Your honeymoon is a significant event in your life. You want everything to be just right, especially when you're paying thousands of dollars for your resort & flights!. In this post, I’m going to talk about five mistakes I see wedding couples make all the time that can absolutely ruin your honeymoon!
Before we get into the mistakes to avoid, allow me to share two “pro-tips” as you plan your honeymoon.
First, don’t be cheap. This is your honeymoon, not just any old trip, it should be special. If you can’t do it right, postpone it a year.
Second, get the insurance. These days you just never know, and this is an investment worth protecting. You could opt to get a coverage plan that gives you a voucher for future travel (which is the more economical choice), or a plan that gives you cash back if your reason to cancel is covered under the policy! If you have any questions about insurance, feel free to reach out to me below, and I will get back to you!
Alright, let’s jump into the common mistakes I see couples make when planning their honeymoon.
Mistake #1: Trusting the online reviews.
We’ve all experienced the frustration of looking at reviews that range from 1 star to 5 stars, from “I wouldn’t send my dog to this hotel” to “This was the best vacation ever!”
Reviews are good to look at but don’t allow them to have the final say. People are people. Some people are negative, and they will find one thing wrong and then be on a hunt for something else.
Additionally, when you read the reviews, you’ll often find that the situation was fixed on-site, but the guest was still upset, so they gave a bad review even after the hotel management made it right.
I also believe that one reason reviews can vary so drastically is because of expectations. This leads me to the second common mistake.
Mistake 2. Managing Your Expectations
What you see online isn’t always what you get. It is so frustrating to see images of perfection on the websites of a resort when you know that the photo is so edited it is nearly fake. But unless you’ve been there personally, you don’t find this out until you get there.
With your expectations crushed, this can sour your mood which can then spiral into a negative experience.
I believe this is what we often see when it comes to negative reviews. If you expect one thing based on what you see online and then get something not even close to it, you’re bound to be upset and not give a good review.
Beyond this, I would suggest expecting that nothing is perfect. Decide in advance that you are going to make your honeymoon experience good, not wait for someone else to make it good for you.
Mistake 3. Not Realizing How Far Your Resort is From The Excursions & Activities You Want to do
This mistake is an easy one to make. If you have specific activities or sites you want to see on your honeymoon, it is advised to ensure your hotel is not hours away. This can be hard to figure out by looking at a map, especially when it possibly isn’t that far mileage-wise.
If you want to have specific experiences on your honeymoon, take the extra time to research how far away your selected hotel will be before booking it. For example, if your honeymoon resort was in Negril, Jamaica, and you were hoping to do the Mystic Mountain Bob Sled adventure as well as Dunes River Falls, you would have at least a two-and-a-half-hour ride there and back again. Along those lines, also make sure that there will be available transportation to and from where you want to go!
Mistake 4. Leaving the day after your wedding
I know it is exciting to think about jet-setting out for your honeymoon right after your wedding, but if you are having a late-night wedding reception, you may want to rethink that idea.
Most flights are super early in the morning, so you literally could have a 3 or 4 am wakeup to get to the airport in time for your 6 am flight.
Not to mention that preparing for your wedding day and packing for your honeymoon will result in a big checklist.
Do yourself a favor and have a day or two cushioned in between.
Mistake 5. Missing Out on Honeymoon Amenities
If you are planning on staying at a resort for your honeymoon, you will be surprised to see what some of the honeymoon packages offer.
Many couples don’t realize that they must adhere to the resort’s terms and conditions to qualify for the honeymoon package.
If you think it is automatic and then show up assuming you’re getting breakfast in bed and a candlelight dinner, but you didn’t “follow the resort's guidelines and miss out on your honeymoon perks, that would definitely be upsetting.
The best thing to do is work with a honeymoon specialist to ensure that your honeymoon is set up properly and you earn all the fun amenities you deserve!
I wrote an entire article on the best honeymoon packages; you may want to check it out here! https://www.youandmebythesea.com/post/amazing-honeymoon-packages
When you're faced with the stress and details of planning a wedding, it's easy to forget that there's another vacation coming up, too. But don't let all of the planning get to you—planning a honeymoon can be fun (and romantic)! If you keep these five common mistakes in mind, you'll be more likely to put your best foot forward when it comes to planning the PERFECT honeymoon!
By the way, if you are feeling overwhelmed or discouraged with your honeymoon planning, you can schedule a free 30-minute honeymoon strategy session with me so that we can get this off of your shoulders and move forward to honeymoon bliss. Click here to schedule now! https://calendly.com/youandmebytheseatravel/travel-consultation