Honeymoon Vacation: Relaxing End to the WeddingYour honeymoon vacation may be the most needed vacation you will ever take in your life. You will have spent months planning and preparing for your wedding, you will have been on your feet for ten hours or more on your wedding day and you will have been entertaining family and friends for days. Your honeymoon vacation is your opportunity to relax and spend time as a newly married couple. In addition to consulting your budget, consider how long of a vacation you are able to take. Avoid very long plane trips if you have less than a week to get away. You want to spend most of your honeymoon vacation at your destination, not traveling to get there. Consider working with a professional travel agent. This is one vacation you do not want to risk a bad hotel or poor transportation. A travel agent can help guide you through the entire honeymoon planning process and she can help you choose activities and sites you do not want to miss while you are away. Make sure you plan your honeymoon vacation far in advance, especially if you need passports or visas. Find out if you need any vaccinations for your honeymoon destination. If you do need a vaccination, do it as far in advance of your wedding day as possible. Plan to pack the week prior to your wedding. You do not want to spend your wedding night throwing your clothes into a suitcase. One of the hottest trends in honeymoon vacations today is to plan a great getaway with close family and friends. If you choose to go with this option, make sure to plan some alone time for just the two of you. Spend the first half of your honeymoon vacation with the group and then jet-off somewhere on your own. At the very least, plan a special picnic or dinner for two. Do not forget to take time just for the two of you. Your honeymoon vacation is a relaxing and tranquil way to end your wedding celebration and begin your new life together. Honeymoon Registry Choose a romantic honeymoon destination and let your family and friends help pay for it. Just "register" your honeymoon with us and we will do the rest. Our online Honeymoon Registration is free, and offers real convenience for your family and friends. You will have the fun and excitement of planning the ideal honeymoon and your family and friends will enjoy helping you launch your marriage in grand style!
Using Our Honeymoon Registry is as Easy as 1 - 2 - 3:
Honeymoon Credits are conveniently processed in $25, $50 and $100 increments, charged to a major credit card and credited to your honeymoon reservation account. Purchasers will receive an e-mail confirming the credit immediately. Shortly before the "Big Day", you will receive a beautiful souvenir photo album containing all the names of family and friends who helped this dream come true. The album can be displayed, as appropriate, on the gift table at the reception.
Honeymoon Travel Term: Hotel Accommodations Bed Configuration: The relatively rare system of designating hotel suites by the size of bed they contain – twin, regular, double, queen or king. Double-Occupancy Rate: The per-person price based on two people sharing the room. Double-Room Rate: The actual price of a room even if occupied by two people. First Class Accommodation: Usually an improvement over standard (see below) that might include access to better services, placement or equipment. Guaranteed Late Arrival: Confirms that your reservation will be held beyond the daily cutoff time. The guarantee usually requires pre-payment by credit card or through a corporate account. Ocean View: The ocean can be seen from somewhere within your room or suite, but its unlikely to be awe-inspiring. Oceanfront: A room or suite that directly faces the ocean, but not necessarily with direct access to the beach. Standard Accommodation : The basic accommodation a hotel provides, usually marked by an absence of luxuries. Romantic Honeymoon Ideas Setting a romantic mood on your honeymoon requires going beyond candles and rose petals Candles, rose petals, satin, succulent foods, perfume—you’re probably already familiar with all of these time-honored ingredients for creating a romantic mood on your honeymoon. But candles, rose petals, and other sensual ingredients only go so far. The real key to creating a romantic honeymoon is to spend time celebrating your relationship and your new life together as a married couple. After all, romance is more about the heart than the body. That doesn’t mean you should put the candles away, but start setting the mood early by reveling in your relationship. Here are five romantic honeymoon ideas to get you started. 1. Explore uncharted territory Intimacy is a key ingredient for creating a romantic mood. In its most basic sense, intimacy is about revealing our interior selves to another person—the part of ourselves that we normally hide from others. When we do this, we honor the other person as someone we cherish and trust. Since it’s often difficult to start sharing in this way, a game or book of questions can help. The classic game of relationship questions is the Ungame, while the classic questions book is (appropriately enough) The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock. Each of these products contains hundreds of questions on topics ranging from ethics (“What would you do if . . . ?”) to feelings and ideas. These are just two of many similar products that you can use in almost any setting—even in the car or airplane on the way to your honeymoon destination. 