The Number One Thing I Regret About My Honeymoon
and what I should have done differently
My Wedding Day in Tofino, BC, photographed by Jordie Hennigar
Don’t get me wrong, my honeymoon turned out to be an absolutely beautiful trip through Southern Italy. We started in Rome, headed out to the Amalfi Coast for the quintessential Italian seaside experience (read Living la Dolce Vita on the Amalfi Coast), boated to Capri for the beach clubs and coastal hikes, and then drove across to Puglia to explore lesser known cities and to seek out authentic small town Italian life.
Polignano a Mare
There was one thing, however, that I absolutely underestimated, and that was the STRESS of planning both my honeymoon and wedding at the same time. I am so thankful for Zoe, the owner and wedding planner at Rare Earth Weddings, who was essential for making my wedding day come together seemlessly. Without her I would have had zero time or energy to put into planning my honeymoon at all. Yet there are still so many things that a bride needs to do: wedding dress fittings, guest list, seating plans, menu planning. Plus I decided to host my wedding at my own house … fun.
Rome
Oceanside in Castro
My husband-to-be and I had decided that we wanted to leave for our honeymoon just a few days after our wedding for a number of reasons. What I didn’t anticipate was how little time and energy I would have for researching and planning my own honeymoon to places I had never been before.
Beach Club on Capri
What I should have done differently
Looking back, I absolutely regret not hiring a travel advisor to help me create the trip of my dreams without any of the stress and time consuming research on my part. There are a number of reasons that I should have outsourced this planning to someone else, even though I’m a professional Travel Advisor myself.
As a professional, my personal trips always take last priority. With so much else going on, it was simply not possible for me to do this trip justice on my own. I have so many friends, colleagues and contacts I could have reached out to to take this trip off my hands who would have been more than capable of designing a trip catered to my wishes.
Another travel advisor would have reached out to make sure that all of my hotels and resorts were aware of the special event that we were celebrating so that they treated us accordingly with extra perks, room upgrades and VIP service. Even though this is something that I always do for my clients, like anyone I think I find it more difficult to advocate for myself in this way. Having someone else to do this on my behalf would have been a true luxury.
Exploring Ostuni
Vineyards near Martina Franca
My Tips for Booking Your Perfect Honeymoon
Start planning well in advance: booking well in advance of your departure date means that more options for hotels and flights are available, and often at better prices.
Outsource your travel planning: hire a travel advisor that you feel matches your style and vibe, and who works with the destinations that you wish to travel too. A good advisor will ask a lot of questions to get to know you better and propose a trip that is uniquely you.
Leave time between your wedding and honeymoon: if you prefer to do the planning yourself, consider leaving time after your wedding before departing on your honeymoon. This will give you time to plan your trip, or atleast finalize last minute details, without adding stress to your big day.
I want your wedding day and honeymoon to be as perfect and stress free as they deserve to be! If you need any more tips or inspiration, don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@novella.travel