Truly, is there any trip-planning experience with more at stake than your honeymoon? Ask any newlywed drunk on nerves and excitement and they’ll likely say no.
But why? What dark magic summons the clouds of anxiety over a trip that is meant to embody love, connection, and celebration? It’s not as though you’re a pair of diplomats travelling abroad to broker a peace deal.
The truth is, as with most things, your anxiety is unfounded, a nagging voice you can silence with the right approach. But what is the right approach? Perhaps you’ve got your heart set on a sailing honeymoon, departing from our very own Brighton Savoy Hotel and out of Port Melbourne in one of the finest luxury catamarans. And after that, your plans seem as vast and unknown as the deep, blue ocean itself. Well, we’re here to help.
Here’s a brief but helpful guide about what to consider on your Brighton sailing adventure, and methods you can use to take all the stress out of planning your honeymoon.
Do it together
By now, you probably know which of you is happy to make the plans and which of you is happy to follow them. No doubt this arrangement works. For your honeymoon, though, you should plan things together, regardless of whether this is your first extended trip or your fiftieth. After all, a honeymoon should celebrate you both; for this reason alone, the planning demands equal investment.
By planning your honeymoon together, you’ll also be able to align your expectations, which is vital if you want the trip to run as smoothly as possible. Consider how much time you want to spend on the water, versus how much time you want to spend on dry land. Do you want to remain in the Brighton or wider Victoria area, or will you set sail for a totally different destination? Are you going to hire a skipper, a full team to travel on-board with you, or are you confident and competent enough to man the sails yourselves?
Leave the storms to the open seas, and take shelter in your ability to work together to make these decisions.
Set that budget
Let’s face it: no one gets excited about setting a holiday budget. But if you don’t set it, and set it early, you run the risk of blowing it wide open without even realising. And the last thing you want is to come home with debt you weren’t expecting – especially after footing the bill for a wedding!
The important thing to remember when setting a budget is to keep things simple. Break your honeymoon into its main categories — your vessel, accommodation when you decide to anchor, food, and entertainment — and give yourself a rough figure for each. That way, you know your limitations and can build your honeymoon trip itinerary around them.
The trick here is to allow yourselves a little more for each category. Doing so will give you the flexibility to be spontaneous if the occasion strikes. And spontaneity is often the gold dust you need to make your honeymoon unforgettable.
Use your experience
For most, a honeymoon is a unique experience to enjoy once in your life. But it’s important to keep in mind that the planning of a honeymoon doesn’t need to be too different from any other trip you plan. This means that if you and your partner have travelled together in the past, you should be comfortable drawing on all the knowledge you gained the last time you ventured out into the world as a travelling duo.
From the planning timeframe to putting the finishing touches on your itinerary, to knowing the best time of year to visit the places you have in mind, all that past admin from trips gone by will undoubtedly help inform the planning of your sailing honeymoon. That’s the beauty of travelling; the more you do it, the more it enriches your next adventure.
Get your hustle on
Don’t ask, don’t get. How often in life have you heard these words? No doubt, the number is beyond counting. The point is, that it’s a universal truth that should be embraced, not ignored. Especially when it comes to planning your honeymoon. You never know what honeymoon specials you might find if you don’t ask.
What you can gain from asking about honeymoon deals and getting your hustle on will likely depend on where you want to go and what you want to do during your time away together. But if you both have your hearts set on a romantic island or inlet that’s already popular with newlyweds, you might be pleasantly surprised by the deals made available to you
Surprise each other
Speaking of surprises, another lovely touch you can add to your honeymoon is to plan a surprise for each other. How grand or intricate you make this little surprise is up to you; the vital detail is that your other half knows nothing of your plan.
If you’re looking to surprise your partner with a honeymoon that’s grander than they anticipated, or a catamaran that’s more luxurious than they’d ever imagined, then remember that it’s your honeymoon too. In other words, don’t get too weighed down trying to plan the ultimate surprise. It’s the gesture that’s most important here, and a lasting reminder of the value of bringing positive surprises into your marriage.
If the act of planning a surprise grows too stressful to bear on your own, your partner would likely want you to take a step back. Just have fun with it, and let the anticipation of seeing their reaction to this sentiment be what drives you.
What’s the rush?
Honeymoons traditionally happen in the weeks following your wedding, but who says you need to bow to tradition? You’ve already given each other a sacred vow and the future is yours to build as you please. Tradition aside, the reason it’s good to give yourselves some space between your wedding and your honeymoon is that your wedding will demand a lot of emotional energy. And the last thing you want to feel on your honeymoon is drained, even if for the best reasons.
If you give yourselves time to rest and process, you’ll have the right amount of energy to plan—and more importantly, enjoy—your honeymoon. So, what’s the rush?
As you may have gleaned from the advice provided here, there really are no rules to your honeymoon planning process. Do what feels right to you at all times.
Ask married friends for advice, ask single friends for advice. It doesn’t matter. Just be patient and thorough, and let instinct guide your route. If you approach it this way, you’ll find yourself in a good headspace with a watertight plan in your hands. Good luck on setting sail on your Brighton adventure, and your life together as newly-weds!