2. Combine your photo albums Buy your first photo album together, if you don't get one at your wedding. Bring out your photo albums and choose the best photos of each other from your dating days to put in your new album—it's a great way to relive old memories. 3. Write a dream letter Write letters to each other about your dreams for your marriage. What do you hope your marriage will look like in ten, twenty, or thirty years? Exchange the letters on the first day of your marriage, and then save them to read on your wedding anniversary. 4. Leave memory notes everywhere Nothing creates a romantic mood better than remembering your best moments together as a couple. Purchase some small notepaper or post-it notes and spend some time digging up your favorite memories of your spouse. How did you meet? How did your first kiss come about? What is the goofiest thing he or she ever did? When was your spouse there for you when you needed him or her the most? Then spend some time thinking of the memories you’d most like to share with your spouse over the course of your marriage. Write these all down on the note paper, and hide them all over the place at your honeymoon destination (on the pillow, in the luggage, in the rental car, etc.). 5. Share the love The funny thing about love is you get more by giving it away. That's as true for newlyweds as for anyone else, so find ways to share your love with others. Start by committing random acts of kindness—both toward each other and complete strangers. Visit the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation web page for inspiration (http://www.actsofkindness.org/). One of our favorite stories there is about a young woman who was caught in the rain when a complete stranger gave her his own umbrella. When she asked how she would return it to him, he just smiled and walked away. Creating great memories like that adds a magical twist to your honeymoon. Honeymoon Spots From the islands of the Great Lakes to hidden Hawaii, we have ideas for some pretty unique honeymoon spots. Banff-Canmore-Lake Louise Honeymoon Jagged snow-capped mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, abundant wildlife and unearthly blue-green lakes combine to make Banff National Park one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations .Channel Islands It's not just the confluence of the French and British cultures that makes the Channel Islands an intriguing honeymoon destination...it's also the castles and lighthouses; hundreds of warm, sandy beaches; miles of hiking and biking trails; horse-drawn carriages on car-free roads. . . The All-Natural Hawaii Honeymoon Why not immerse yourself in Hawaii's natural setting—especially when campsites go for as little as $5 per night (some are even free with park admission). . . ? Hidden Hawaii Honeymoon If you like the idea of a Hawaii honeymoon, but the thought of crowded beaches and tourist traps makes you think twice, then consider Molokai. . . . Hidden Jamaica Honeymoon Feed a hummingbird on your finger, dance the night away to a Reggae beat, savor the local "likkle bickle," wake up in a mountaintop treehouse—oh yeah, and lounge on all those white sand beaches. It's hidden Jamaica for your honeymoon. . . Madagascar Honeymoon If you're interested in exploring some of the most unique landscapes and environments in the world, head for Madagascar's many parks. . . Polar Honeymoon If snow and ice are your thing, you may as well go all the way and spend your honeymoon at the North Pole (or the South Pole, if you prefer)—or at least close enough to make your friends and family shake their heads in wonder. . . Queenstown Honeymoon If you're the type of couple who likes a little adventure with their romance—say, mountain climbing, aerobatic flying, luge riding, parapenting, or swinging through a canyon on the world's largest rope swing—then Queenstown may be the perfect honeymoon idea for you. . . . Saba Island Honeymoon What's a Caribbean island without beaches? If you're in Saba, it's a quiet but breathtakingly scenic tropical retreat relatively untrammeled by hordes of tourists. . . Belize Honeymoon If you're interested in a honeymoon south of the border but your Spanish and Portuguese are a little rusty, head to the small Central American nation of Belize, where English is the official language (although Creole is universally spoken). . . Islands of the Great Lakes Honeymoon No one would ever mistake the Great Lakes for the Caribbean, but the islands of the Great Lakes have their own unique charms. Visit the historic lighthouses of the Apostle Islands, step back a century in time on Mackinac Island, or discover a unique wilderness haven on Isle Royale. . . . Virgin Islands National Park