Just recently, we published an article about how to plan and book a migration honeymoon, which involves watching amazing animal migrations around the world, often in Africa. A new trend in the honeymoon industry is seeing couples shy away from traditional honeymoons in favor of something more culturally sound. And there are plenty of other types of honeymoons, too: beach honeymoons, adventure honeymoons, and even road trip honeymoons, among others.
But regardless of what type of honeymoon you’re after, there’s one bigger question couples have to ask themselves: how can we afford it? Fortunately, there are several solutions. Here’s a few ways you can save up for your honeymoon:
Use a Honeymoon Registry
A honeymoon registry works just like a wedding registry. With a honeymoon registry, your guests can donate money towards your dream honeymoon, rather than buying you a standard gift. Think of it like crowdsourcing your post-wedding vacation. You can set up your honeymoon registry in a way that makes your friends and family feel like major contributors to your overall honeymoon experience.
For example, they can donate to specific areas of the honeymoon, like a candlelit dinner date, a hotel room, airfare, and even optional excursions. While the core foundation of all honeymoon registries is the same (people contribute to the cost), each registry is different from one another, and you should check out all of them to see what works for you depending on your needs. Here are a few registry options:
Sell Unwanted Items
Unless you’re living in a very minimalistic way, there’s likely plenty of things you can get rid of in your home. Were you a bridesmaid and no longer want your dress taking up space in your closet? Perhaps it’s time to get rid of it. Did you get into an accident and haven’t been able to fix it? You can actually sell a crashed car. Are there loads of shoes underneath your bed? There are plenty of ways to turn them into cash.
There are several ways you can approach selling unwanted items. If you have a local second hand store, like Buffalo Exchange, you can take in your items and sell it to them. They usually purchase for a fraction of the price they sell it for. While you may not get the most money for your items, it’s an easy way to get rid of bulk items quickly.
The other option is to list your items on applications like Letgo and Poshmark. These online marketplaces make it easy for people all over the world to discover products like yours. Be sure to take a look at similar items to see what they’re selling for what descriptions the seller is using—especially if they’re a high-rated seller with experience.
Work With a Travel Agent
Working with a travel agent may seem counterproductive when it comes to saving for a honeymoon, but the truth is, there are many benefits to speaking with a travel agent. First and foremost, travel agents know all the tricks of the trade, and are privy to the ins and outs of the travel industry. Because, of this, they’ve built up strong relationships with vendors all around the world. Not only can they get competitive prices that you won’t find online, but because of their personal relationships with hotels, restaurants, and tour companies, they’ll also ensure you get the best treatment.
Lastly, they take a huge load off your plate. After you’ve spent months planning a wedding, planning a honeymoon might feel like another strenuous task on your never-ending to-do list. Time is money, and travel agents certainly save you a lot of it. Simply tell the travel agent everything you’re looking for in an ideal honeymoon, and they’ll come up with viable options for you, so you can forget about hours and hours of independent research.
Consider an Off-Season Location
If you’re flexible with your honeymoon plans, you should consider an off-season or shoulder season location. During this time of the year, prices are much cheaper because less people are coming in. And when a location has less people, it becomes more intimate and peaceful for you and your spouse.
Keep in mind that just because something is off-season doesn’t mean there will be bad weather. There are many locations, like the Caribbean, that have temperate weather throughout the year. The reason why they’re more expensive during “high season” doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with weather—this may be because they’re more popular with travelers during that specific time of the year. For example, the winter is a popular time for people to go to the Caribbean because they want to get away from cold weather back home.