Whether you're envisioning a romantic getaway, an adventurous escape, or a luxury retreat, one crucial question you might be asking yourselves is, What kind of experiences are we going to have on our honeymoon? What does honeymoon planning really look like? Yes, today, we're embarking on a journey into the enchanting world of honeymoon destinations, how to plan for the trip of a lifetime, essential considerations, and so much more.
So, grab your partner, set your out-of-office reply, or pop open a bottle of champagne (you're almost newlyweds, after all!) and get ready to dive deep because this episode is all about curating the perfect honeymoon for your newly minted marriage!
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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: Honeymoon Planning Tips
- Should you go on your honeymoon right after your wedding? [4:48]
- Planning to visit multiple cities on your honeymoon [8:45]
- Honeymoon planning tips for balancing relaxation and experiences [10:52]
- The best honeymoon experience [16:02]
- The best destinations for a honeymoon [18:18]
- Working with a travel advisor [20:40]
- Average budget for a honeymoon [28:49]
- Does it cost money to work with a travel agent? [30:05]
- Getting started with honeymoon planning [31:57]
- Cheapest time to book international flights [39:17]
- Should we ask for complimentary upgrades on your honeymoon? [41:58]
- Extra honeymoon planning tips [44:18]
- Never Have I Ever [46:08]
- This or That [48:07]
- Special Deal for Our Loverves [50:21]
When should we consider going on our honeymoon? Should a honeymoon take place right after the wedding?
I love keeping the momentum going right after your wedding because the wedding tends to be more about family and friends coming together to celebrate. You miss the moment of celebrating just the two of you, privately. However, I don’t advise leaving that night or even the next morning. Give yourself a couple days to relax, say your goodbyes, nurse a hangover or two, and then get on that plane.
Additionally, consider your honeymoon destination. Maybe it is not seasonally the right time to go just yet. In that case, consider a little mini-moon to get the relaxation you so desperately need, then leave on your honeymoon when it is the right time.
Do you find more couples are embracing a mini-moon before the bigger honeymoon?
Yes, I am finding that couples understand the value of traveling to their dream destination and need to invest a lot of time and money into it, so they want to make sure it’s perfect. It is worth it in the end to wait a little bit longer and do it right.
For couples planning to explore multiple destinations on their honeymoon, how long do you think they should plan to stay in each location?
My rule of thumb is to give yourself at least three nights in each destination, especially if you’re going to multiple countries or cities. This is a comfortable pace of travel where you aren’t unpacking and packing your bags constantly. It also allows time for spontaneity, planned tours, excursions, meals, and relaxation. You can understand and learn the location and experience it more.
How can couples balance relaxation with exploring?
First, give yourself enough time wherever you’re going. Second, break up your “must-see and do” exploring and excursion days with relaxation days. Spread out your “must-sees and dos” amongst the number of days you are there, so you still have full relaxation days.
Do you think there is such a thing as too much planning for the honeymoon?
I definitely do. Couples often have a long list of things they want to do and see which could involve a twenty-minute car ride away or a two-hour car ride away. This is a great opportunity to work with a travel advisor because we can get creative and plan it all out so it’s organized perfectly. For example, on what is already a travel day, I could hire a car with a private guide and you can go two hours away to spend a couple of hours at a site you really wanted to see, and then that same driver can drop you off at a train station and then you’re off to your next destination. If you were to do that in the middle of your visit somewhere else then you’ve potentially wasted a whole day.
Do you have a must do activity or favorite splurge you love that couples love doing also?
Pamper yourself. Do something that you would not typically do on a normal trip or normal day. It can be something you already planned on doing but elevate it a bit. For example, if you have dinner reservations, make them a private dinner reservation or splurge on the 10-course tasting menu. Another thing everyone should do on any honeymoon trip is have a spa day. There are incredible spas around the world and not enough couples take advantage.
What are your favorite destinations that couples should consider for their honeymoon?
Right now, I really love South East Asia. There are so many hidden gems there and you get so much more bang for your buck. As long as you can handle the flight that far (and the price of said flight), the destination is beautiful and really inexpensive. Other destinations that I love are off the east coast of Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, and Zanzibar. All of these incredible islands have, in most cases, a better price point than say the Maldives for a very similar experience. My advice would be to go someplace crazy, something that is not a typical trip.
What is the process like when working with you?
Working with any travel advisor is a very unique experience. Each operates our small businesses differently. I always like to start the conversation with a zoom call (if available) or just a phone call. But first, we need to have that candid conversation. So we're going to collect all of the things, the information that we need to have, where do you want to go, when do you want to go? What's your budget? Do you have passports? Those are the nitty gritty things, but then it's the things maybe you hadn't thought of. What's the goal of your honeymoon? Is this your first time to this location? Have you ever traveled abroad before? Or do you want relaxation? Do you want adventure? It's just this lovely flow.
From there, it usually takes me about a week to a week and a half to put together an initial proposal for you. How that works depends on your location, but we might be reaching out to local partners of where you are going to help put together this itinerary for you. Then we are going to make sure you are hitting all the spots you wanted to hit. Then you will have your final itinerary and we will get it all booked for you. Everything is done for you from the research, qualifying of all the locations, hotels, partners and tour guides, and obviously booking it all for you. And when you are traveling, we’re always available to you, (there's even a free app you can download).
