Our top tips on how to plan your honeymoon

Planning your honeymoon is a big, exciting task, let’s face it. The thing is, it’s not just a holiday. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that you want to get 100% right. But where to start? Here’s some advice from our Kuoni experts.

When to start

It can take a lot of time and energy to plan your dream honeymoon. There’s so much to think about, and this comes at a time when you’ve also got a wedding to organise. To stop it becoming overwhelming, your best bet is to get in there early. We’re talking 8-12 months before you want to go. That’ll grant you the best pick of hotels and give you access to their early booking discounts.

How to budget for it

Getting value for money is key, whatever you set your budget to. We can help you get the best rates for a stay at one of the world’s best water villas, or let you know which resorts offer complimentary night stays. There’s heaps we can do to make your budget go further.

Upgrade wisely

Upgrade chunks of your honeymoon, rather than the whole thing. Instead of booking first class return flights, we can arrange a one-way upgrade for you, so you can arrive or return home in style. We could also secure you an upgraded room for the last couple of nights of your honeymoon. That way you can end on a high, but don’t have to splash out on the finest room for your entire stay.

Travel in the off season

Places like the Maldives and the Caribbean are just as stunning in the off season, which is around May to November. It may rain a little more at this time of year, but you’re still likely to get sunny days – and have less competition for the best spot on the beach.

Pick a budget-friendly destination

Don’t ignore destinations closer to home. There’s more to Spain than its golden beaches – go off the beaten track to discover cobbled old town lanes and UNESCO-listed nature reserves. Over in Greece, you’ll find an island for every vibe and budget.

Fu rther afield, Bali and Thailand are excellent choices if you’re after amazing diversity and value (and food). In the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, going all-inclusive is a thrifty route to take. Kuramathi is one of the Maldives’ most popular resorts and its Select All Inclusive package is one of the best around.

Be flexible with your dates

If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you could benefit from flight and accommodation deals beyond the standard Sunday fortnightly departure.

Create a gift list

The extras

It’s not often in life that you get to feel like a VIP, but that’s exactly how you should feel on your honeymoon. The likelihood of being bumped up to first class at the boarding gate is sadly very slim these days, so to avoid disappointment, leave it with us. We’ve spent time building relationships with airlines, resorts, cruise lines and tour operators around the world, so we’ll work with them to try and bag you special extras wherever possible –from luxury upgrades to complimentary spa treatments in-resort.

What else to consider

Beyond the big decisions like when and where to go on your honeymoon, there are loads of little things to think about, such as the extras that make it memorable and the practical stuff that makes it all run smoothly. Things like having photocopies of important documents, lightweight clothes in your hand luggage for when you arrive in a hot climate, some spare change of local currency in your pocket, depending on where you’re headed.

Your wedding guests can give you the best gift of all: your first adventure together as newlyweds (it beats a gravy boat). Our gift list service can be a huge help to lower the cost of your honeymoon, and it’s really easy to set up online once you’ve booked. We’ll even send you some announcement cards that you can pop into your wedding invites to let guests know how they can contribute.

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