Think Outside the Season

Off-season does not necessarily equate to bad weather. Many tropical locations have ideal weather year-round, but rates soar upwards when cold climate residents are looking to escape the winter blues. If you want to hop on a flight immediately following your wedding, consider booking your honeymoon travel arrangements at an off-season location; if you have your mind set on a particular destination, be flexible with your either your wedding date or your departure date to reap big savings.

Consult an Expert

Look to a professional to help you book your vacation – and enjoy big savings. Travel agents provide all sorts of money-saving expertise and can often access on-going sales or last-minute deals on honeymoon travel. They’ll work with you to find the best vacation packages to suit your preferences and budget.

Ask for a Helping Hand

If time away is more important to you than a waffle iron, consider setting up a honeymoon registry. Many travel agents offer services to collect, record, and apply contributions from your guests toward honeymoon resorts and expenditures. Some even allow guests to contribute to specific activities at your destination location, such as scuba diving lessons or boat rides.

Do Your Research

Don’t let your honeymoon take a backseat to the wedding planning process. Start thinking about your vacation once you have established a wedding date, and keep your eyes peeled for deals posted online or in the paper. Give yourself plenty of time to comparison shop. This complete honeymoon travel guide will help you get started.

Earn Rewards

If your credit allows, open a credit card with the best frequent-flier and other travel rewards. Start charging your wedding-day expenses, and cash in on the bonuses for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and other upgrades. Be careful here though; you should be able to pay off all expenditures at the end of every month to avoid finance charges and racked up debt. Also be sure to check black-out dates before making your travel arrangements.

Consider the Alternatives

You aren’t bound by the typical island retreat when it comes to honeymoon options, but be sure to weigh the pros and cons of all your choices before booking. While all-inclusive resorts once carried a negative connotation with “mandatory fun” activities, their inclusive honeymoon packages afford you the luxury of a flat-rate and a carefree experience. Bed and breakfasts, on the other hand, offer romantic retreats at typically affordable prices, but can lack exclusive privacy. The point here is that you should do your research, discuss the types of honeymoon vacations available with your fiance, and decide which priorities take precedence. Our guide to honeymoon accommodations can help you weight the options.

Before you try to figure out how to save money on your honeymoon, know how much you have to spend. Whether you’re surprised in a good way or in a not so good way, it’s necessary to have an amount in mind in order to start pricing flights and lodgings. Here are a few tips to have a wonderful honeymoon on a budget.

Cruise

Not every honeymoon involves a grand tour of Europe and lasts two weeks or more. You can pack a lot of lovin’ into a long weekend, especially if you don’t travel far from home. Few things can be as romantic as a honeymoon on a cruise. Cruises are cost-efficient vacations, especially if you leave from your home port rather than flying to meet the ship. They’re all inclusive for the most part and the shorter the cruise, the less you’ll have to pay.

Camp

Camping has come a long way. Sure, you can still “rough it” if you’re so inclined. You can also rent a campsite or camping cabin and spend much less than you would for a hotel.

Appropriate Package

If your wedding ceremony is during the off season, the months between November and March, you might still be able to vacation in a romantic tropical paradise. Your travel agent can help you find inexpensive travel packages.

Home Swapping

Home exchanges allow for you to swap homes with someone in another state or country. Your accommodations are free; you only have to pay to get there and for your own food. It’s important to register with reputable home exchange networks, one that carefully screens its clients. You want to vacation with a clear head and not worry about who will be occupying your home.

Inexpensive Travel Agent

There’s a lot of competition in the honeymoon travel industry, and you’re the beneficiary. When you travel, you no longer have to pay top dollar for airlines or hotels. Discover which brands consistently offer the most value at the lowest price, and where you can get more for less.

Inclusive Honeymoon

You can have a cheap honeymoon and fly to an exotic destination if you go all inclusive. By planning an all-inclusive honeymoon, you’ll spend one price for air fare, room accommodations and some meals.

Minimum Transportation Expense

Transportation is often the biggest expense in a honeymoon. If you can minimize those costs you’ll have more to spend on lodging, and perhaps afford to add another day or more to the honeymoon.

Finally, relax and enjoy your ceremony and wedding reception. Your wedding will be much less stressful if you know you haven’t blown all your savings on the honeymoon!