Most young girls dream about getting married in a white ball gown amongst hundreds of family members and friends in a castle or huge church. Growing up, we would act it out by playing dress up with our friends or Barbie Dolls. We were easily influenced by Cinderella and other fairy tales that portrayed weddings as nothing short of extravagant.
For some people this dream becomes a reality, and it’s worthwhile to note that more engaged couples are starting to focus more on their finances towards something other than their big day: the honeymoon!
It’s Not Selfish
Some of you are probably thinking that it’s greedy to spend more on a big honeymoon instead of a special wedding service that includes all your friends and extended family. This is an appropriate concern to have, but keep in mind that marriage is a promise between you and your fiancé, which doesn’t need to be displayed by spending $28,000.
Simply weigh the costs: go into staggering debt to show the world your binding legal agreement, or spend less to go on a dream vacation and create everlasting memories?
Some Alternatives
However, choosing to focus on the honeymoon doesn’t mean you should forget about the wedding ceremony. Celebrating this life event with friends and family is exciting, and it’s wonderful to have those closest to you there to witness it. Here are some ideas to help you cut down on overall wedding cost:
- Host a backyard ceremony to escape high venue prices.
- Create a honeymoon registry so family and friends can directly contribute to your vacation.
- Invite less people to your wedding. This will give you more time to socialize and it’ll be less stressful to plan a smaller get-together.
- While it feels great to look beautiful in an expensive dress, keep in mind that you’re only wearing it once. Take your time to shop sales and find a cheaper option.
- Instead of hiring an expensive caterer, try making the food yourself. You could even go for a potluck style by asking your guests to bring a dish to contribute.
- Having pictures from your wedding is important but very expensive. Take a chance and hire an amateur photographer; you could be pleasantly surprised!
- Start a budget and savings fund for your wedding and honeymoon. Waiting a year or so to have the ceremony will allow you to save up and avoid going into debt.
- Consider a destination wedding, which allows you to combine both your wedding and honeymoon into a single trip. Guest lists are typically short, and it’s not unnecessary to ask your guests to pay for their own trip expenses. Be sure to give plenty of warning time so people can budget and save money!
Planning the Honeymoon
Making honeymoon plans is exciting and less stressful than organizing the wedding itself. With the world at your fingertips, you have the power to forge an extraordinary adventure!
Start by deciding what kind of climate you desire. Do you prefer to explore the wilderness and stay in hostels or is an all-inclusive resort more appealing? Budget is a huge factor here, so if you’re trying to travel cheap, destinations like Thailand, Mexico, Ireland, Brazil, Nicaragua, and the California coast are great options. If you have more money to spend, hiring a travel agent makes planning simple and stress-free.
In case this is your first time traveling outside your home country, look into some honeymoon travel tips to avoid any mishaps along the way. It’s also worth it to research your honeymoon destination through travel blogs and forums to get insider advice and discover unique attractions and activities.
Dreams to Reality
Create a vision for your dream vacation with your loved one. Discuss what you want to experience both individually and together to create a cohesively planned honeymoon. You’re forging memories that will last a lifetime; have fun with it and enjoy the adventures that will launch you into a beautiful marriage together!
