How to plan your dream honeymoon on a budget

While everyone tends to believe that a honeymoon is a time for luxury, relaxation, and a little lavish spending, not all brides and grooms can afford to go all out after hosting a huge bash for their family and friends. Not only are wedding costs rough, but couples are marrying later in life and have added financial burdens. But that doesn’t mean the honeymoon should be skimped on.

There are amazing honeymoons to be had in every price range. Don’t overspend and start your marriage off in debt. This will be the first of many vacations together, so keep something in the piggy bank for that first-anniversary trip.

Here are some tips for planning a honeymoon to remember that won’t break the bank.

Plan first

Couples should sit down together and discuss certain key factors in what they want for their honeymoon. From lounging and drinking a cocktail out of a coconut on the beach to exploring a bustling new city, couples need to figure out what is the most important for them.

Make a list of must-see and must-do activities so you can factor them into your budget. At the planning stage, couples should also create a budget. Know your priorities. Selecting what is most important to you and your fiancé will help shape the next steps.

Be realistic

While experts urge couples to pay attention and be considerate of their budgets, they say they must also be realistic about out of pocket costs.

It is important to factor in some spending money for a splurge or two, just in case.

It’s all about free stuff (and discounts!)

Once you’ve decided on a destination, the time comes to put in some extra research. Ask about free activities or discounts and make sure to double-check that the activities you want to try do not include any of those aforementioned hidden fees.

If you are planning a honeymoon at an all-inclusive resort, the included activities will vary from resort to resort. Some resorts will include motorized watersports and/or resort credits to be used towards off-property sightseeing.

Tap into the local culture

Venturing out of your hotel or resort area for food can result in huge savings, which can then be put towards other experiences.

A lot of times, the restaurants at hotels and resorts can be very expensive. Ask the locals for some restaurant recommendations based on what you want to eat. Sometimes they may tell you about a hole in the wall place that has some of the best food you will ever eat and it can cost less than half of what you would spend at a resort.

Ask previous travellers

Many people use their honeymoons to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no matter what the budget. So make sure you have the trip you dream of by not only doing your research but by asking someone who has been there before.

Find someone you trust that has been where you want to go and ask them questions about their experience, budget, spending money and things they may have stumbled on that ended up being great experiences.

Enjoy yourself

Couples who are conscious of their budgets and have all the necessary plans in place must remember to kick back and enjoy themselves. However, if there is an activity that wasn’t planned or a special purchase to be made on a whim, just do it.

It’s your honeymoon, try not to make it all about the money.