What You Need to Know About Honeymoon Planning
You may be a wedding planner, but don’t be surprised if your clients approach you to plan more than just their matrimonial ceremony. When everyone talks about marriage celebrations, it’s often believed that all the stresses come to a climax at the wedding and then the bride and groom can just mentally check-out as they go on a relaxing vacation. While it’s true that the majority of the work and planning goes towards the actual wedding ceremony, that doesn’t mean that honeymoon planning doesn’t have its fair share of worries.
When people think about their honeymoon, they often have a specific dream destination in mind. It’s your clients’ first adventure after getting married, so the expectations are high. How can you turn their dream into a reality? Read on to find out!
Plan ahead
Just like with weddings, the earlier the planning process begins, the better. It gives you more time to shop prices and do your research. Hurdles are bound to come your way, so having some extra time will allow you to come up with the best solution. You may even need to do a 360 and scrap your plans if your clients suddenly decide that spending two weeks scaling the side of Mount Everest isn’t for them.
You should start doing some research around 6 months (or even earlier if you’re an eager beaver) before your clients get married. If you know that you’re planning the honeymoon at the get-go, there’s no reason why you can’t have a short discussion about it during the initial client consultation. If it’s not the first time you’ve planned a honeymoon, you may even be able to gauge how realistic their expectations are and plan accordingly.
Budgeting
If you’re planning the honeymoon, odds are, you’re also planning their wedding. One of the first things you’ll discuss with your client is the budget. While some couples opt to create the budget themselves, oftentimes you’ll be brought in to help out. You’ll know how much everything costs and to see if everything they want is possible. Of course it’s impossible to see how much everything will cost. The budget should not be set in stone, and there should be some extra, unallocated money in the budget that can be used in a pinch.
If you know about the honeymoon planning ahead of time, make sure that there is an adequate amount of money to spread between the two events. The worst thing you can do is to go above and beyond to appease your clients by throwing an extra-extravagant wedding, only to cheap out on the honeymoon by booking a 2-star hotel.
Consider both clients
You’ll likely receive more input about the wedding from one partner over the other, but you shouldn’t tailor the wedding to the tastes of just one half of the couple. While nobody would consider the honeymoon to be a huge milestone for the just-married (how can it compete with the wedding just before it?), the couple’s first trip together in celebration of their marriage should be perfect for the both of them.
Take the time to consult with both partners. Make sure that you communicate with them about every aspect of the trip AND ensure that they are communicating with each other. The planning process will be long and possibly grueling. Last-minute changes and additions should be expected, so make sure that you’re always getting their thumbs-up, every step of the way.
Travel agents
Even if you’re an expert on destination weddings, you may still benefit from partnering up with a travel agent to plan a honeymoon. Travel agents cultivate strong relationships with key people in the travel industry all over the world. From hotels to airlines, having a travel agent in your back pocket is a huge blessing—especially since you’re probably only familiar with navigating your region’s wedding industry. They also have a strong knowledge of the local tourism scene and customs, and can definitely you’re your clients up with some steep discounts!
Special considerations
Check with the embassy
Sometimes the honeymoon destination of your clients’ dreams isn’t feasible. Maybe the country has turned into a conflict zone, or maybe it’s experiencing a recent disease outbreak. It’s important to consider these factors before booking flights and making extended plans.
Travel insurance
Any number of things can happen overseas, but one of the biggest concerns is cancellation due to natural disasters. Trips to tropical destinations can be cut short because these places are prone to natural disasters like hurricanes. As you would with a wedding, make sure that you have a back-up plan. Encouraging your clients to purchase travel insurance will make sure that even if their trip gets derailed, they can put all their resources to another trip that will be just as incredible.
