Planning a wedding and all aspects involved with it, can be a lot of work and stress trying to get everything done, but I truly believe and I may be biased, but I really believe working with a Certified Honeymoons & Destination Wedding Specialist means one less thing to worry about.

• Start early and share the planning. To ensure that both parties enjoy the honeymoon, couples should consider making all the decisions together.
• Define “Desireable.”If just one person will be doing the planning, he or she shouldn’t assume that because they have always dreamt of honeymooning in a tropical paradise their soon-to-be-spouse shares that dream. Consider these questions as soon as honeymoon talks begin:
  • What is most important? Suntan lotion, sand and surf or the privacy and seclusion a cozy mountain retreat?
  • Are you looking to experience new cultures or do you just want to get away from it all?
  • Are you more interested in going around the corner or around the world?
  • Do you want to spend more on the wedding or the honeymoon?
  • What sounds better: a cruise, a package vacation or an all-inclusive resort, something tailored just for you?
• Pick what you want, not what is in the paper. When it comes to honeymoon planning, most couples try to select the destination first, yet I always suggest a different approach: Unless the dream destination has already been set in stone, couples should first decide what type of vacation (all-inclusive resort, cruise, adventure vacation, cultural trip) they want and then narrow down their list of destinations accordingly.
• Make time to relax. Pad the honeymoon schedule with generous amounts of free time. A rushed and overly organized honeymoon might feel too much like the wedding. Instead, plan a few enjoyable activities and leave lots of opportunities to just enjoy each other’s company.
• Set a tentative budget. Talk about expectations and priorities from the very beginning and decide what you might splurge on and where you might cut corners.
• Splurge on living quarters. No matter what type of vacation package a couple chooses, most clients will spend an enormous amount of time in their room or cabin. This is not a place to cut corners.
• Brides-use your maiden name. Unless a couple is planning on taking a delayed honeymoon, the bride won’t have time to change the name on her passport and driver’s license. She should use her maiden name on visas, airline tickets, etc., so they match as it appears on official documents.  I always triple check this, as I don’t wont to have a couple show up at the airport and not be able to board the plane, because of this very issue.  Trust me, I have witnessed it in person.
• Leave it to a professional consultant. After “I do,” a couple’s two favorite words will be “stress free,” if they opt to work with a honeymoon expert, such as myself  who specializes in planning honeymoons. For stress-free travel plans–especially those with multiple steps like a honeymoon–seek out the expert advice of a honeymoon travel consultant.  A good honeymoon travel consultant can save money as well as time, two enormous factors for a couple trying to plan a wedding and a honeymoon simultaneously.

Thanks to Kristina & Laura with ASTA for the help with additional tips.

Happy Couple who planned a "stress free" wedding and honeymoon