Why should couples work with travel advisors?
Wedding planning is literally a second job. But, it’s a lot of pressure to plan something that might span one to two weeks versus one day. It is a very overwhelming time in your life. Delegate it to someone you trust that is going to be there, advocate for you and make sure you get everything your heart desires. Secondly, travel advisors have a lot of connections. Hotel partners, tour guides, transportation companies, etc. So, when I send someone somewhere, they are really well looked after. They’re VIP, they get complimentary amenities that they didn’t ask for. That’s what I can bring to you from a value perspective.
Is there anyone that you think is not a good fit to work with a travel advisor?
Only if you have an extremely limited budget or you are not open to recommendations. Also, if you are planning on booking rental properties through Airbnb. Airbnb unfortunately doesn’t work with travel advisors.
How much are couples budgeting for their honeymoon?
We see all sorts of budgets. It all depends on where, when and how long you want to go. If you go to the Caribbean, for example, you could spend anywhere from $3000-$20,000. It’s really hard to say, because if you stay at the basics with no expectations, you get what you pay for vs that luxury experience, you are obviously going to pay more for that.
When couples work with you for honeymoon planning, what fees are they paying?
It varies for every travel advisor. For myself, we do one flat planning fee. That involves the consult call, the proposal stage, my itinerary program, the free app. We charge a flat fee per person for airfare and the fee depends on the type of flight. If couples want to arrange their own airfare with points, miles, etc they are more than welcome to do so. However, the fee covers the service of booking and managing your flights, so if your flight ends up getting canceled then you’re on your own. So again, you get what you pay for.
What should a couple prepare for before speaking with a travel advisor about honeymoon planning?
Make sure you talk to each other first. So often I'll come on a call and they’re surprised by each other’s answers. Narrow down your budget together first so we can get a realistic budget out in the open. Also, figure out your dates, where you want to go or do. You don’t have to have a solid answer but if you have some of these already narrowed down, then we can get into the fluid conversation that are going to bring these aha moments to you.
How far in advance should couples start planning their honeymoon?
A year in advance is ideal. It’s when hotels and airlines release their rates, so we can provide accurate quotes. You can definitely plan something closer to the date, but then you limit yourself. Meaning less availability, and maybe rates going up.
What do you wish people knew about working with a travel advisor?
I think people don’t realize the full scope of what we offer, what we are able to do and to book. We don’t work with Airbnbs, but we work with villa properties. We can book rental cars for you. I specialize in honeymoons, but I can do anniversary trips, baby moons, weekend getaways or even extend your business trip stay. We can do it all.
What is the craziest thing a client has asked you to do?
A client of mine, a couple weeks before their pretty long flight asked to switch seats away from their travel partner because they snore and they didn’t want to sit next to a snoring person the whole flight.
What time of year is cheapest to book international flights?
The sooner you can do so, the better availability you’ll have. Go on Google Flights or Hopper and track the dates for about two weeks. When you notice prices drop again after an increase, just book it. It’s not going to go lower, it’s only going to go higher.
What types of complimentary deals or upgrades should we ask for?
Definitely talk to your travel advisor about these things. Often we will be making that ask on your behalf, you shouldn’t have to, that's why you came to us. For honeymoon travels, I send a VIP email to my hotel partners and let them know the couple is celebrating a honeymoon with some important notes. For instance, maybe the couple doesn’t drink alcohol so a champagne bottle is not going to be impressive to them. These little details I share with them so they can hopefully surprise and delight you for a more special arrival experience. Also, I will sometimes arrange for a late check out or early check in if needed. I also can sometimes arrange a food, beverage, or spa credit to elevate that stay even more.
Are there any insider tips or anything else you wanted to share that we haven’t covered on today’s episode?
If you're working with a travel advisor, share your dream travel destinations or trips planned for the future. This could include your desired adventures for the next few years. We, as advisors, spend a lot of our time connecting with hotels, tourism boards, and destination management companies. We're always up-to-date on new destinations, hotel openings, or special promotions. Sharing your travel aspirations allows us to keep you in mind during our discussions with travel partners. Where I can tell them I might have someone to send your way. What can you do for us now to secure that business later on? And it's probably going to be a pretty good deal.
Does anyone else want to take a vacation after this episode?
A huge thank you to our incredible guest, Abby, for sharing exactly what goes into planning a memorable stress-free honeymoon or trip. I'm definitely going to be working with Abby on our next family vacation because it's a no-brainer and from what you all saw from our terrible experience traveling down at Turks and Caicos, it is so worth it.
As a thank you to our listeners, if you decide to work with Better Together Travel for your next trip, mention the Ask the Planner podcast because they will waive their $250 planning service fee if you mention the podcast. Thank you so much to Abby and Better Together Travel for offering that to all of our loverves! If you want to plan the honeymoon of your life, you can learn more on their website, here.
THANK YOU TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS!
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QUESTIONS?
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Learn more and schedule a call with me to see if this is what your business needs at verveeventco.com/coach.
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