All your Wedding needs
11 April 2008
Did you know that the word honeymoon didn't always refer to a couple's brief sojourn after their nuptials, but instead referred to the month after the wedding where the bride's father had to supply the groom with mead, an alcoholic beverage made of honey? If that's all it had remained, that would probably cost Dad around $400 averaging a bottle per night. Good luck trying to have a decent honeymoon on that small amount. Still, honeymoons do not necessarily have to put you too far out of pocket, as there are a few simple things you can do to keep honeymoon costs down.
Use the right credit card leading up to the wedding
If you don't already have a credit card with a reward program, then leading up to the wedding is the time to get one. Reward points can quite often be redeemed for holiday related expenses and luxuries, and they can be earned with a wide variety of purchases. If you do all your regular shopping at the right places, and use your credit card as an alternative means of purchasing everything, you could earn a substantial amount of reward points to spend on your flights and accommodation costs for your honeymoon.
You could probably even build up reward points on wedding expenses, even if other people are helping you pay for the wedding, just make sure that repayments are made within the interest free period on purchases. Whatever you do, do not use the card as a line of credit, just as an alternative to cash and a way of gaining discounts on your honeymoon expenses. The savings you could have made with reward points could easily be wiped out by interest on wedding costs left on your credit card.
Be flexible
You may have some romantic notions about where you'd like to have your honeymoon, and saying Paris is one very preferable option would probably be a safe bet. Unfortunately, being particular about where you want to go for your honeymoon will almost certainly lead you to spending far more than if you chose to take a trip to a destination offering a good deal. Paris gets so many tourists throughout the year that they are considered a nuisance, with every honeymooner that can afford it seemingly going there. This means you are unlikely to receive special treatment, whereas a destination that is trying to encourage visitors will bend over backwards to make you happy.
You don't necessarily have to take your honeymoon directly after your wedding, either. Sure, it's romantic and relaxing after the stress of a wedding, but if the difference between you having the honeymoon you want and no honeymoon is just a couple of months, then you may as well hold off.
Learn about your indulgences
We aren't talking about the kind of indulgences you had on your hen's night, we're talking about champagne and chocolates and everything else that's good clean fun in moderation. Research the specialties of the region you'll be visiting and how much other luxuries cost there. Armed with knowledge, you will be far less likely to get ripped off, not to mention you'll want to avoid expensive, and often bland, hotel wine lists.
Do not travel to a shopping destination
It can be far too tempting to turn a honeymoon into an excuse for an overseas shopping excursion, but after the expense of a wedding, it's just not advisable. Of course, the financial damage isn't the only mistake of taking a shopping honeymoon, as you'll almost certainly alienate your new hubby. Financial matters are one of the leading causes of arguments amongst couples, so don't kick off the marriage with an excuse to fight.
Please visit our honeymoon pages for more tips on taking a holiday after your wedding.
