Spending your honeymoon with your new husband or wife is likely one of the things you’re looking forward to most while planning your wedding. Traditionally, the new couple leaves their wedding and heads straight for the airport, but, like many elements of modern weddings, things are changing.
Today, couples are factoring more than just their wedding date into deciding when their honeymoon will be. Each option has unique benefits; choosing which style of honeymoon is best is up to you!
For the Traditionalists
Leaving immediately after the wedding ensures you’re still excited about saying “I do.” You’re also leaving all the dirty details, like cleaning up at the venue and returning rentals, to members of your wedding party and family.
An increasingly common variation of this timeline is waiting a day or two before jetting off to your chosen location. This way, you can stay until the end of your reception and say goodbye to each guest as they leave. Some couples opt to spend the night at the same hotel as their guests for a casual brunch and more time with out of town visitors.
Waiting a few days also gives you time to deal with details like packing your bags, following up with vendors, opening gifts (and maybe even starting thank you cards), and sending your dress to the drycleaner. You’ll also have a few extra hours to rest after a busy week leading up to your wedding and the wedding itself.
Breaking with Tradition
Sometimes taking a long trip right after your wedding isn’t possible due to work or school schedules, weather or budget. Instead, some couples take their honeymoon before or months after their wedding day. This type of honeymoon can easily be paired with a quick trip right after your wedding to make sure you enjoy those just-married feelings.
When you take a trip before your wedding, you get to enjoy a break from wedding planning. For some couples, time away from work in a distraction-free environment actually gives them a time and place to decide on important wedding details. A pre-wedding honeymoon also gives you the opportunity to do in-person research for a destination wedding or even a venue closer to home.
A honeymoon immediately following your wedding means you’re balancing the stress of planning (and paying for) both a wedding and a vacation at the same time. Waiting a few months after your wedding before taking a honeymoon may give you the ability to plan a more luxurious trip. Your ideal location’s best time to visit may not align with your wedding date, so waiting gives you more flexibility.
