My #1 Tip for Honeymoon Planning (and other tips, too)

Planning a wedding and a honeymoon at the same time can be overwhelming. 

I planned both, and I know from experience! At the same time that you're on the top of the world, you're also looking at costs and prices that blow your mind and trying to make sure that everyone stays happy. And when it comes to planning the honeymoon, it's hard not to make it entirely secondary to the wedding day.

Now, when I was planning our honeymoon (in those rare moments of time I had between planning the wedding and finishing my Professional Studies Certificate), I had a lot of ideas for where we could go: Paris, Rome, Santorini, etc. And guess what? We didn't go to any of those places.

Why? 

Because we didn't want to spend the first ten hours of our marriage and the bulk of our honeymoon budget on flights. 

This is my number one piece of advice for couples planning their honeymoon. Save money on flights so that you can spend your money once you're there! We decided to go to Old Quebec, a historical area of Quebec City that is absolutely stunning. Both of our flights were under $200, and the trip was two, 1 1/2 hour flights, with a layover in between.

And once we were there, we had the BEST time. We didn't worry about spending money eating out for every meal, or buying each other gifts, or getting a couple's massage. We didn't have to spend two days recovering from jetlag. We didn't have to worry about the cost of our hotel. We had saved enough on flights that we could really enjoy ourselves once we were there. 

So I figured I'd give you my top tips for planning your honeymoon. I also asked Jacob what his one tip would be, and I've included that below! 

1. Save money on flights. Like I said above, don't spend your entire honeymoon budget on flights. Once you get there, you'll be stressed trying to save every dollar since you already spent all your money just getting to the dang place. Because here's the truth: this amazing place that you've spent so much money to visit won't be fun at all if you're constantly worried about your budget once you're there. 

2. Don't fly somewhere you will have to take time to recover from jetlag. Now, some may disagree with me here, but if you're honeymooning right after your wedding, you probably don't want the first few days of blissful marriage to be filled with exhaustion-ridden bickering. It's just bound to happen - when you're tired, you're grumpy. And even if you're not bickering, you might just be too exhausted to fully enjoy each other's company as husband and wife. Instead, opt for somewhere in the a similar timezone so you can enjoy yourselves for the entirety of your honeymoon.

3. Book a few exciting things in advance. When we went to Old Quebec, I knew that I wanted to book two things in advance: a couple's massage and a dinner cruise. That gave us some sort of structure once we were there and also gave us something tangible to look forward to. I recommend doing the same for your honeymoon. It can be tricky to pull things together once you're already in a new place, especially if the language is different, so doing research beforehand is HUGELY helpful. I also find that not having any sort of a schedule can allow the day to get away from you, so having a few things planned can keep you on track for a really fun time. 

4. Buy one thing that you'll wear and remember forever. I really enjoy jewelry - I usually tie up memories with my favorite pieces. If Jacob buys me something, every time I wear it I think of and am grateful for him. So I knew that I wanted to buy something when we were on our honeymoon so that every time I wore it, I would remember what a wonderful time we had. Jacob bought me a lovely set of pearls when we were on our honeymoon and I love wearing them because of the memories I have of him buying them for me. I think it's really nice to have something from your trip that will give you a little glow every time you wear it. And if you don't spend too much on flights, you can buy something really lovely that will last the entirety of your marriage! 

5. Jacob's Tip: Only plan a couple of things a day (written by Jacob): "You are Newlyweds! You have no idea what that means. It is new, it is exciting. You will have moments where you stop in the middle of walking, stare at your spouse and think, 'We did it. It's done. We're married. Just like that.' You will feel awe, you will feel surprised, you will feel dumbstruck. It is unlike anything you have felt before, and now is the time to share your giddiness and wonder, and the well spring of joy that bubbles up that makes you want to throw your arms in the air and jump around with them. 

"And you cannot do any of that or appreciate any of that like you should and like you deserve to if you are over-scheduled. Running around all day to check off a list of tourist attractions is not what you are on your honeymoon for. You go on vacation for that. This is your honeymoon. You get one, and its purpose is for you to bask in the warm, sunny glow of the amazing commitment you have made to one another. You will remember those moments and feelings more dearly than you will yet another appointment. 

"Wherever you go, make the most of your unstructured time in a way that puts the focus on the two of you together. No distraction or obligations. When we were in Quebec City, we spent five days in the old city. Most of each day we walked the cobble stones, looking in shops, admiring the architecture and views, and enjoying goofy conversations or silliness. A tour here, a day trip there was fine. But center stage was the fun of us together with enough room to enjoy what that now meant to us on our terms.

"You just got married. Give yourselves the time to explore and enjoy what that means."

Jacob is totally right, of course, but can you tell which one of us likes to plan and schedule and which one of us likes to explore and adventure? It's a nice balance for us that we have each other to fill in the gaps. 

Are you planning your honeymoon right now? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!