Once you’ve planned the proposal and planned the wedding, there’s just one more plan left: The Honeymoon! Your honeymoon is a great way to relax and unwind after the stressful wedding planning process is over. It’s also the perfect way to celebrate and enjoy some time alone with your new spouse.
Unfortunately, honeymoons can often get expensive. If you’ve already spent a lot of money on your engagement ring, wedding rings, dress, and wedding, you may not be ecstatic at the idea of spending another large chunk of your honeymoon. And, face it, you might not have the cash left to spare at this point.
That said, just because you don’t want to spend a huge sum of money on your honeymoon, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have an incredible time in a great location. Here are some tips for having an amazing honeymoon without going into debt.
Timing Matters
If you travel at peak time, you’ll pay more. All destinations have times when they’re busier and, therefore, prices are more expensive. Flying will cost more, hotels will cost more, and you might even end up paying more at restaurants.
If you have a certain destination in mind, there’s nothing wrong with scheduling your honeymoon for a little down the road. There’s no rule that says you have to leave for your trip right after the wedding.
If you do want to travel immediately following your wedding, consider going to a location that isn’t in peak season. This will vary depending on the time of year.
You’ll also want to have good timing when you’re flying. It tends to cost less to fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays than it does to fly or Friday or Monday.
Finally, when you actually book your trip matters as well. Keep an eye on prices and check around online for information that will tell you the best time to buy airplane tickets or book a hotel. There are services you can sign up for that will email you alerts when prices drop.
Consider Options Other Than Hotels
Your default idea when you’re thinking of traveling could be to stay in a hotel. While hotels often offer the sort of luxury you may be looking for, they also come with a high cost. Why not consider renting a vacation home or renting out a condo instead? There are a number of services that make it easy to rent out properties that people aren’t using at the moment, and you might be able to save some money by using them.
Plus, if you rent a vacation home, for example, you can probably book it for several weeks at a time and save money by doing so. You’ll also have a lot more privacy than you would get in a hotel.
Choose a Unique Location
There are some honeymoon destinations (and travel destinations) that are more popular. Since there is higher demand in these locations, they’re often more expensive as well. Rather than pay a ton to stay in a popular location, why not consider a less-well-known trip instead? This will save you quite a bit of money and you’ll be able to have a unique adventure that’s unlike any honeymoon your friends or family will have gone on.
Comparison Shop
It pays to shop around. Check out different travel sites, agents, and hotel websites before booking your trip. Sometimes you’ll find a package deal that is cheaper than booking everything separately, but that might not always be the case with package deals. In certain situations, packages that include your flight, hotel, etc. can actually end up being more expensive than booking everything separately.
Ask for Discounts
It never hurts to ask for a discount. The worst thing they can say is “no.” When you’re booking your trip, ask each provider if they have any discounts available. It also doesn’t hurt to mention that you’re booking your honeymoon. Sometimes this helps “unlock” some special offers.
Once you arrive, keep asking. If you tell the airline or the hotel manager that you’re on your honeymoon, they might respond by giving you an upgrade or two or by throwing in a few special “congratulations” gifts. Any little thing helps, right?
It’s also a good idea to look around for discount coupons and special offers that you can take advantage of.
Have a great honeymoon!