Honeymoon Do the white, sandy beaches of the Virgin Islands sound out of reach for your budget? Maybe not, if you're willing to camp on that beach. . . Quebec City Honeymoon Quebec City, "the most European city in North America," is the closest thing to Paris this side of the Atlantic. . . Southwestern Sights Via Las Vegas Honeymoon The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas ranked first and seventh, respectively, in the BBC's list of 50 places to see before you die. Why not see both on your honeymoon? Use Las Vegas as a relatively cheap way to get to dozens of spectacular natural wonders. . . Luxembourg Honeymoon Remember Luxembourg from your high school geography classes? It's one of the smallest sovereign nations in Europe (Vatican City is the smallest), but it packs a lot into a small space. . . Costa Rica Honeymoon The many beaches on its Pacific and Caribbean coasts would be attraction enough, but Costa Rica is best known for its spectacular natural beauty. . . Galapagos Honeymoon Ever been to a place so wild that the animals don't know enough to be afraid of humans? That's the Galapagos Islands, where visitors come face to face (sometimes literally) with birds, sea lions, giant tortoises, and a wide variety of other wildlife—including more than 50 animal species found nowhere else in the world. . . Stockholm Honeymoon Stockholm is more than the capital of Sweden; the 750-year-old city built on fourteen islands claims to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and with good reason. . . |
Honeymoon Travel: Useful Terms Below you will find some terms that you should become familiar with before you begin to plan your honeymoon travel. Most of these terms apply to any kind of traveler, not just those making romantic getaway plans. Nevertheless, fluency in the language of travel may prevent unexpected costs, discomfort or disappointment. Honeymoon Travel Term: Airline Flights Connecting: You have to change planes somewhere along the route to your honeymoon destination. Direct: Most of the time the plane will fly from your home airport to your destination airport. However, your plane may stop at one or more airports along the way, but you will not have to disembark. Nonstop: This takes you directly from your departure city to another destination without any stops while enroute. Honeymoon Travel Term: Car Rental Fees Drop-off Fee: Also called an “intercity charge,” this is a fee you pay for returning your rental vehicle in a town or location other than where you picked it up. Unlimited Mileage: You must purchase the gasoline, but the number of miles you drive within the contracted period is unlimited. Honeymoon Travel Term: Monetary Terms Duty Free: Items that are sold free of taxation by the country in which you buy them. If you exceed monetary limits set by U.S. Customs when you re-enter the U.S., you may have to pay taxes in this country for those items. Rate of Exchange: This is the current equivalent of U.S. dollars in foreign currency. It is a flexible rate that changes daily, which often results in various rates being offered. Usually, your best rate will be from a bank, while your worst will be from a hotel. Traveler’s Checks: Purchased through banks and other financial services, they are safer than cash because they carry your signature, which must be duplicated when used. We recommend you each have some with your signature only on them for your honeymoon travel. Vouchers : depending on the circumstance, travel agents, airlines, cruise lines and other travel vendors to be exchanged for meals, accommodations and other things, issue these Honeymoon Ideas for Couples on a Budget Between paying for the wedding and setting up a new household, many couples find there’s not much money left in their budget for the honeymoon. But who says you have to spend a fortune to enjoy a romantic honeymoon at your dream destination? Here are eight ideas for a more affordable, yet still romantic, honeymoon. 1. Ask for the gift of a honeymoon You can defray the cost of your honeymoon, or perhaps even cover the cost entirely, by listing it on a honeymoon gift registry. A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry, but instead of buying you china your wedding guests buy you a trip to China (or the honeymoon destination of your choice). Yes, your guests could just contribute cash toward your honeymoon, but giving a particular portion of the honeymoon (dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a carriage ride through the historic district of a far-off city, for example) is somehow more meaningful. For more information about honeymoon registries, including a comparison of some of the most popular registries, go to our honeymoon registries page. 2. Exchange homes If you prefer to mingle with the locals rather than other tourists, look into a home exchange for your honeymoon. In a nutshell, you go stay in someone else’s house while they stay in yours. Sound risky? Maybe—but tens of thousands of people have exchanged homes since the 1950s. For an annual membership fee (usually around $50), home exchange clubs will