"On Behalf of the Bride" - Finding Your Perfect Honeymoon Destination

A lot of couples get so carried away with planning their wedding that they forget about their honeymoon! Don't put it off! Your honeymoon is a time to relax and celebrate being a newly married couple, so be sure to start thinking about where you might want to go about a year to 8 months prior to the wedding.

My fiancé and I decided to start the process independently. We both came up with a list of our top five destinations and reasons why we wanted to go there. After a month of research on our own we agreed to sit down together and talk about what we had found and start narrowing down our options.

Here are some questions that really helped me:

• Where have you always dreamt of going? Try to pick a place you and your fiancé have never been before. Trying new things/activities and going to new places together for the first time increases your level of bonding and a "we're in this together" attitude.
• How do I want to feel after our wedding?
• Find out what type of traveler you are. Do you seek adventure or relaxation? Or both?
• Do I want to be in a warmer climate or colder climate? This is important to keep in mind if you’re getting married during the winter months like me.
•  Are you willing to spend a day or two for travel or would you prefer a shorter fight? Traveling will take away from the time you have in the destination, so also ask yourself if it is worth the time. And how much time can we take off work?
• How much can we spend?
• Once you get there do you want everything within walking distance or are you willing to brave the new city and rent a car or take public transportation?
• Are you a DIY vacationer? Meaning you like to make your own fun and plan your own activities. As opposed to say, someone that loves all-inclusive options or cruising where all of the amenities, food, and activities are planned for you.
• Are you ok with a language barrier? Time change? Different currency?
• Do you have a passport? It takes a few months to get one if not, so keep that in mind!
• Do you want to stay in one hotel/resort, or do you want to go to more than one place?
• Any natural disaster threats? Like a hurricane! And does your resort or hotel of choice provide insurance in the event of a hurricane?

And my last bit of advice would be to get traveler's insurance! It is fairly inexpensive and totally worth it. You never know what might come up and cause your plans to change.