How to Have a Great Honeymoon

By Ciara Daykin

Your honeymoon can be the best trip of your life or it can be a complete and total let down.

Hey- it’s sad but it’s true. The honeymoon gets all built up to be this dream trip but truthfully, it’s just another trip.
Sorry to burst your bubble ladies but I know you love me because I’m totally straight up with you. I’ve heard lots of stories of disappointing honeymoons from it raining the whole time in the tropics to catching the flu to being too exhausted after the wedding to enjoy it at all. And I can tell you that my honeymoon was one that we came back from saying “do over.”

When Simon and I got married not only was I planning our wedding but about a dozen others. We only had time to go to Vancouver for our honeymoon as I had another wedding 2 weeks after our own. But we’d booked ourselves into a really high-end hotel and since neither of us had really been to Vancouver much before we thought it would be a great time. What ended up happening is that I was so exhausted I got sick the first night and left my husband to watch a Bruce Willis movie alone while I slept in his lap, our high end hotel did not live up to the hype (at all), and we ended up sitting on the beach in Vancouver so weary and exhausted that we came home a day early…. Yep, definitely a “do over.”

But that’s the thing about honeymoons, the idea around them builds up your expectations almost as much as they’re built up for the wedding so it’s really disappointing if things don’t go well. But I’m going to give you some tips that I’ve learned over the years when it comes to planning successful honeymoons.

3 Tips to Having A Great Honeymoon

1. Don’t leave right after the wedding – If you leave right after your wedding to go on your honeymoon then you have to book extra time at your destination because you are going to need at least 3 days to recover from the exhaustion that is your wedding. I suggest, give yourself those 3 days at home, don’t work and don’t entertain stragglers from your wedding. Take time to nap at home with your honey, pack for your honeymoon, and unwrap your gifts (but wait until you get back for the Thank you cards). Just give yourself some actual downtime in your own environment. Then leave for your honeymoon rested and ready for a romantic romp.
2. Be cool with the weather – You’ve got to decide that you’re going to be cool with the weather on your honeymoon even if it isn’t ideal. If you’re going somewhere tropical and it rains the whole time there’s only so much time you can spend in the room (sorry husbands). Research some indoor activities in case the weather does not suit your original plans. Then at least you’ll still have some fun outings together and good memories
3. Choose a destination that truly suits you – Most people think that a honeymoon has to be somewhere tropical but it doesn’t. Your honeymoon could even be somewhere that’s only a couple hours away by car. The important thing is that it’s a trip together to enjoy being newly married. You could go to a lakeside cabin an hour from your house if the two of you love fishing and that’s what you really want to do. Maybe you’d prefer hitting up a city like New York and taking in all the urban highlights. And if the tropics are for you figure out if you’re an all inclusive kind of couple, or would you prefer a boutique hotel where you can dine at various restaurants or maybe a condo with a BBQ is the best choice for you.
4. Make him the fun coordinator – Chances are you’ve planned most of the wedding and maybe you’ve planned the honeymoon too. That’s a lot to take on. Let him know that when you go off on your honeymoon that he’s the designated fun coordinator. He can plan some activities and surprises for the two of you. It’ll be great to let go after everything falling on your shoulders for the wedding and he’ll probably get really into it.

Ciara’s Bridal Advice

Just realize that the honeymoon truly is just another trip. It’s the first of many trips as a married couple. If the honeymoon isn’t great, then plan a “do over.” Simon and I have had many “do over’s” with simple trips locally to Banff and Lake Louise to more elaborate vacations to Cabo San Lucas, Australia, Ireland, Maui and coming up the Grand Caymans. The honeymoon is the first of many trips together so don’t let it stress you out.

If you’re looking for somewhere tropical then I suggest Sandals. Just click here for access to the latest information on their various properties.