On an otherwise quiet winter’s evening relaxing in front of my parents’ fireplace I noticed Shane seemed rather fidgety. It was totally out of character for him, and I began to wonder if something was seriously wrong. When he shyly pulled out a jewelry box and revealed an exquisite diamond ring, everything began to make sense.

Suddenly I understood Shane’s quiet talks with my parents that seemed to end when I entered the room may well have been about engagement rings. And the knowing glances they seemed to be exchanging, and their deciding to go upstairs to bed at 8:00 p.m was no coincidence. It was our special moment, and I was as thrilled and delighted as I could possibly be.

Shane and I met as freshmen in college, in the same English class. We hit it off in study group and were pretty much a couple by the end of first semester. However, school was a priority and we delayed any thoughts of marriage until our educations were complete. Then we both moved into careers that were demanding and another two years slipped by. Let’s just say that I was more than ready to become Mrs. Shane Goreth. That lovely diamond set all the wheels in motion, including planning for our fabulous honeymoon.

After doing considerable research, the following tips helped us choose a perfect destination without destroying our wedding budget or bank account:

• Plan as far in advance as possible—We could have saved even more if we had had the luxury of more time. Experts recommend at least a year, but we only had eight months. Still, we were able to get some great package deals that were definitely worth the money.
• Call in the professionals—Since neither Shane nor I have extensive travelling experience, we talked to our friends about their trips abroad. We also visited a couple of travel agencies and a honeymoon planner. We found the rates to be about the same, but the level of service quite different.
• Get your passports early—Normally, getting a passport is a simple process, but it does involve bureaucracy, so get this detail taken care of quickly. Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are all requiring passports now.
• Agree on what you want to be the focus of the honeymoon—Do you want to use this trip-of-a-lifetime to see historical sites, relax on romantic beaches, have crazy, wild adventures or experience another culture? This may be the first big test of your compromising skills, but planning together can save the disaster of a “surprise honeymoon” that goes terribly awry.
• Plan your budget and plan to stick to it—This is not the time to be stingy. You’ll remember this trip for the rest of your marriage, and if children come along, it may be years before your get to have a second honeymoon. Go for all the upgrades you can reasonably afford. Skip picking up a lot of souvenirs. Limit yourself to a few sentimental items and lots of pictures.
• Tell everyone you are honeymooners—Just the very mention of being newly married stirs up warm, fuzzy feelings of good will around the world. You’ll be amazed at how people will go out of their way to make your honeymoon just a little more special if they know your situation.

Shane and I finally decided on a Caribbean cruise with lots of island stops. We saved by living close to the cruise home port, so we upgraded to a beautiful outside cabin with a balcony. Our ten days were every bit as wonderful and romantic as we could have hoped. We’ll save exploring the rest of the world for another time and place.

Tags: honeymoon, planning

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