A honeymoon is supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but not everyone has the budget to splurge on every aspect of it. The trick is to prioritise certain areas, such as memorable experiences, and find ways to make other parts cheaper.
Spending quality time together and making memories are the most important legacies of any honeymoon and couples should not have to continue paying for it well into their married lives.
Go all inclusive
Opting to have an all inclusive holiday with Cosmos as your honeymoon is a great idea as the majority of your spending will be covered within the price. This includes meals, drinks and entertainment.
You can splash out on added extras for special excursions or a romantic meal away from the hotel safe in the knowledge that everything else has already been paid for. This is a good approach for those couples who find it difficult to budget while they are away and only count the pennies when they return.
Go out of season
When you plan your honeymoon often depends on the date of your wedding, but going away outside of the usual peak times can mean your money goes a lot further. Check that the weather will still be good in your chosen destination, but if waiting a few weeks after the nuptials saves you cash it can be well worth it.
This option also gives couples something to look forward to when the post-wedding blues set in. Many people also find that they are afforded more privacy as fewer tourists are around out of season, which is an added bonus when you are honeymooning.
Tell people you are on your honeymoon
It may sound a little cheesy, but telling people that you are on your honeymoon can make your budget go further. Everyone enjoys a love story and airport and hotel staff can often upgrade couples at their discretion, so it is worth mentioning.
Look out for deals and passes to attractions
Some couples decide to spend most of their honeymoon at the beach while others like to visit the local sights. Depending on what type of trip you are having, think about investing in a pass to multiple attractions.
This is only cost effective if you intend to spend a substantial amount of time in museums, palaces and galleries. Many of the big cities across the world offer passes or cards for entry into a wide range of tourist spots. This can save you around ten per cent or even more in the long run.
Embrace what is free
There are often plenty of wonderful things to do in honeymoon destinations for free, such as taking romantic strolls or heading to natural waterfalls. Just because you haven’t paid to do it doesn’t mean it won’t provide a valuable memory.
Some attractions are also free so find out what they are before forking out for the paid ones, as they are often just as good.
Wedding presents
If there are some areas of your honeymoon that you are dead set on and simply cannot do without then think about the option of making them wedding presents. Guests often want to buy a gift and many couples these days often have the items they need for married life long before they tie the knot.
There are some innovative approaches to this with some couples creating a list of the ‘experiences’ they wish to have on their honeymoon and working out how much they will cost. Wedding guests can then select which they would like to buy for the couple.
These can vary from cocktails in a special location or a helicopter ride over a spectacular tourist attraction. Then when you are enjoying the experience you can thank the people closest to you for helping to provide it.