Bon Voyage!
It’s normal to expect your honeymoon to be the best vacation of your life.
You’re in love. You’re in a beautiful destination.
You’ve spent the last several days being pampered and primped – girl, you’ve never looked better.
But what happens when your honeymoon starts out as just another ho-hum vacay?
Stuck in coach, in a room facing the parking lot, and not even a mint on your pillow at night.
Many newlyweds lack the funds to splurge on a five-star experience, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with a two-star honeymoon.
Arrive at your destination with a couple of tricks up your sleeve and chances are you’ll get to live the celebrity experience (at least this one time).
1. Tell people it’s your honeymoon
Don’t be shy about why you are on vacation. When you arrive at the airport or when you check in at your destination hotel, mention that you’re on your honeymoon (if they haven’t already noticed your newlywed glow). You may just receive a big smile and a warm-hearted “Congrats,” but many times you’ll get some perks: complimentary champagne, a gift basket, maybe even one of those mythical upgrades to first class or a honeymoon suite you hear about from friends of friends of friends.
2. Host a honeymoon shower
Long gone are the days when newlyweds moved straight from parents’ houses to starter homes. Most bachelorettes have long owned muffin tins and double boilers – if they don’t, it’s because they don’t feel like making muffins.
What ladies do not necessarily have are the funds to indulge in a side-by-side massage in a beach cabana. Consider throwing a honeymoon shower in place of a wedding shower, where guest donations can go toward fun “adventure” activities like a wine tasting, zip lining, or that deluxe suite facing the beach.
3. Consider postponing your honeymoon for a few months
While there is certain romantic and traditional appeal around jetting off for your honeymoon straight from the wedding reception, it’s becoming more in vogue to hold off for a few months – be it for financial reasons, vacation time from work, or to snag some those competitive deals during a destination’s off-season.
Hitting up the Caribbean in the middle of summer or Europe in late fall will be easier on your wallet and significantly up your chances for special treatment: you’ll have less competition for attention from other newlywed couples.
4. Create your own romance
No one ever said you had to have deluxe lodging to have an epically romantic honeymoon. Pack a few essentials to give the romance factor a boost even in the plainest of hotel rooms: tea candles, a pretty scarf to throw over glaring iridescent lamps, a silky bathrobe, or a small bottle of bubble bath.
If the view out your room isn’t the greatest, keep the chiffon curtain pulled shut to create a misty glow. Chances are you won’t be spending that much time staring at the view, anyway…
5. Pack the essentials
And by essentials, I don’t mean pretty lingerie. I mean the less obvious stuff that no one ever tells you to pack.
- Your marriage license. If you’re crossing your fingers for special newlywed treatment, some hotels will appreciate documented proof that you’re not just trying to scam your way into the lap of luxury.
- Sunscreen if you’re going someplace tropical. A little tube of SPF 30 at a hotel or resort will put a major ding in your wallet, as opposed to the much cheaper bulk-buying opportunities in the States.
- If you’re traveling internationally, photo copies of your passports, credit cards, and other forms of ID. Stash those away separate from your wallet or purse so, in the case of an emergency (like your purse getting stolen), getting important documents replaced will be seamless.
- Clothes you’ll actually wear. Sure, buying an entire trousseau of honeymoon garments is tempting, but chances are you’ll keep falling back on your favorite pair of sexy jeans or sweet summer dress on your nights out.
This article was written exclusively for STL Weddings by Emma T. Emma is a writer based in Seattle who is planning her honeymoon in a big city so she can skip the bikini and stick to skinny jeans.
Photo Credits
Gabriel Rocha via Flickr
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