Taking an international or even a domestic honeymoon here in Brighton is amongst one of the best ways to celebrate the beginning of marital bliss (and to finally put a full stop to your months and months of wedding planning!). For starters, just spending a week or two away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and only focusing on each other will allow you to commence married life with a breath of fresh air.
However, there are some overlooked complexities when it comes to honeymoon planning that can damper the mood. For instance, it can be all too easy to prioritise your wedding planning to the point where some finer details of your honeymoon plans just never get ironed out.
So what honeymoon to-dos should be on your radar in the leadup to your nuptials? Read on to unearth the 10 things you’re most likely to forget when planning a honeymoon.
1. Travel protection
Whether you’re planning to travel internationally or even within Australia, you will need to make sure you’ve secured suitable travel insurance before you depart. This is essential for ensuring you and your partner maintain access to support in the event that you lose luggage during transit, fall ill during your travels, or experience any other unforeseen circumstances where you’ll require access to emergency service providers and other points of assistance.
Pro tip: you can make your travel insurance even more cost-effective and tailored to your travels by securing location-specific cover. If you’re planning to honeymoon in Ubud, for example, then be sure to get travel insurance for Bali. This location-specific insurance cover is also better positioned to include cover for events that have a higher likelihood of occurring during your trip to this destination.
2. Mobile phone service
Being able to update your loved ones on what’s going on in your honeymoon or just being able to navigate your way back to the hotel in your rental car is a must – but if your mobile service provider doesn’t offer coverage in your location, then you’ll definitely either need to get yourself a local SIM, or a suitable international package.
In most cases, you can purchase a local SIM at the airport upon arrival at your destination, and just use a new number during your time away. Just be sure to keep your home SIM in a secure location, as you definitely don’t want to lose it during your travels and go through all the hassle of organising a replacement SIM with your provider immediately after landing back home.
Pro tip: consider using an eSIM service to avoid having to swap out your existing SIM at the airport.
3. Travel documents
If you and your partner are planning on going overseas for your honeymoon, then you’ll definitely need to make sure you have all of your necessary travel documents ready. This includes making sure your passport is still valid (i.e. that it won’t expire within the next three months).
And if visas are needed, confirm that you have them approved and ready before your arrival at your destination. Some embassies take a bit longer to process visas and there is a very real risk of them getting rejected if you leave them too late, so make sure you apply with enough time to send in another application if need be.
4. Align documents after a name change
Whilst it may be tempting to book all your honeymoon plans under your new last name in anticipation of your wedding day, this may actually complicate your getting through airport security. This is because your flight tickets and any visa applications must all be finalised using the same name in your passport.
If you or your partner have changed your last names after getting married, make sure that your name in your other documents align. You may also opt to apply for a new passport with your married name, but keep in mind that this will take time to process and as such, isn’t ideal for couples who are looking to embark on their honeymoon immediately after their wedding day.
5. Transport to the airport
Organising transport isn’t just a vital component for destination weddings – it’s also essential for the morning after your wedding, if you’re deciding to travel straight from your honeymoon suite to the airport for your honeymoon. After a whole day of getting ready to say your ‘I dos’ and partying the night away, the last thing you’d want to do is orchestrate a mad dash to get to the airport in the morning.
The same goes for if you’re planning a road trip for your honeymoon! You don’t want to start your journey tired, scatter-brained, and – let’s be real – probably hungover. But for those looking to go jetsetting, the added stresses of catching an international flight being tossed into this mix can make the morning after your wedding feel just as frantic as the morning of.
This is why wedding planners always recommend you book your transportation to the airport in advance. That way, you can make sure you’re ready for when your taxi or Uber arrives, hop right in, and get to the airport as scheduled.
6. Adapters for your gadgets
Different types of electrical outlets are the bane of every world traveller, because why does charging your phone need to be so complicated? In Australia, Type I is what we usually use, but in Indonesia, they only use Type C and Type F, while it’s Type J in Switzerland. This means that your current Australian chargers won’t work in other countries, leaving your gadgets at risk of being left unpowered. So research your honeymoon location’s electrical type and prepare the adapters you need well in advance.
Pro tip: instead of buying a dozen different adapters, consider just buying one universal adapter and bringing along an Australian powerboard. That way, you can plug all your devices into just one or two outlets. And don’t forget to take advantage of USB outlets in airports, hotels, and cafes as well.
7. Travel-friendly medicine kit
If you and your partner are on any prescription medications or require any allergy medications like antihistamines, then you’ll need to make sure you’ve prepped yourself a travel-friendly medicine kit that accounts for all the days you’re expecting to be away. Try not to bring more pills than you need, however, as bringing whole bottles of prescription meds along in your luggage may raise some eyebrows at customs and risk the medication being confiscated.
To stay extra safe, you may even add in a few extra first aid items into your travel-sized medicine kit. This can include topical antibacterial creams or sprays, band-aids, and if you’re going somewhere warm, some tropical essentials like sunscreens and bug sprays.
8. Travel-specific toiletries
No doubt, you’ll have plenty of deodorants, make-up supplies, and other toiletry essentials strewn across the bridal suite on the morning of your wedding. It can be very tricky sorting through all these toiletries the morning after, right before you depart for your honeymoon.
This is why alongside pre-packing your luggage and carry-on bags, it’s also recommended that you pack your travel toiletries before your wedding day, and keep these essentials separate from your wedding toiletries if possible. That way, you’ll reduce risks of leaving something behind in the rush out the door the next morning.
9. Copies of bookings and reservations
If you’re travelling during a peak season, then you’ll definitely want to book the activities you want to do with your partner in advance to guarantee that you get to enjoy your honeymoon to the fullest. Booking in advance may also help you better take advantage of limited-time or seasonal deals.
Here, be sure to bring along records of your bookings to avoid risks of lost payment info. Even something as simple as downloading and saving booking receipts as PDF files into your phone can help clear up confusion across booking systems at your destination.
10. Local currency
Though it might seem obvious when it comes to travelling internationally for your honeymoon, it can still be quite common to forget to head to your local currency exchange centre and grab some paper notes before you head off to your destination.
Remember too that exchange rates will need to be taken into account. You may be able to save some serious dollars by setting up a Google alert when exchange rates hit a favourable level, and then heading to your local currency exchange on that day.
Enjoy a Stress-Free Departure with these Honeymoon Planning Tips
Whether it be sipping martinis by the beach or exploring a medieval castle in Europe for your honeymoon, planning is always better done earlier rather than later. This ensures that your honeymoon goes without a hitch.
And yes, sometimes you might forget a thing or two when making honeymoon plans – but there’s no need to worry because this nifty list will surely jog your memory. So consult this guide through your planning process and before you know it, you’ll have made your honeymoon a trip to remember for a lifetime.
