For your wedding reception, you are going to use The Grand Hall in Kansas City. It came in highly recommended as one of the best places to hold work, holidays, birthday celebrations, wedding receptions, and other party ideas. You’re known to be a scrooge, so you’re hoping that this wedding party will improve your image. Not that you are too concerned about it. You’re marrying the love of your life, so you want to give her the best.
The event is happening in eight months. But what you’re currently obsessing with is what kind of honeymoon you should do with the future wife. You asked friends for ideas, and you also checked the Internet. You want to plan it this early so that there will be no surprises along the way.
Here’s how you can plan for your honeymoon:
The Honeymoon Money
Couples spend roughly less than $4,500 on their honeymoon trip. That’s for the average couple. Other people would spend more on longer honeymoon vacations. Typically, the couples would pay for the honeymoon expenses themselves, and they constitute roughly 62% of couples.
You’ve already planned for your venue, and that’s the biggest slice of the wedding budget. Couples can pay upwards of $15,000 just on the site. The wedding planner and the videographer would total nearly $4,000.
Most couples incorporate their honeymoon budget with the wedding budget. So you might want to think how much you’re willing to spend on flowers, videographer, etc. so that you can have the honeymoon of a lifetime.
Preparing Wisely
Can you go on a honeymoon on a budget, or will that spoil all the excitement? Here are a few more things to note when planning your honeymoon:
- Plan your schedule. If it’s going to be an international honeymoon involving air travel, visas, booking hotels, etc., plan at least six months. Six months before is where you do all the research and decide on a destination. Three months in, and you should already have your visas. By this time, you could still avail of budget flights. A month before is when you review and double-check what you have done already to make sure that everything is still in place. Final shopping for stuff to bring could be done at this juncture.
- Ask for money? Many might still find this inappropriate. But others believe that it’s “ok” to request for cash instead of gifts. You usually should tell a story. “We’re still paying our college loans, but we also want to have a wonderful honeymoon. Don’t bother deciding between a blender or a coffee maker. Just contribute to our college loans/honeymoon fund.” Some would perhaps feel relieved. But don’t ask for your wedding invitation. Point them to your wedding website where they can find online options on how to contribute.
- Manage your itinerary. You can easily get overwhelmed with what a city offers. Should it be the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre? Find out the opening and closing hours of specific destinations so that you can manage your time better.
- Book the honeymoon suite. Elizabeth Taylor married eight times but probably didn’t have as many honeymoons. If you’re The One for each other and you plan on staying married till death do you part, then you both deserve the honeymoon suite. Look for the best features, decorations, and exclusive amenities. The suite is where you should pamper yourselves.
These are just some key points, but they will help you plan for your honeymoon.
