Category — Honeymoon

mary-lynn on flickr

Planning your honeymoon can be so much fun!  More fun than planning the wedding, sometimes…or so I hear.

Your honeymoon is the light at the end of the (somewhat stressful) tunnel of planning your wedding.

But how do you know where to do?  Which are the best honeymoon destinations?  Where should you stay?  What should you do?

Can you really trust your travel agent?

Enter these new free websites for planning the best honeymoon.

Tripsay - A free social travel network.  You tell Tripsay where you’ve been and what you like, then it automatically recommends destinations for you to check out.  You can link up with other travelers like you and read their real, unbiased reviews.  And it’s free!

Trip Advisor - Browse reviews and recommendations from travelers across the world.  Learn the most popular destinations and top island travels spots.  Trip ideas as well as restaurant and hotel reviews.

Fly - A totally simple search engine that makes it easy to compare flights from multiple sources.

When planning your honeymoon, remember this advice I keep harping on:

Consider the source. Ask yourself, “What’s in it for THEM?”

I can tell you which honeymoon destinations are paying the biggest commissions to travel agents…without talking to a single one…just by asking my couples where they plan to go.

One year it was Riviera Maya Mexico.  Then it was St. Lucia.

All these couples were headed for the same honeymoon.  Was it because they had the same taste in vacations?  Because they were irresistibly drawn to the same locations by some magical force?

NO.  Those travel agents were steering them in the direction they wanted them to go.

Use your head.  Do your research.  Plan the honeymoon of your dreams.

What’s your dream honeymoon?  Leave me a comment.

Ryan Ward

Is your FI becoming a…GROOMZILLA?

All is not lost.  Your wedding-obsessed guy might just win you a free honeymoon.

Check out The Great Groomzilla Search.  Just make a short video of your Groomzilla showing himself in all his wedding control-freak glory and you could win…

First Prize -A 4 Day/3 Night stay at one of 12 luxury Sandals hotels

Second Prize - $1500

Third Prize - $1000

What have you got to lose?  HURRY - Contest ends April 17, 2009.

You might find yourself wishing you had a Groomzilla.  At least he’d be involved!

How do you get your groom involved?

Well, there’s a difference between having an involved groom and a “groom on assignment.”

I run into the “groom on assignment” all the time.  He’s calls up and gives me his wedding date and wants to set an appointment.  But when I ask him even the most basic question about the day he says, “Uh, I’ll have to ask my fiancee.  She’s really in charge of the planning.”

That groom is NOT involved.  He’s an errand boy.

If you really want him involved, ask your guy which part of the wedding process he’d like to help with.  Then let him take charge of it.  Really.

The last thing you need is another thing on your list you have to “delegate” and then check up on…and nag about…to make sure it gets done.

Let your groom be in charge of it and let him run with the ball.

If you don’t quite trust your groom’s sense of style (his idea of “decorating” is popcorn balls and beer tabs on a string) let him do the legwork for you and then make the decisions together.

Do you have a bonafide Groomzilla on your hands?  Leave me a comment.

Caribbean honeymoons are available at a steal.  Right now, Caribbean resorts are slashing prices: beach front rooms starting at only $78 a night, 5 night cruises for under $250.

How do you scap up this killer honeymoon travel deals?  Check out this article on Affordable Caribbean destinations.  It lays out the best deals for all your top Caribbean destinations…where to stay, where to eat, affordable activities, the best discount shopping, and the most beautiful free beaches.

My husband and I went on a Caribbean cruise way back in ‘99 and it was one of the best vacations of my life.  Aruba was HOT, but all its beaches are public and free.  We went bicycling on St. Thomas.

I’m staring at a photo of us looking over the gorgeous view of Magen’s Bay right now.  *sigh*

So take advantage of these fabulous Caribbean honeymoon travel deals for both of us, would ya?

Make sure you check out the Big 3 Travel Discounters: Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz.  All of them are offering deals on Caribbean cruises, honeymoon inclusive, and packages so deeply discounted that they are usually seen only during the off season.

These honeymoon destinations are hurting because of the down economy…which means a wedding discount for you.

Don’t forget to advertise your honeymoon status.  This can translate to additional freebies and discounts on your hotel accommodations and tourist packages.

More ways to make your wedding inexpensive…and still have the wedding of your dreams…in my eBook and free report.

Passports - Photo by J Aaron Farr

With the changes in national and international security over the past few years, passports are now required for most of your travel destinations.  Even Mexico, which used to require only a driver’s license and birth certificate, now requires a passport ID for travel.

Most bridal mags and websites warn you to allow up to 3 MONTHS for your passport application process.  You can get all the information you need on getting a passport, how long the application process currently takes (it varies anywhere from 3-10 weeks) and everything you need to submit your application online at the US Department of State travel site.

But don’t make this critical mistake that almost led to a honeymoon disaster for one bride…

Danielle is a smart, savvy bride.  She already had a passport that was valid until February 2009, so she thought she was all set for her November 2008 honeymoon to Italy.

Little did she know that Italy requires that your passport be valid for 90 days AFTER the date of your return.  If she had tried to board her flight to Italy for their honeymoon with her current valid passport, she would have been turned away, missing her Italian honeymoon.

Fortunately, Danielle was able to put a rush on her passport renewal to meet the requirement, but she wanted to pass this on to you so that you can avoid this honeymoon-killer.

It turns out that some countries require foreign visitors to have a valid passport for anywhere from 90 days to 6 months AFTER their return date.

Make sure you not only check for US passport requirements to make your honeymoon trip–check the passport requirements of the country or countries you’ll be visiting as well.

Thanks for the great info, Danielle!

Check out these helpful articles: 10 Ways To Avoid Honeymoon Disasters and Top 5 Honeymoon Disasters.

Have you narrowly averted honeymoon disaster?  Leave me a comment.