When & How to Plan Your Honeymoon

Sometimes, planning your honeymoon can be just as stressful as planning your wedding. Where do you want to go? How long do you want to go for? What do you want to do while on your honeymoon? Where will you stay? What will the cost be? The list goes on and on…

Probably the most stressful of honeymoon planning is how and when to start planning for your honeymoon, which is why we’re here today!
The timeline of this post may or may not relate to your honeymoon, it’s all dependent on if you’re traveling abroad for your honeymoon, maybe you’re staying in the country but going out of state, or maybe you’re staying close to home. Follow our guide, but allow the timeline to be a little flexible to reflect your honeymoon.

9 months – 1 year before your honeymoon 

• Make a budget
  Decide how much you want to spend in total on your honeymoon. This will narrow down options for you when you start trying to decide where you want to go.
•  Decide where you’re going
  Since you have a budget, it may help deciding where you want to go. Maybe you can afford that exotic trip to Thailand, or maybe you’re budget is more out of state friendly. Regardless, it’s time to start thinking about where you want to travel to!
• Buy plane tickets
  Now that you’ve decided where you’re going, it’s time to start looking at plane tickets! If you find an incredible deal on flights, I would book them right away, but it doesn’t hurt to track the price for a while to see if you can find a better deal!
• Book your hotel
  As long as you’ve got your destination and your dates selected, start looking at hotels! Depending on where you’re going and the time of the year, it might be best to book your hotel so far in advance so you don’t take the risk of them being fully booked!

Six months before your honeymoon 

• Do any of the above if you haven’t already
  If you’re tracking your flights or just haven’t got around to doing anything listed above, now is the time to do it!
• Schedule transportation services
  If you renting a car, or need someone to pick you up from the airport, it is best to schedule it in advance so you don’t run into any last minute issues.
• Book any “hard to get” reservations
  Maybe you want to have dinner at a fancy restaurant that seemingly never has openings, or there’s a show or tour you want to see, or an activity that you want to do, it’s better to book all of these in advance so you’re all set and ready to go and don’t have to worry about anything being booked or sold out!

Three months before your honeymoon 

• Plan what you want to do
  Aside from any hot commodities you already booked, start planning other things you want to do! Maybe you want to go hiking, or on a boat tour, whatever it may be, start planning it now!
• Start your packing list
  It’s best to start this now so it stays in the back of your mind. You don’t want to forget any important documentation or items you will for sure need on your honeymoon!

One month before your honeymoon 

• Finalize any needed transportation
  Make sure everything is in check for your arrival – booked, finalized, ready to go! It’s almost honeymoon time!
• Finalize packing list
  Make sure that you’ve got your ID, passport, refilled any needed prescriptions, anything that may take some time to do, make sure it’s done and you’ve got your packing list ready to go!
• Book any additional activities you planned previously
  Remember those activities you were thinking about 2 months ago? Make sure if you need to make reservations or buy tickets for anything, you do that now if you haven’t already.
• Shop till you drop!
  Buy that cute outfit! Grab those sunglasses! Pick up that cute purse! Then make sure you get the rest of the necessities on your list. Make sure to do research as to what the weather is *typically* like where you’re going and the time of year, and plan accordingly.

Two weeks before your honeymoon

• Confirm everything
  Double check! Triple check! Quadruple check! It’s better to be safe rather than sorry. Make sure everything is confirmed and ready for when you arrive!
• Get currency
  If you need foreign currency, take time to go get it now (sometimes banks don’t always have enough foreign currency, so they have to order it). If you’re staying in the states, get any cash you may need and make sure your credit cards are accepted at most locations!
• Pack
  Start packing! Make sure to look at the weather and plan accordingly. Maybe it looks like rain, make sure to add an umbrella to that packing list, or it’s going to be sunnier and warmer than you expected, don’t forget that sunscreen! Check things off your list, add and remove any deemed necessary.

1-2 days before your honeymoon

• Confirm the hotel… again…
  Sometimes, there are issues in the system, or things get mixed around. Check your hotel reservation one last time!
• Check the weather… also again…
  A lot can change in 10 days – 2 weeks. Double check the weather and make sure you’re prepared!
• Pack a carry on for the flight
  If you haven’t done this yet, pack a carry on. Make sure to include any chargers, things to do to keep you entertained on the plane, snacks, a travel pillow, whatever you’re going to need on the plane, pack it in your carry on!

Vamonos! Have a great, relaxing honeymoon as now husband and wife! Relax, enjoy your time together as newlyweds.

Do you have any advice for planning for your honeymoon? Comment and let us know!