help you find someone willing to swap homes with you, as well as offering tips to make the exchange go smoothly. According to ExchangeHomes.com, a home exchange can cut your travel costs by as much as half. More importantly, though, you’ll get to live like locals, and perhaps make life-long friends. Read more at our home exchange honeymoon page. 3. Rely on the hospitality of others Hospitality clubs can hook you up with people who are willing to host you in their private homes. The largest such club has more than 23,000 members in 148 countries. Membership is usually free, although you’re asked to provide hospitality to others (on a voluntary basis) in return sometime in the future. In addition to saving you money, it’s a great way to meet locals who can give you an insider’s perspective on your honeymoon destination. Other places you can look for free or reduced-cost accommodations include hostels (they’re not just for the young and single anymore) and monasteries and convents, some of which open their doors to guests for little or no charge. 4. Win a free honeymoon "Nothing in life is free"—unless you win a free honeymoon vacation in a promotional sweepstakes or contest. Quite a few travel agencies and other companies run contests giving away honeymoon vacations as a way of promoting their services. 5. Go camping Firelight and shooting stars every night . . . breathtaking natural beauty . . . snuggling with your honey in a cocoon of zipped-together sleeping bags . . . . Yes, camping can be romantic, as long you’re well prepared and have the right equipment (warm sleeping bags, a comfortable mattress pad, and a waterproof tent are a must). Plus, it’s pretty cheap--$10 to $20 per night at most locations. It’s even cheaper if you cook your own food. You can mix a few nights of camping with a few nights in hotels to make your honeymoon more affordable. And don’t overlook the rustic (but cheap) cabins available for rent at many state and national parks. Some even offer a honeymoon cabin! Find out more at our camping honeymoon page. 6. Travel in the off season It may be obvious to seasoned travelers, but those with less experience may not be aware of how affordable it can be to honeymoon in the “off season”—basically, any time other than when most people travel to your destination. Certain destinations’ accommodation and airfare prices may be slashed by 30 percent or more during the off-season compared to the peak travel season. 7. Consider your airline alternatives 8. Check budget travel newsletters If you’re not picky about where you honeymoon, you can probably cash in on promotional deals offering deep discounts on airfare and lodging—if you know about them. To stay abreast of the latest offers, sign up with as many free budget travel newsletters as you can. Start by signing up with the budget travel newsletters offered by Frommers.com, About.com, and MSNBC. You can find out more at our budget travel resources page. Honeymoon Ideas for Couples on a Budget Who says an inexpensive honeymoon can't be romantic? Here are eight tips and tricks for planning a romantic, affordable honeymoon. Honeymoon Registry You can defray the cost of your honeymoon, or perhaps even cover the cost entirely, by listing it on a honeymoon gift registry. A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry, but instead of buying you china your wedding guests buy you a trip to China (or the honeymoon destination of your choice). We explain how to set one up, and compare seven honeymoon registries. Home Exchange Honeymoon Do you prefer to mingle with the locals rather than other tourists when you travel? Then look into a home exchange for your honeymoon—stay for free in someone else's house while they stay in yours. Monastery Honeymoon Don't laugh—monasteries have a long tradition of providing hospitality to travelers. Aside from being a lot more interesting (and affordable) than the local Holiday Inn, a monastery can be a great place to explore your spiritual landscape. Honeymoon Registries What is a honeymoon registry? A honeymoon registry is much like a wedding registry. Just as a wedding registry allows you to create a list of gifts you would prefer to receive at your wedding, a honeymoon registry allows you to create a list of places you would like to go and things you would like to do on your honeymoon. The honeymoon registry enables your wedding guests to purchase portions of your honeymoon. Yes, your guests could just contribute cash toward your honeymoon, but somehow giving a particular portion of the honeymoon—dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a carriage ride through the historic district of a far-off city, for example—is more meaningful. Type the phrase "honeymoon registry" into your favorite search engine, and you'll get thousands of results. There are three basic kinds of honeymoon registries: Registries that require you to book your travel through the travel agency offering the registry. Registries that allow you to book your travel either through the sponsoring travel agency (or other affiliated travel agencies) or through the travel