Paying for Your Honeymoon

After planning a fantastic wedding, you and your spouse deserve to have some alone time on an amazing honeymoon. Whether you choose to go to Europe or an Island in the Caribbean, you want the memories to last a lifetime, not the bills. So with a little bit of planning, you can have a perfect getaway without breaking the bank. Here are some tips from Martha Stewart Magazine about how to pay for your honeymoon.

World Sites Ranking

Start Saving Early
Before you and your fiance get too carried away dreaming about romantic beaches, cozy casitas, and foreign capitals, have a heart-to-heart about where you want to go, what kinds of activities you want to enjoy, and how much you think it's going to cost- do some internet research before you sit down to talk. Ideally, you'll start planning-and saving- six months to a year before the honeymoon.
Don't forget about all the daily expenses. Tally all of your expenses, divide that number by the number of months until your wedding day, and start setting money aside each month. Some couples like to incorporate their honeymoon into their overall wedding budget, but it may be easier if you set up a separate honeymoon account!
Make the Most of Rewards Programs
It rarely pays to finance your honeymoon with credit cards, but it may make sense to apply for a credit card that earns points toward free hotel stays or upgrades when you charge wedding expenses. Look for cards with low annual fees, low interest rates, and bonus points for signing up. You can earn enough points for a couple free nights just for acquiring the card. 
If you're using airline miles, book your flight six months ahead; that's when airlines set aside rewards seats. The best available flights are most likely on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Hire a Travel Professional
The honeymoon is one trip for which for which even savvy travelers may want to enlist the help of a travel agent. Some agents charge clients a flat fee or a percentage of the booking, while others are paid by the hotels or resorts to which they send business. Still, you could save money by working with an agent, particularly for an international trip where insider knowledge is key to finding deals. Good agents can steer you to off-season discounts, book the best accommodations for your budget, and give you tips for saving on everything from train fares to local cuisine. Better yet, they can help arrange for newlywed perks, such as room upgrades and complimentary gifts- like Champagne!
Be Your Own Online Agent
Determined to plan your own trip? There are dozens of websites designed to help couples find honeymoon hot spots, search for hotels, and book flights. Sign up for the FareWatcher at travelocity and get e-mail alerts when prices fall on the routes you're monitoring. At sidestep, search more than 150 travel sites simultaneously to track down the best deals. You can book luxury hotels around the world at luxurylink. There is an auction feature that is a great way to find accommodations that might otherwise be outside of your budget.
There was a time when airlines upgraded honeymooners to first or business class. This is now a rare occurrence. But many hotels still give newly married couples first-class treatment so let the hotel know it's your honeymoon when you book it! When you check in, kindly remind them. You may not score the honeymoon suite, but you might get a bigger room or an ocean view!
Register for Your Honeymoon
If travel is as important as new place settings or fine linens, create a honeymoon registry with a travel agency or directly with a resort. When registering for travel, you generally book your trip, then set up the registry. If booking with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, for example, you can register the trip on Wedding Channel; then guests go to your registry and buy you "Honey Money" to help pay for your stay. At Distinctive Honeymoons, guests can shop for specific items on your honeymoon registry such as spa treatments and dinners.


Hope some of these tips help you save some money on your first vacation as husband and wife!

Why You Should Use A Travel Agent For Your Honeymoon

Planning a honeymoon while planning your wedding can definitely add extra burden and stress!  This is why I am excited to share some information that Fatima Reep from First Ticket Travel, Inc. has given me!

"One of the first decisions couples face when planning their honeymoon is whether to use the services of a travel agent.  A do-it-yourself approach may sound alluring and adventurous, especially if you have a preconceived notion of your honeymoon. However, going it alone may pan out more adventures than you signed up for!

We realize that wedding planning can be quite stressful and time consuming. We feel that planning a honeymoon should not be. We begin with an initial meeting with you.  Getting to know you helps us guide you through the entire honeymoon design and honeymoon planning process holding your hand every step of the way.

Like working with a bridal consultant, a travel agent can offer you many perks. In addition to doing all of your booking (for accommodations, transportation, and anything else you'll need in advance), you will also benefit from the agent's globetrotting expertise and access to insider discounts. In many cases, agents can obtain better deals for you than even the most discounted travel websites, and in some cases, your agent will be able to get you package deals.

Think how you’d handle these situations:
    1.    A few days before the wedding, you get a call.  Your flight is cancelled, and you had booked your                         own air online.
    2.    You also have booked your own cruise, a Safari, a week in Tahiti
    3.    Furthermore, you didn’t know about travel insurance.

So NOW, you have to figure out who to call first, what to do.  

In any of these instances, the services of a travel agent would prove invaluable.   You would not have to worry.   Your travel consultant would make sure alternate arrangements are made.  Despite what you may think, your travel agent will probably save you money compared to what you could book on your own. And, if this is the first big trip you’ve ever planned, you really need a travel agent – things go wrong, airlines change schedules, natural disasters get in the way, you name it.

So, now that you’ve decided you’d rather leave it to the experts, you need to find an expert – travel agent, that is. How do you find a good travel agent?   Referrals are probably the single best way to find a travel agent.  Your Wedding Planner is the first place to start.  Your Wedding Planner has earned your trust by now.

Once you find a travel agent, call first to talk. This is similar to an interview – you are checking to see if there’s rapport, and if he or she books the kind of travel you’re looking for (Europe, for example, or does she plan complex, custom itineraries).  This selection process is especially important if you’ve found a couple of travel agents (via searches or referrals), so you can narrow your selection down to one.

Many travel agents require a nominal, nonrefundable deposit upfront before they quote packages (or before they provide package details, in some cases). Don’t be discouraged by this policy. Often, it means you’re taken seriously, and your travel agent will take her time in planning your honeymoon. Keep an open dialog with your travel agent, and the end result is the perfect honeymoon for you.

Finally, keep your mind open to suggestions your travel agent may have. You might be dreaming of hiking glaciers by day, and something romantic and toasty at night, but your travel agent can help you to compare the merits of New Zealand, Canadian Rockies, Swiss Alps, and Alaskan cruises, so you can put your dreams into action.

HONEYMOON REGISTRY/ HONEYMOON GIFT PROGRAM

Our honeymoon registry is fun and easy and the best part is that there is no extra cost to set it up.   Your guests will be able to upgrade your all inclusive honeymoon package, purchase a candlelit dinner for two on the beach, treat you to parasailing or scuba diving.   The options are endless.