WHERE TO BEGIN

TALK! TALK! TALK! TALK!

FINDING OUT WHAT YOUR MATE'S EXPECTATIONS ARE AND MATCHING THEM WITH YOURS WILL MAKE HONEYMOON PLANNING EASY.

• *Do we want to get married in the same place we honeymoon?

  Destination weddings are growing more popular every day. Marrying in a hotel away from home either alone or with a few friends or family members can save a consider-able amount of money. Also, when you honeymoon in the same hotel, you won’t have to pack after the wedding or run for the airport.

  *Do we want to go around the corner or around the world?

  Talk about how long your honeymoon can be and arrive at a general budget. This will determine how far you can go.

  *Do we want to save or splurge?

  This is your trip of a lifetime so it’s the time to splurge with luxury rooms and memory making activities if you can afford it.

  *Do we want sunshine or show?

  Discuss the climates you like best and choose your destination accordingly. Skiiers who marry in the summer can honeymoon in South America. Sun lovers who marry in the winter can choose from a variety of beach destinations around the world.

  *Do we want to learn something new that we can enjoy together?

  You might like to combine your honeymoon with a golf, ski or sailing school or a tennis camp to learn a sport that you can enjoy together for the rest of your lives.

  *Do we want a cruise, a honeymoon package, an all inclusive resort or a trip tailored just for the two of us?

  Each of these options has advantages. Choose the one that matches your dreams. Cruises make honeymooning easy. The ship is your home away from home and meals and most on board activities are included in the cost. When choosing a cruise line make sure that you ask if there are tables for two in the dining room and check out different categories of state rooms. Read brochures carefully and if there is a particular port of call that you want to explore, make sure that the ship will be there long enough to see it.

  Honeymoon packages, available from hotels, airlines and tour wholesalers are designed with romance in mind. They often include special perks that other packages do not. When booking a hotel, ask if there are special honeymoon packages.

  All inclusive resorts include most meals, sports equipment and tips. Some include all liquor and bar charges as well as other special activities. Read the small print or ask your Travel Agent to make sure exactly what is included in the price. Some packages include round trip airfare. Others do not.

  If you have special dreams and want a trip tailored to your wishes and pace, you can work with a Travel Agent to make sure that everything you dreamed of is built in.

  *What are your honeymoon dreams and fantasies?

  Talk about them and you will be able to make most of them come true!

YOUR HONEYMOON IS THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME.
DISCUSSING THE ABOVE CAN MAKE SURE IT WILL FULFILL YOUR DREAMS.

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HOW TO GUARANTEE A
PERFECT HONEYMOON

• DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE.



• BE AS SPECIFIC AS YOU CAN WHEN BOOKING YOUR TRIP.



• Outline your needs and interests to the Travel Agent.
• Specify what size bed you want. King? Queen?
• Ask for the airline seats, cruise ship cabins and/or type of room you want.
• Learn how you will be getting to your hotel from the airline or cruise terminal.
• Specify the time of day you would like to leave.


• GET INFORMATION ON WHAT THERE IS TO SEE AND DO IN YOUR DESTINATION BEFORE YOU GO.



• Call local Tourist Boards for brochures and information on the most romantic restaurants, the most exciting things to see and do, etc.


• USE THESE TO MAKE A THEORETICAL PLAN FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS.


A typical plan might include


• Leisurely breakfast in bed
• Morning tour to see Mayan pyramids
• Picnic on the beach
• Windsurfing lesson at the hotel
• Late afternoon nap
• Dinner at a restaurant that serves under the stars at the water's edge


• CHECK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS, THINGS TO SEE AND DO.



• FIND OUT HOW FAR AWAY YOUR HOTEL IS FROM DOWNTOWN. READ ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION IN A GUIDEBOOK.



• You'll end up having a gorgeous sun rise breakfast at one of the island's prettiest hotels, finding the perfect hideaway beach, starting off with just the right store on your shopping spree; dining in the most beautiful restaurants and dancing in a place with a knockout view!

What to look for

• Is the bed the size you want?
• Is the bathroom clean?
• Do you have a view of the ocean?
• Do you have a "Do Not Disturb sign?
• Does the TV work?
• Do the faucets drip?
• Do the lights work?
• Is there a TV remote?
• How does the in-room safe work?



If everything is OK, move in and call housekeeping and ask for anything you might need

• Extra towels
• Extra pillows
• Hair Dryer
• Iron

• Put name and address inside your bags as well as outside.


• Carry bathing suit, cosmetics, and other basic essentials on board.


• Check camera batteries and get new ones before departing on your trip.


• Take plenty of film.


• Check what documents you will need to leave and enter your home country.


• Obtain an international drivers' license. It is available through your local AAA.


• If you plan to make major purchases, check the price at home first.


• Know the 'plans':


• Continental includes continental breakfast (coffee and rolls).
• American includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Modified American includes breakfast, and lunch or dinner.


• Take books or reading material.


