Travel

Travel & Honeymoon Planning Tips From Ever After Honeymoons

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Katie Frederick is a Northern California native who attended the University of California, Irvine. It was during her time studying abroad in London that Katie developed her love affair with travel! In 2009 Katie started Ever After Honeymoons, a travel planning service where she personally plans honeymoons for couples based on their individual interests and desires. When she isn't planning honeymoons, Katie continues to travel the world and seek out new destinations as often as she can. This week she's answering some of our most pressing honeymoon questions.
What are some new trends you’re seeing in honeymoon planning? Couples are combining two completely different destinations. Maybe the countryside and then a beautiful beach. Or going to the jungle and then a secluded island. Or a really rural adventurous spot and then a city filled with history. 
What are some hip honeymoon destinations that are growing in popularity that maybe not everyone has heard of yet? Vietnam is an amazing honeymoon destination! Gorgeous beaches, tons of history, great food, and lots of beautiful new hotels have been opening recently. Uruguay is a beautiful country in South America. Jose Ignacio is a really cool beach town with great restaurants and live music -- really fun atmosphere. And Sicily is a beautiful island in Southern Italy with beaches and charming towns, and a ton of history. 
Any US destinations you can recommend for couples who don't want to travel as far? Big cities like New York and Chicago can be incredibly romantic! Other places like San Diego, Charleston, islands off the coast of Florida, wine tasting in Sonoma, and “glamping” in Montana are beautiful and romantic as well. 
What are some of your favorite destinations for couples who aren't tropical beach people? Oh, there are so many great spots! There are incredible cities around the world like Paris and Buenos Aires, the Australian outback, African safaris, the jungle in Bali or Costa Rica, wine tasting and adventure spots in South America, and charming small towns in the South of France and Tuscany. It just depends what each couple is interested in doing for their honeymoon -- there is a perfect spot for everyone! 
How should a couple determine the budget for their honeymoon? This completely varies by couple and what they are comfortable spending. If your budget is tighter, don't travel too far from home. Splurge on memorable experiences rather than long flights. 
Sometimes it really is about the journey...do you have any recommendations for honeymoons by rail or road trip honeymoons? Yes! Ireland, New Zealand, Tuscany, and even the California coast are great places to explore by car. By rail you can travel almost anywhere in Europe and in Southeast Asia. There are incredible small ship river cruises along the Amazon River in South America as well. 
We've heard a lot of mixed reactions to the honeymoon registry...do you have any thoughts on this or tips on how to make guests more comfortable with the idea? I think honeymoon registries are great! So many couples are living together before getting married, and already have everything they need for their home. While honeymoon registries are set up like traditional registries, couples just receive cash, not the actual items they are registering for. This can be a little confusing for guests that think they are purchasing specific tours or excursions. I would recommend thanking each person for exactly what they purchased for you to personalize it, rather than just thanking them for honeymoon money. Another thing that isn't ideal is that you won't know how much money you will be receiving for your honeymoon until after your wedding when guests have made purchases on your registry. So if you are relying on this money to pay for your honeymoon, I would do a short “mini-moon” right after your wedding. Then, once you know how much you received from your registry, you can plan your honeymoon for a later date. 
What are your must-have apps for traveling? Download the app for your airline and add the places you are going to whatever weather app you use. I like Skype for calls to home and WhatsApp for texting...and once you arrive on your honeymoon, try to relax and enjoy this time together rather than constantly staying connected through your phone and other devices. 
Do you have any recommendations for cool new ways to document your trip? (apps, trip journals, etc?) Couples are using hashtags on Instagram, and taking videos is now easier than ever. I've also had couples set up a blog and do daily entries with what they did each day with pictures -- it's a fun way to remember and share the experience with friends and family, especially if you did a honeymoon registry! Thanks, Katie! Be sure to read more of her advice and insight on the Ever After Honeymoons blog!
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