Destination weddings & honeymoons – PAGE 2

Planning the Honeymoon

For many couples the honeymoon is the trip of a lifetime, as well as being a well-earned chance to relax after, probably, months of wedding preparations. But the task of planning the trip (on top of the wedding!) can be stressful and this is a very good reason to ask an expert for advice! Most of the travel companies listed in this section are specialist honeymoon organisers, they'll help reduce the stress, offer destination ideas, let you know the best places to pursue a particular activity and have a handle on offers and deals for newlyweds.

Starting the planning
The first stage of honeymoon planning is often the hardest – deciding where to go, what you want to do when you get there and, of course, how much to spend. One of the most important things is to spend time planning your dream honeymoon together to ensure your choices will satisfy you both, don't assume you know exactly what your partner wants, especially when it come to the most important holiday of your life. It can be easy to get so caught up in the intricacies of sorting out the wedding that the honeymoon takes a bit of a secondary place; but the wedding will be over in a day, the honeymoon is likely to be at least a week long (often longer) and is likely to linger in your memory for longer too.

Destination or style first?
One way of getting your planning going is to start with the choice of destination, choose a place both you and your fiancée/fiancé have always wanted to go to and build from there, be it Africa, Japan, the Caribbean or even the Antarctic! The other way to start is to start with the style of trip you're after, and then see what destinations could work with that – ask yourselves if you want it sporty, relaxing or cultural; if you fancy a cruise, a beach holiday, a safari, a spa break, or a winter ski trip? You might well want a combination of several of these. Do you want total luxury, or are you happy with a something more practical at a better price. Do you want it full-on 'romantic' with four poster beds, strewn rose petals and champagne at every turn? Do you want the simplicity of an all-inclusive honeymoon resort, or do you want to go off-the-beaten track to the wilder corners of the world?

Professional honeymoon planning help or DIY?
Once you've got an idea of what you're after that's the time to talk to the professionals, the travel companies listed in this section» who'll be able to offer advice, make suggestions, do the bookings and come up with the things you haven't even thought of! The alternative is a do-it-yourself honeymoon, perfectly feasible in this Internet age and easy enough if you have the time to do the research and hunt for the best offers. If you're after an activity focused honeymoon then take a look at the rest of Travel-Quest's huge directory» of specialist travel operators covering almost every activity under the sun!

Mini-moons
One last honeymoon option is the minimoon; a short getaway, probably somewhere reasonably close, for a long weekend or a short break. If your budget and/or time restraints mean an exotic destination is out of the question then a short, luxury 'mini-moon' could be the answer – and is often better than a disappointing mediocre, but longer, trip. Couples can always have a longer, more conventional, honeymoon later if they wish! Check out our Romantic Breaks section» for mini-moon ideas.