Planning the Perfect Honeymoon: Tips and Trends to Make Your Trip Unforgettable

Whether you’re thinking about a mini-moon for the weekend or a two-week honeymoon in a farflung locale, engaged couples usually add this travel planning to their list of wedding tasks. But you don’t want to let this most important trip with your new husband or wife be an afterthought. Where should you go? When? And how? This spring, AFAR and Travel Siblings joined forces to talk about planning dream honeymoons at The Bridal Council’s “We Said Yes!” event at Bloomingdale’s flagship store in New York City, presented by Baccarat. Newly engaged couples were able to hear from experts about how to plan the perfect honeymoon, from choosing a destination to sticking to a budget, and now we can reveal their top tips and trends.

Katie Galeotti, AFAR's Special Projects Director, and Travel Siblings Kara Bebell and Harlan deBell.

Where to Start
On average couples book their honeymoon four months before the wedding. It’s important to begin planning early and make it an integral part of the wedding process:

• Work together with your partner
• Get clarity about what you both want
• Use Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration, but do your own research
• Consider consulting a professional

Choosing a destination
Every year, there are 1.4 million couples going on their honeymoons. How do they decide where to go? It’s important to think about what type of trip you want: beach, all-inclusive, safari, etc. And determine your budget and stick to it. Other factors include:

• Timing and seasonality
• Be aware of current events in destination
• Determine trip length (which helps with the budget)

Top destinations for honeymoons
The vast majority of U.S. honeymooners—around 75 percent—travel domestically, and the top destinations are also some of the hottest and most beautiful: Hawaii, Florida, and California. The top three international destinations are Mexico, Jamaica, and the Bahamas. If you’re looking to honeymoon off the beaten path, these destinations are attracting coolhunting honeymooners:

• Bora Bora
• Portugal/the Azores
• Kenya/Nairobi
• Scandinavia

Honeymoon mistakes to avoid
This trip is the launching pad to the rest of your lives, so give yourselves the space to unwind from all the wedding stress and celebrate the future that you are embarking on together. Make it joyous!

• Be prepared with documents, vaccines, and reservations
• But don’t overplan
• Don’t do it all yourself – a travel professional is a great resource
• Don’t scrimp on the trip (this is a time to be good to yourselves)