictures of the honeymoon that they helped make possible.
3. Look for the Full Package
While shopping for honeymoon reservations always try to look for the package deals. Often enough you can find a great deal on a hotel, room and sometimes even a spa day. Looking for packages can be tricky, but it is always important to keep in mind the prices of the tickets separately opposed to how much they cost within a package. Apart from saving money package deals tend to help you get all of the basic things taken care of so you can sit back and enjoy your honeymoon as soon as the plane lands. There are many websites dedicated to showing you package deals that a variety of companies offer, of you can visit your local travel agent for local deals that can save you hundreds. If you really want to get ambitious, try booking a cruise which will provide you with food, lodgings, entertainment and transportation!
4. Popular Locations Aren’t Always Best
If you’re unsure about your location of choice it might be a great idea to stray away from the popular choices and find something that would suit the two of you as a couple. There are many different resorts around the country that can provide you with a relaxing vacations that you will never forget. By looking around for locations that aren’t popular you will be able to save a lot of money that you would normally spend on overly priced hotels, food and entertainment. Most unpopular resorts tend to offer great deals to couple celebrating their marriage if you let the management know ahead of time. Your best bet is to call around and ask about deals before you actually settle on a location.
5. You Don’t Need 3 Square Meals
Eating out can be one of the biggest expenses on your trip, so try to cut down on the eating if you want to spend more money on entertainment. Of course, it is important to eat and get the nutrients you need, but you don’t have to sit down at a restaurant for every single meals. Most hotels offer their customers a free continental breakfast each morning they stay, so head to the mingling room and grab yourself something nice to eat on the house. For lunch try grabbing a bag of local fruit or purchase items needed to make sandwiches that are easy to pack on the go. Dinner doesn’t have to be a big deal either as there are many restaurants around that can offer cheap and delicious food that will satisfy your taste buds. Of course, splurging for a nice romantic dinner is incredibly plausible will all the savings you manage from your other meals.
6. Consider Alternative Transportation
Getting to your location is always an important part of your trip and if you’re looking to save you should consider skipping out on big name airlines. If you can look for a small airline or take a bus to your location. Driving, of course, is also an option and will give you a chance to see the country as well as provide you with transportation while you are at your location. You also have to consider transportation while you’re at your destination. Public transportation is a great way to save big while having access to the entire city. If you aren’t interested in traveling the way the locals do then you might want to see if there are any great deals on rental cars. Using a taxi is typically the worst idea as you can drop hundreds of dollars just on transportation during your years.
7. Keep the Honeymoon Short and Sweet
Many people believe that honeymoons should be a long drawn out vacation, but the truth is keeping it short and sweet can be a great idea. Whether you want to travel far for your honeymoon or plan to keep it close to home, planning your vacation length can save you the most money of all. Short vacations not only save you on hotel bills but will keep you from spending money just because you are bored. Shortrt vacations mean you will want to take in as many sights as you can before you have to leave so you will spend more time looking around and less time looking for souvenirs to buy while you’re gone. Shorter vacations also mean less meals out as you will return home sooner. So, try to plan a small and romantic weekend getaway opposed to leaving for half of a month.
8. Research Hotels
A lot of people think they need to stay in a five star hotel every time they sleep away from home. However, a little research can put you up in a nice hotel that won’t give you a five star bill. One of the best ways to research a hotel is to visit multiple websites that have peer reviews of the hotel. Make sure your hotel is bug free, has friendly service and provides all of the luxuries you need. There are many hotels that often get overlooked just because they haven’t been around long enough to reach the five star rating. Of course, you also might want to consider staying at a cute Mom and Pop motel. These motels tend to be incredibly romantic and private, so that you can spend the time with your partner without worrying about the room next to you.
9. Enjoy Free Activities
When you choose a location it is important to pick areas based on entertainment. If you’re looking to save money you might want to choose a location that has natural attractions that will help save you money. Perhaps, a lake or beach might be your best choice as going for a swim and getting a tan are free activities that you can enjoy without worrying about getting bored before the vacation is over. Of course, if you’re looking for something fun to do at night try scouring the local paper for free events that the two of you might love. In most towns there are often free concerts at cafes or discounted movies and other productions that might make your trip more worthwhile.
10. Set Aside Spending Money
One of the easiest and most efficient ways to stay on a budget while honeymooning is to put away money. Leaving the credit and debit cards at home will help prevent your from spending too much money while you are enjoying your holiday away from responsibility. If you sit down with your spouse and set aside a limit for each day then you will be able to keep your budget and might even end up with extra money before the day is out. The best things about this is if you don’t spend your money well on one day you will still have other days to spend the money they way you need to. You can also looking online and plan out the events you want to partake in before hand so that you will know exactly how much money you will actually be spending.
Your honeymoon is the time for you to start out your life together with a bang, so spend your vacation stressing out about money. With these ten tips you will be living the high life without ever having to bring out your credit card for extra support. You will have the time of your life and will be telling tales from your first adventure as a married couple for years to come.
