8 Best Ways To Budget for a Honeymoon While Planning a Wedding
Depending on how big or elaborate your wedding will be, the planning can take a lot of mental energy and the cost can be exponential. While the honeymoon is often the leisurely reward after months or years of planning, if you don't strategically budget, save and plan for the honeymoon alongside the wedding, you may find that taking one isn't in the cards.
See: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on Autopay
Save More: Unplug These Appliances That Hike Up Your Electricity Bill
Here, experts offer suggestions for how to budget for your honeymoon while planning your wedding.
Plan and Pay For the Honeymoon First
Honeymoons can often be an afterthought because the wedding takes priority. According to Jim Campbell, founder and CEO of Honeymoon Goals, "Firstly, try and get your honeymoon [planning] out of the way before you start planning your wedding. Planning a wedding usually happens right up to the day of the wedding, and if you are having your honeymoon right after your wedding, you may not have a lot of time to focus on planning it. If you get your honeymoon planned and bought before the wedding planning starts, then you won't have to worry about it until the day of your perfect holiday."
Sign Up for Honeyfund
Saving for a honeymoon while planning a wedding is made easier with websites such as Honeyfund.com, which offers a honeymoon registry, according to Tracy French, owner of The French Connection Events and Travel. "Couples can have a honeymoon themed shower where they receive gifts for different honeymoon items. Couples create a registry for tours, massages, dinners or just cash towards their trip. This can be a great way build money for their honeymoon during the months leading up to the wedding."
She also recommends couples use a postcard app to take photos on the honeymoon and send digital postcards, as a thank you, to the people who contributed to it.
POLL: Do You Have a Side Gig or Other Hustle?
Start a Honeymoon Savings Account
Nothing makes a plan come to fruition better than making a concerted effort to achieve it. French said, "I think mentally just having a separate bank account that is designated just for the honeymoon helps couples save. Couples can put a certain amount each week towards their honeymoon. It is exciting see the balance grow."
Include Your Honeymoon on Your Registry
If you're only asking for household goods on your wedding gift registry, you're missing an opportunity to fund your honeymoon. According to Caitlyn Parish, chief digital officer of the bridal brand Cicinia "Wedding registries actually help guests know what perfect gift to give the couple without the fear that it might not be appreciated."
Therefore, she recommends you "put something like HoneyFund in your registry, so you can convert the monetary gifts you'll receive to cover your dream honeymoon. Most guests like to give accommodation and luxurious spa treatments but they also think of whether the couple will actually utilize it. In terms of study, almost 30% of wedding gifts are comprised of accommodation treats so if you actually include them into your registry, guests are most likely to opt for that."
Book Early
Another good strategy to avoid the hassle, both in finances and preparation of a honeymoon, said Parrish, is to "[b]ook hotels, airfares, and even accommodation [early] so you get better deals. You can also shop for deals on sites that offer huge discounts on early reservations. You can actually enjoy a luxurious honeymoon without paying for the luxurious cost, when you book early, and it's a hack that couples should learn in order to be practical."
Pay For It With Cash Gifts
Imagine waking up the day after your wedding with no wedding debt? According to Sam Lewis, a financial planner and founder of SJL Financial, you can if you plan.
"I normally recommend couples budget to have their wedding paid for by savings and cash flow leading up to the event...This allows them to plan their honeymoon budget around what they conservatively estimate they might receive in gifts."
Then, since it's becoming common to receive cash instead of wedding gifts, you can fund your honeymoon with cash gifts. "Foregoing a wedding registry can subtly nudge guests in this direction as well."
He suggests booking the honeymoon on credit cards "with the expectation that it will be paid in full the next billing cycle once the gifts are deposited."
Stagger Your Honeymoon
Lewis also reminds couples, "There's also no requirement to take your honeymoon directly after your ceremony, so couples may take a pause after the festivities, count their gifts, and develop a new savings and cash flow strategy for their honeymoon to occur months later without the added stress of wedding planning."
Look For Package Deals
When you do get down to booking it, Campbell recommends you take advantage of different honeymoon packages. "Honeymoon packages will have everything you need for your honeymoon such as flights, accommodations, activities, restaurants, etc. meaning you don't have to worry about spending time trying to book these things individually."
More From GOBankingRates
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 8 Best Ways To Budget for a Honeymoon While Planning a Wedding
