How Do You Actually Choose a Honeymoon Destination?

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One of the first questions everyone asks after you get engaged is, “Where are you going on your honeymoon?”

And sometimes you know immediately. Maybe you’ve always pictured yourselves in Saint Lucia or Italy, or you already have a specific resort saved on your phone.

But a lot of couples have absolutely no idea.

They know they want somewhere beautiful. They want it to feel special. They probably want some combination of amazing food, a gorgeous room, a great beach, things to do and time to relax. Then they start looking online and suddenly they’re choosing between Jamaica, Hawaii, Greece, Italy and an overwater bungalow somewhere.

This is actually one of my favorite parts of planning honeymoons, because you do not need to know where you want to go when we start.

I’d rather know how you want your honeymoon to feel.

If you want to relax, I love the Caribbean

The Caribbean is one of my biggest specialties, and it’s also one of my favorite places to send honeymooners.

You can have the beautiful beach and tropical weather everyone pictures when they think “honeymoon,” but the experience can be completely different depending on the island and resort you choose.

This is where I think people get overwhelmed.

You start looking at Sandals, Secrets, Impression, UNICO, boutique resorts, private pool suites, overwater bungalows…and eventually they all start looking amazing.

They ARE all beautiful. That doesn't mean they're all right for you.

I want to know if the beach is your number-one priority. Do you want nightlife? Do you want a resort where you can walk to dinner and find something happening afterward, or would you rather disappear into your suite and barely see another person?

Do you want to leave the resort and explore the island? Would you use Butler service? Is that private pool worth spending more on, or would you barely use it because you want to be at the beach all day?

Those details are how I decide what I would actually recommend.

Source: Hospes Hoteles

If you want to explore, Europe is hard to beat

There is something about Europe for a honeymoon.

Italy is obviously incredible. So are Greece, France and Spain. And I love being able to create an itinerary where each stop feels a little different from the one before it.

What I DON'T love is cramming six destinations into ten days just because technically we can. You just got married. I don't want your honeymoon to feel like a field trip.

For most couples, I would rather choose fewer places and do them really well. Spend a few nights exploring a city, move somewhere slower, have an incredible dinner, take a wine tour, spend an afternoon at a beach club and leave yourselves enough free time to actually enjoy where you are.

A honeymoon in France could be Paris, Provence and the Riviera. Spain could combine Barcelona with Mallorca. An Italian honeymoon might start with sightseeing and end with several slower days along the coast.

You still get to see and experience Europe. You just don't come home needing another vacation.

Hawaii is fantastic when you want both

Hawaii is one of the first places I think of when couples tell me, “We definitely want to relax, but we can't sit on a beach for seven days.”

Perfect. Have your resort day. Sit by the pool. Go to the spa.

Then rent a car the next morning and go explore.

Hawaii gives you beaches and beautiful resorts, but you also have waterfalls, hiking, snorkeling, volcanoes, scenic drives and so much to experience away from the hotel.

You can also combine islands, which I love for a longer honeymoon. It gives you two different experiences without making the trip feel like you're constantly packing and moving.

Source: Virgin Voyages

And yes, a cruise can absolutely be a honeymoon

I think the right cruise is SUCH a good honeymoon option.

You unpack once, but you get to wake up in different destinations throughout your trip. You can spend the day exploring, come back to the ship, get dressed for dinner, have drinks and entertainment, and do something completely different the next morning.

The important word there is right.

I wouldn't recommend every cruise line or every ship for a honeymoon.

Virgin Voyages can be a great option if you want adults-only and more of a fun, social atmosphere. Celebrity is a great fit for couples who want something more elevated. And there are some incredible Mediterranean and European itineraries if you want to combine cruising with time on land.

This is another place where matching the trip to the couple matters much more than simply finding a good price.

Your budget matters - but so does how you want to spend it

When I ask honeymoon couples for a budget, I'm not asking so I can automatically spend every dollar of it. I want to know where your money matters most to you.

If you tell me you have $10,000 to spend, there are MANY ways we could use that $10,000.

Maybe you want the incredible room with the private pool and you're perfectly happy spending most of the week at the resort.

Maybe you would rather stay in a less expensive room and have money for a helicopter tour, private boat day, spa treatments and a really special dinner.

Maybe you want to honeymoon for ten nights instead of seven.

There are times when I will absolutely tell you an upgrade is worth paying for.

There are also times when I will tell you to keep your money.

Don't forget about when you're traveling

Your travel date matters more than you might realize when planning a honeymoon.

The Caribbean has hurricane season. Different islands can have different weather patterns. Sargassum can be a consideration if having a beautiful beach is extremely important to you. Europe has peak summer crowds and heat. Hawaii has seasonal differences. Some Coastal European towns close many businesses in late fall. And airfare and nonstop routes can change throughout the year.

That doesn't mean you can't travel somewhere during a certain month. It just means we need to know what to expect.

Sometimes the destination you've always wanted is perfect for your dates.

Sometimes I might suggest somewhere you hadn't considered at all.

So, what's the best honeymoon destination?

I don't have one! And I plan a lot of honeymoons. I have favorite resorts. I have destinations I absolutely love. I have rooms I think are worth every penny and others I don't think you need to pay extra for...

But I don't have one honeymoon that I would recommend to every couple.

The couple who wants to go out every night shouldn't necessarily be at the same resort as the couple who wants privacy and room service. The couple who lives for history, food and wine probably shouldn't take the same trip as the couple whose only request is “Please put me somewhere with turquoise water.” That's exactly why I love planning these trips! They are uniquely you, as they should be.

You don't have to figure it out before you contact me.

This is probably the biggest thing I want couples to know.

You don't need to come to me and say, “We want seven nights at this exact resort in this exact room.” You absolutely can... But you can also come to me and say:

“We have $8,000. We want somewhere warm. We want an amazing beach. He wants things to do. I want a really nice room. We both love good food. Help.”

I can work with that.

We'll talk about what you love, what you don't care about, what you're comfortable spending and what you want this trip to feel like. Then I'll help you figure out where in the world makes sense for the two of you.

Your honeymoon isn't about choosing the destination everyone else says is the best.

It's about finding the one that's best for you.

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Ready to Start Planning Your Honeymoon?

You don’t need to have the destination figured out before you reach out. Tell me what you’re dreaming about, what matters most to the two of you, and how you want your honeymoon to feel. I’ll help you narrow down the options and find the destination, resort, or itinerary that fits.

Your honeymoon only happens once. Let’s make it one you can’t wait to take.

Start Planning Your Honeymoon