• Take all medicines and toiletries you will need for the trip. Do not rely on finding them easily in a foreign country.


• Put cash and valuables in hotel Safety Deposit boxes.


• Don't forget a calculator if you're going outside your home country.


• Reconfirm all return flights.


• Pack an extra bag to carry purchases.

If you have decided to take a tour for your honeymoon, here are a few things to do


• Decide on your destination: The Caribbean? Europe? Asia?


• Decide on your budget.


• Consult a Travel Agent.


• Tours to most destinations come in Deluxe, First Class and Budget categories.


• The hotel is usually what dictates the category.


• Calculate cost/day.


• Deduct two travel days, then divide by the remaining number of days on the ground by the price minus the airfare if airfare is included.


• Read the text to determine what meals and sightseeing trips are included.


• You pay extra for 'optionals' and those meals not included.


• Make sure that free time is included.


• Find out where the hotel is located.


• If it is far away from town, you will have to budget for extra taxi fares.


• Read brochures to ensure that "transfers" (Transportation to and from the airport to the hotel) are included.


• Make sure that your tour returns to the point of origin.


• Consider whether or not you have to fly to the point of origin from your home town.


• These additional airfares can add alot to the cost of your tour.


• Consider signing on for only part of a tour. Your Travel Agent can help here.

BEING A GOOD CONSUMER ENSURES HAPPY HONEYMOONS!!!!

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DESTINATION WEDDINGS

Before you go

• CHECK YOUR OPTIONS
  Some hotels offer free weddings and have unusual and memorable "once in a lifetime" places to marry.



• DOCUMENTATION
  Make sure that you have all of the necessary documentation. This can be done through consulates, tourist boards, on site hotel wedding planners or your travel agent.



• TRAVEL AGENT
  Tell your travel agent or hotel booking agent that you are planning to get married in the hotel, and get the name of the person who will assist you on site.



• CONTACTS
  Let friends and family know your hotel phone and fax.



• WEDDING PARTY
  Decide how many of your family and/or friends are coming and book rooms well in advance.



• DRESS
  Decide what you both want to wear. Most women choose full bridal gowns or white cocktail dresses. Most men wear a tuxedo or a jacket, tie and pants. Pack these in a separate suitcase.



• MUSIC
  If soft background music is in your dreams, take a favorite CD or tape and a player.



• WHEN YOU'RE THERE APPOINTMENT
  Make an appointment with the hotel wedding consultant after arrival.



• CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING DATE
  Most couples plan the ceremony for one or two days after arrival.



• PICK YOUR SPOT
  Tour the property together on your own and choose a few beautiful sites for the ceremony BEFORE the wedding consultant takes you on a tour.



• CHOOSE A COLOR THEME
  Have a few of your favorite colors in mind. The theme can be carried out in your bouquet, your cake, decorations, etc.



• PLAN YOUR WEDDING DAY
  Will you get married in the morning or at sunset?
  What will you do after the ceremony?
  Stay in your wedding finery?
  Go to dinner with another honeymoon couple?
  Have a champagne cocktail at the bar?
  Dine in the gourmet restaurant? (Be sure to reserve a romantic table in advance.)



• PLAN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
  Even if the hotel arranges the wedding free of charge, you will have to pay the photographer, probably in cash. If you are out of the USA and want black and white as well as color photos, bring 35 MM black and white film. If you want a video, tell the hotel wedding planner in advance.

The place you choose to be your "home away from home" is the key to honeymoon happiness. The hotels and resorts mentioned here have been carefully selected to meet or surpass all of the standards of honeymoon happiness. We've chosen only a few for each destination. Some are large, sophisticated properties. Some are small and intimate. Budget properties are listed under Best Budget Bets.

PREPARING FOR YOUR HONEYMOON

Your Passport: These are important details which should be taken care of at least two months before your wedding. If you do not have a passport, apply for one at your local Passport Office or get application forms at the Post Office, fill them out and mail them. You will need two passport sized photos (head shots that are 2” x 2”, full face, and on a plain background) plus proof of US citizenship (A certified birth certificate bearing a state seal and your date of birth)

The fee for a passport that will be valid for 10 years is $97.00.

Having a passport is a good idea in general. Places that did not require them before (such as many of the Caribbean islands, Mexico and Canada, will require them as of 2006 and 2007, due to security precautions resulting from September 11.

Couples traveling just after the wedding should carry a copy of their marriage certificate and brides should get a passport in their maiden name, then have it changed after the wedding trip.

You can check details by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1 877 487 2778. To check on whether your honeymoon destination requires you to hold a U.S. passport, check www.travel.state.gov.

Passports generally take 6 weeks to complete. For an extra $60 you can have the passport expedited, however you might have to make an appointment and go to the nearest Passport Bureau in person.

To have a passport issued in your married name after the honeymoon, obtain form DS5504, which you can get from the web site at www.travel.state.gov, fill it out and return it to National Passport Processing, PO Box 132 90, Philadelphia, PA 19101-3290.

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