Sometimes you just have to wonder how anyone did it – how did couples plan amazing exotic adventures for their honeymoon without the benefit of Google and the vast assortment of
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cheap travel websites now available to consumers? Those of us who remember those days admit it was a dark time, and the rest of us can live blissfully unfamiliar with the many challenges to efficiency that came along with making phone calls and attending in-person appointments at the local travel agency.
Honeymoon planning is so much more accessible to couples (of all ages!) today. These are a few reasons you can be grateful that your honeymoon can be planned online:
- Great Access to Great Deals: Couples can now plan using powerful search engines and apps dedicated to finding the best available deals that meet their exact criteria. These features can allow couples to save thousands on dream honeymoons – money that can certainly be redirected toward wedding events or establishing a new home.
- Helpful Reviews: The widespread availability of quality, generally reliable, reviews has revolutionized the shopping experience for just about every known product and service. Read every first-hand account you can about your destination, hotel, transportation, activities and investment. Be a cautious consumer. Don’t be swayed by unreliable reviews. Instead, look for an abundance of support for your choices, or an alternative if your first one seems like it won’t
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live up to expectations.
- Honeymoon Funds: Couples who already have two established homes generally don’t need another toaster or an expensive setting of fine china. Your guests can help you celebrate your union by contributing money to a honeymoon fund (like HoneyFund) instead of traditional gifts. Choose a fund that can be used with your favorite providers and on your perfect escape.
- Professional Agents are Still Here to Help: One myth worth dispelling about honeymoon planning online is that you are on your own with nothing but your ability to search as your guide. Professional travel agents still very much exist, although their roles and methods have changed a bit. When you are ready to start looking for your ideal trip, seek out one of the many travel websites that offer a live agent option and entrust one with your worst fears and greatest honeymoon ambitions.
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Warnings
There are some mistakes that are more common when reserving a honeymoon online. Avoid these pitfalls for the best possible experience:
- Poor Quality Reviews: Not all reviews are created equally, so look for patterns of concern or happiness and evidence that the travel provider addressed anything that might have gone wrong. Reject both “too good to be true” reviews as well as those that are too harshly critical. The truth is likely somewhere in between.
- Read the Fine Print: Wedding brain does strike early, so before you commit to anything final, read and re-read your documents and make sure the dates, times and locations all make complete sense. Let’s just say you wouldn’t be the first couple to accidentally book your honeymoon to begin the day before the wedding…
- The Name Game: Changing your name when you get married? Book your travel in the last name that will be legal and documented at the time you leave on a trip. That may be your maiden name, so plan accordingly.
Don’t be shy – click your way to the perfect post-wedding escape!
What locations have you been eyeing for your honeymoon? We want to know!