How to plan your heartfelt honeymoon

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After experiencing the stress of wedding planning and a range of emotions on your big day, your honeymoon should provide a chance to take a breath, celebrate your marriage and look forward to a lifetime of love. But where will you go and what will you do? The Register consulted the expertise of First Coast luxury travel advisor Maria Poole with Maria Poole Travel to help you plan your ultimate post-wedding vacation.

Consider a few questions first

When Poole works with honeymooners, she typically asks a series of questions first to determine which location and experience would be best for each respective couple. Consider these questions typically asked by Poole to jumpstart your honeymoon planning process.

How do you see your honeymoon?

Do you want to simply relax, eat and drink, and take naps? Or do you want to be super active and have each day planned?

How do you see your outfits? What do you want your pictures to look like?

What do you want to pack?

How long do you want your honeymoon to be? Poole recommends seven days minimum…

What’s your budget?

What do you want to feel or have experienced by the time you return home?

Determine your experience

According to Poole, today’s honeymooners head to Instagram and/or Pinterest to search for one-of-a-kind experiences for their dream getaways. 

“They desire a deeper level of personalization with their honeymoon,” Poole says. “They want every detail personalized. The right hotel, the best table at a hot restaurant. They want somewhere no one is talking about, yet.”

What does that mean for you? Here are a few ideas from Poole to get you dreaming.

Culinary classic — Take a few cooking classes, visit some wineries and eat with locals. This is the foodie’s top choice for sure!

Bless your body — Spoil yourself at the spa, hike the hills or set sail on a sunny day. The body is your oyster!

Me to we — Instead of the experience being about you, Poole says some honeymooners are deciding to take a trip that allows them to volunteer and give back to the community. 

Spiritual setting — Become even closer with your spouse by exploring deeper into your spiritual sense and/or faith.

Traditional Trip — In no way is traditional boring or bad, if that’s your thing. Head to an all-inclusive hotel or resort at the beach, sink your feet in the sand and eat and drink until your heart is content. 

Find the right honeymoon hotspot for you

So now that you have conducted some self-reflection and established what’s most important for you, it’s time to decide on the location of your honeymoon. 

According to Poole, traditional honeymooners seeking that romantic getaway are still heading to the always-popular Caribbean for an all-inclusive experience. Italy, Greece, Cabo, Hawaii and France are other top choices predicted for 2019, she says. Becoming more and more popular, Poole says, are exotic locations such as over the water bungalows in Indonesia and the Maldives, which Poole says is another top choice for 2019. 

For her adventure travelers, Poole says honeymooners are choosing Japan, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal and Egypt. Safaris in Africa or also becoming big, she says, as well as similar experiential honeymoons, such as visiting an all-inclusive ranch in Montana.  

Whatever you decide to do and wherever you decide to go, your honeymoon will be your version of perfect, and mark your beginning of forever with that special someone. Enjoy! 

Maria Poole Travel is a Virtuoso Member and Odyssey Travel Affiliate. Visit https://mariapooletravel.com/ for more information.