So are cheap honeymoons possible? Absolutely, in these cost conscious times we all strive for ways of saving money on our wedding costs. This can be done without sacrificing a once in a lifetime honeymoon. In this article I intend to show you that a cheap but unique and beautiful honeymoon is possible on a budget. I will also show you how you can go about achieving your affordable honeymoon.
Ok, so where do you start when trying to achieve affordable honeymoons? Simply follow my pointers and then decide which ones you can implement to help keep your costs down.
1. Consider your budget - your initial budget will dictate how much you have to spend on your honeymoon, so the sooner you get the budget sorted the sooner you will be able to plan everything else, including your cheap honeymoon ideas. It's important to be realistic - that seven star resort in Dubai would be lovely, but if it's going to blow the budget it's a non-starter. If you have champagne tastes on a sparkling wine budget, then read on...
2. Start early - if you want the best honeymoon travel deals, it will involve quite a bit of research and time, so the earlier you start the better. Besides, if you start early you will not feel rushed into accepting the first "deal" you come across.
Within every budget no matter how large or small, there are ways of reducing the cost of your honeymoon and I have shown a few below. There are numerous ways to save money when booking your honeymoon. It is not possible to list them all in a single article; however I have detailed some of the more popular methods below.
•Combine the honeymoon and wedding service - getting married at your honeymoon location tends to be more cost-effective for couples who are intending to only have a small wedding as the cost of getting lots guests to the venue can negate the savings. This method can help reduce costs as you only have to pay for one venue and as you will likely be having fewer guests it also reduces your catering costs (normally one of the largest costs of a wedding). Additionally the honeymoon venues normally offer wedding planners to help sort out the legalities and photographers, flowers etc. (which can also help reduce your stress levels!).
•Choose affordable honeymoon destinations - if you choose your honeymoon destination carefully you will be able to reduce your costs. Choose destinations where you will not have to spend much once you get there i.e. all inclusive honeymoon packages or destinations where the cost of living is low. Always consider all your potential costs including excursions, food, tips, car hire and activities (waterskiing, sailing etc). There are many destinations where you may have to spend a little more to get there but, once there the costs are minimal!
•Use budget airlines - potentially, one of the largest expenses of your honeymoon is the cost of air travel. If you choose one of the honeymoon destinations that is served by the many budget airlines and if you book early you can potentially save a lot of money.
•Change the details of your honeymoon - consider reducing the star rating of your hotel. Four or five-star hotels are great, but realistically most of the time you will only be sleeping in the hotel. If your heart is set on one of the top honeymoon locations and you reduce from a five-star hotel to a three-star hotel you will still get the beautiful surroundings, but at a better rate. Alternatively, consider going room only, or bed and breakfast (but make sure to research the cost of eating out in the area first).
•If you are on a very tight budget - you could consider staying locally. If you are anything like me, you probably haven't taken time to explore the areas close to home. With a little research you should be able to find a beautiful local hotel or bed and breakfast that offers good value without the cost of international air travel. Plus if you are flexible and can go at certain times you should be able to get a good discount. (Always tell them you are on honeymoon as you will likely get some sort of "freebie" thrown in).
•Have a "mini-moon" - having spent a considerable amount on their weddings, more couples in these cost conscious times are opting to go away for a weekend or short break for their honeymoon. You can always save the big holiday for a future anniversary, when you won't have just paid for a wedding!
As with all the other aspects of your wedding day, with a little thought, there are lots of different ways of reducing the cost of your honeymoon. The earlier you start the easier it will be. Try to think laterally and do your research, there is always a way of reducing your honeymoon costs. Sometimes you just need a little nudge in the right direction.
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Helen in the owner of my-cheap-wedding.co.uk a wedding advise website in which she provides tips and articles designed to help brides save money on all aspects of their wedding plans.
She offers more tips for saving money on your honeymoon at http://www.my-cheap-wedding.co.uk/cheap-honeymoons.html
She also offers a free downloadable wedding planner, table planner and a tool to manage your guest invites and presents. You can get them at http://www.my-cheap-wedding.co.uk/cheap-wedding-gems.html simply sign up for her free monthly wedding ezine which will allow you to automatically keep up to date with all her latest cheap wedding tips and articles.
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