Let's start with a congratulations! You've finally decided to tie the knot, seal the deal and say those special words 'I do'. Planning and executing the perfect wedding can be a very stressful time in a couples life, so treat yourself to a well deserved honeymoon.
Here are our hacks that will save you the fortune that you probably already spent on the wedding. I hope you're ready for a trip of a lifetime.
Make room for some 'you time'
You've just had the biggest celebration of both your lives. Some how, you've managed you're impossible friends and family members, carefully negotiated deals with wedding suppliers and spent countless late nights trying to drum up the perfect table arrangements. You're pretty much a superhero. But even superheroes need to take a step back to recharge their batteries from time to time.
Even if you both consider yourself the best of adventure junkies, don't be too hasty when it comes to planning a jam packed list of activities. This is especially important when it happens to be the first time either of you newlyweds have stepped foot in a country. Give yourselves a moment to breath and acclimatize. Take this opportunity to really get to know each other again, and take in again all those amazing memories of the wedding; in an environment that has no pressures or constraints of your regular day to day life.
Now when this is all done, get ready to dive head first into the trip of a lifetime.
Resist the 'packages'
Does the sound of a fourteen days at the beech sound like a nightmare? Make sure you never feel like you have to appease other peoples expectations of what a honeymoon should or shouldn't look like. Don't let yourself be naive: the wedding industry can be brutal, with plenty of people wanting to make full advantage of the love between two people. If a white sand beech and floods of margaritas sounds like paradise to you, go right ahead. But if you can handle more than five minutes under the sun, don't sweat it.
Stats have recently showed that couples are no longer looking for more traditional honeymoons, but instead looking for something more adventurous, even more dangerous! People are slowly finding out the secret that travel companies don't want you to know: that romance is whatever you make it out to be. For some that may be a dozen roses, but for others it may simply be a long walk along a windy clifftop.
A small budget doesn't have to hold you back
When on a tight budget, splashing out can often be a major course for stress. It's definitely worth setting up a honeymoon fund alongside your wedding budget. This can even help with avoiding overspending on your wedding day too. You could even add this fund to the wedding favors, the perfect way to allow the ones you love to be involved in your special trip. One little tip you can do if making a specific list of activities that you would like to do on your trip, so your loved ones feel like they're actually giving you a tangible experience. You could even send them a selfie of you both enjoying their gift when you're away.
A splash of luxury is important on a honeymoon, but we can't forget about the budget. One perfect compromise can be found in the form of street stalls, where you can often find the best and most authentic food experiences a country has to offer. This can also be a great way to meet locals and create some memories with new people to last a lifetime.
You've probably made a hell of a lot of decisions over the last few months when it has come to your special day. Venue, menu, flowers, colour scheme, chair covers, table arrangements, should Aunt Janet be invited? It's probably exhausting even just thinking about it again.
Not many people are aware of this, but Decision Fatigue Syndrome (DFS) is really common for people straight after their weddings. It can often hit you at the oddest of times: you could be happily sitting at a restaurant trying to decide 'shall I have beer or white tonight?' and BAM. Your mind just empties. Your eyes glaze over. You just don't know what to pick. Although this example may sound a little silly, it will have the same affect on some decisions that may a bit more serious and that should be given a little more consideration.
Don't worry though, this is entirely normal. We always recommend that both partners are always on the look at for the signs of DFS so they can help out when needed. A little tip if you find yourself in the situation above, just play it save and order yourself both!
Don't sweat the small stuff
As the old saying goes "nothing worth having comes easy". Just like marriage, travel comes with it's own little tests - of our limits, beliefs, ourselves and our perception of the world around us.
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