Choosing Your Perfect Honeymoon Destination With BCME Expert Petra Weidl
Written by Peta Ireland Al Akawi on April 18, 2019.
Tagged under: Honeymoon, Honeymoon Destinations, honeymoon ideas, uae couples
In the midst of planning a wedding, and all the craziness that comes with it, many couples don’t put the same amount of thought and research into planning their honeymoon. If you’re currently finding yourself in this exact situation, feeling overwhelmed by seating plans and centerpieces, don’t fear! BCME Expert Panel Member, Petra Weidl from Travel Counselors and Romantic Travel & Honeymoon Expert, is here to help with some handy tips for choosing the perfect honeymoon destination for you and your partner. Take it away Petra! ….
Choosing a honeymoon destination is a little bit like choosing a partner…On a very small scale of course! Couples are often overwhelmed when starting to think about planning their honeymoon with not knowing where to start, or how to find the perfect destination that will tick all of the important boxes.
You want your honeymoon to be perfect because it’s a once in a lifetime trip! But imagine you always fantasized about being on a deserted island in the Maldives for your honeymoon, only to find out that in reality you are seriously bored after 3 days and still have 5 days to go! What a nightmare this would be considering this is supposed to be THE honeymoon destination. But because you didn’t do your research, you’re left feeling rather disappointed and kicking yourself because you didn’t consider other options when planning your trip.
So, where do you start? Here are a few things to think about that will hopefully help you with choosing your destination, putting together a rough plan for the trip and how to manage your budget.
♡ If you cannot agree or think of a destination, make a wish list of 3-5 places each and see where you overlap. Never chose a destination that one partner is not fully in agreement with.
♡ If you cannot agree on one destination, consider combining two so that each partner gets what they want. For example, you can combine a beach & city trip, beach & culture trip, city & trekking trip, etc.
♡ Never go to a destination where both or one of you have been before. It will never be the same as in ‘those’ days and you don’t want to end up in a situation where you’re comparing trips. If you have a favourite destination, chose to take a trip there another time, like for a special anniversary, or birthday.
♡ Be realistic about your budget. Set a maximum budget for your trip accounting for the length of stay, flights, hotels, upgrades, souvenirs, food and activities. You don’t want to end up having to count your pennies when you’re sitting down for dinner in a 5-star resort. A honeymoon does not have to break the bank either, it really is a misconception that it must be pure luxury the whole way. Couples can also consider setting up a honeymoon registry instead of wedding gifts.
♡ Even the most expensive hotel isn’t worth it if your room has the view of the building next door. Budget for room upgrades with sea-view, pool-view or mountain-view, or whatever is the main draw for the surroundings of the hotel.
♡ Ask yourself, what is your favourite type of holiday usually? Lazing at the beach or around a pool, trekking through uncharted regions, bungee-jumping and action-packed activities, discovering cities and small shops down cobbled streets, getting to know local customs? Whatever it is, try to stick with the idea of this. There is no general rule for a honeymoon, even though most people think of the perfect deserted beach with a palm tree and hammock. A honeymoon is YOURS, and you get to choose whatever you dream of doing, which is not always the case with many other things in life. You want to cherish that memory forever, just like your wedding day.
♡ Get ideas from friends, but don’t always listen to why you should or shouldn’t go here or there. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but this opinion may not be yours.
♡ Remember – “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley
♡ Don’t leave the planning too late. Sometimes your dream destination is out of reach if you have to consider the time to get there, vaccinations or visas. But most importantly, you can save quite a bit of money by getting special early booker deals – they are so worth it! Early booking also means you don’t have to pay the entire trip in advance which helps with cash flow.
♡ ALWAYS take out travel insurance, don’t try to save a few bucks here.
♡ Try not to take ‘that’ honeymoon later, because chances are you never will, because life inevitably gets in the way. If you don’t want to take your honeymoon right after the wedding, that’s perfectly fine, but start planning it straight away and lock in the dates in advance. This also gives you something exciting to look forward to!
♡ Last but not least, speak to a travel consultant. They have the time, experience and knowledge. Even if you think you have enough travel experience, you will certainly lack the time, given that you are already rather busy with planning a wedding! Let us be there to make the process of planning your honeymoon easy and enjoyable.
Happy Planning Bride Clubbers!
Thanks Petra! For more information about planning your own honeymoon, visit Petra’s vendor profile here or head on over to her website. Don’t forget to quote ‘Bride Club ME’ when booking, to avail your special BCME reader gift when confirming your honeymoon with Petra Weidl – Travel Counsellor.
Photo credits: Aleksandar Nakic/Getty Images / Couple’s Coordinate’s / Shutterstock
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