agency of your choice or on your own. Usually these registries charge an extra fee or higher service charge if you choose not to book travel through the registry's parent travel agency. Registries that are not affiliated with any travel agencies, requiring you to make travel arrangements on your own or through a travel agency of your choice. In some circles, honeymoon registries are considered tacky; others view them as a practical alternative to a traditional wedding gift registry. How honeymoon registries work Here's how these registries usually work: Creating the honeymoon registry. First, you submit some basic personal information—your names, the date of the wedding, contact information, and so on. Then you create your registry, which is an itemized list of all your honeymoon expenses. Some registries charge a setup fee, usually between $100-$150; others charge nothing to the wedding couple, but charge wedding guests a "service fee" when they buy part of the honeymoon. Some honeymoon registry websites allow you to create your registry right away over the web. Other sites put you in touch (by phone or e-mail) with a representative who helps you create your registry. What can you list on your registry? If you can buy it, you can list it. Typical registries list transportation, lodging, activities, special amenities, and meals. Expensive items are usually broken down so guests can choose to pay only a portion of the item. For example, a honeymoon registry might list 10 gifts of $100 each toward your $1000 airfare expense. Some honeymoon registries allow you to personalize your registry with a message to your guests and descriptions of the different parts of your honeymoon, perhaps even allowing you to upload pictures to the registry. Announcing the honeymoon registry. Once your registry is set up, you need to let your wedding guests know that it exists. Many registries will provide you with printed cards announcing the registry and its web address; you can either mail them with the wedding invitation or separately. Some registries will e-mail your wedding guests if you provide their addresses. The more tactful approach is to let your guests know about your registry indirectly. Let your parents, close friends, or wedding party members know that you have a honeymoon registry; they can pass the word along to guests. Or create a wedding web page with up-to-date information for guests, and include a link to your registry on that page. You can then list the address of your wedding web page in your invitation without directly bringing up the issue of gifts. Buying gifts from the honeymoon registry. Guests look up your registry by typing your last name(s) into a search box on the registry website. After reading what you want, they click on the item(s) they want to buy and pay for the items over the web site. Most registries also allow guests to purchase items by phone. The gift-giver usually receives a certificate that is either sent to the wedding couple or to the giver (to hand on to the couple in person); some registries charge a fee to mail this certificate. Other registries notify the couple of the gift by e-mail. On any registry, you can track how many gifts you have received simply by logging into the registry. It's important to note that most registries require guests to pay a service charge for the privilege of contributing to your honeymoon. The service charge is a percentage of the cost of the gift; the registries we surveyed had service charges ranging from 3.5% to 15%. So if a guest wants to pay $100 toward your airfare and the honeymoon registry website imposes a 10% service charge, she will end up spending $110. Paying for the honeymoon. The wedding couple are ultimately responsible for paying for their honeymoon expenses. That means that any portion of the honeymoon that must be paid prior to the wedding (airfare, room deposits and so on) comes out of your pocket. Some or all of those expenses might be picked up by your guests, although most couples' honeymoon expenses are not completely covered by their registry. It's wise not to plan a more extravagant honeymoon than you can pay for yourselves. Whatever money wedding guests contribute toward the honeymoon is placed in a holding account. The registry sends the couple a check (or electronically deposits the funds into their account) on a predetermined date, usually a week before the wedding. Even though the wedding guests paid for certain parts of the honeymoon, the couple is really free to use the money for anything they want. Thanking guests. It's important to write thank-you notes to guests who bought part of the honeymoon (just as you would write thank-you notes for any wedding gift). It might actually be fun to thank guests for the honeymoon, though, because you can describe your experience in the note—you might even include a picture. |
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Remember, these terms when booking your accommodations and your honeymoon travel will be surprise-free, (at least from the bad surprises.) |
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