The Art of the Honeymoon

The Art of the Honeymoon

Kleon Howe, celebrated expert from The Art of Travel, gives us his insights on why, in this age of the Internet, an experienced agent is still vital for a flawless honeymoon.

Honeymoon arrangements for many brides and grooms are left until late in the wedding planning timeline. And yet the honeymoon is the first trip you will take as a married couple. That is worth planning for!

It is very common to begin planning a wedding one year or more before the date, and this should be the same timeframe for a well-planned honeymoon. Using a travel specialist and leaving plenty of time for planning ensure a fabulous honeymoon. Here’s why:

Location: Most brides and grooms are not sure where they want to go for their honeymoon. Early planning with a well-traveled specialist will allow time to go over the desires of the couple to see what they are looking for in their honeymoon. Budget, family origins, time available for the honeymoon and personal desires on the part of the couple will give your travel expert the information necessary to give you choices on your possible destinations. It does take time to go over all the above information and work them down to the best honeymoon destination for each couple.

Desires: It is said that the most important part of a honeymoon is what you are experiencing, and that is most true when speaking of a location for a hotel room, over-water bungalow or cruise ship cabin. Planning early for your honeymoon allows you to have your choice of accommodation. It also can allow you to look at several itineraries without worries that the accommodations will not be available when you do choose the best destination for you. Even when planning a year in advance, some locations still may have very limited availability and this is where a travel specialist should be able to put courtesy holds in place for you while you are making your decision.

Time: As you plan for your wedding there are myriad decisions to be made, dates and reservations to remember and lists of tasks to do. As with your wedding planner, a travel specialist will handle all the details for your honeymoon to make sure it goes off without a hitch. Any airline schedule changes, final confirmations, show or dining confirmations are all taken care of so that you can focus on your wedding day. In addition, planning your honeymoon well ahead allows for no extra stress to come in during the time leading up to your wedding day. Instead, you will have your travel documents long before your wedding day and will be able to savor the excitement of your honeymoon.

Organization: A honeymoon planned far enough in advance allows your travel specialist to organize a destination guide for you with all the special things you might want to do while on your honeymoon. Hotels take notice of how early you have booked. The best location and the most private are usually allocated to honeymooners and to those who have reserved the earliest. In addition, special tours, tour guides, or knowledge of specific open dates and times for monuments and antiquities can all be prearranged so that you are not disappointed once you’ve arrived.

Honeymoon Registry: Honeymoon registries have become very popular. The best way to make sure your registry is successful is to have it up and running as early as possible before your wedding. The earlier your honeymoon is planned, the better the results of your registry. These are the reasons why it is so important to plan your honeymoon as early as possible and why the use of a travel specialist is valuable to you as you plan your wedding day.

Having sailed his 44-foot sailboat around the world, Kleon Howe understands the delights of travel. He opened The Art of Travel in 1996 to share his joy and passion with people seeking guidance and advice before embarking on their own adventures. He has been recognized four times as one of Condé Nast’s top travel agents. Please visit theartoftravelonline.com to find out how Kleon can help you plan the perfect honeymoon.