Pictured here is Ladera Resort,  a thousand feet below, an intensely blue Caribbean Sea dashes against the volcanic Piton Mountains. Faintly scented tropical breezes cool your skin. Your private plunge pool beckons. There are only 9 villas and 23 suites in this ultimate rainforest open-air hideaway. Each offers fine linens, luxurious amenities and four-poster beds made of polished tropical hardwood. And each, deliberately without a fourth wall, invites the spectacular sunsets and astonishing views right inside, to be a part of your very private, very special retreat.

For help planning your honeymoon destination, contact our StrictlyWeddings.com partner, Signature Travel.

As I’ve toured Sedona and hiked many, many miles in the beauty of the Coconino National Forest, it made me realize what a wonderful honeymoon this could make for just the right kind of couple.

The Sedona honeymoon couple needs to love fresh, crisp air (so clean there is no overwhelming fragrance), the outdoors …as there is an abundance of beautiful places to hike where you go from semi-aired foliage to forests of pine, cedar and more and appreciate the history of a great land. Although we didn’t endulge, there are so many spas you don’t know which to choose!

I dropped into the tourist center and picked up some information on Weddings…seems like there are a lot of weddings in this place. It has a lot to do with the overall spirituality of Sedona and it’s location. Yet it could just as easily make for a memorable honeymoon.

We stayed in a very nice and comfortable Hampton Inn, but there are expensive resorts and cabins by the river in Oak Creek Canyon (5 minutes away). We had several great breakfasts at the Airport restaurant on top of a Mesa – tasty and affordable w/ a great view. Splurged a few times for dinner (must reward ourselves for all those calories we hiked off!). And enjoyed window shopping (and buying a few things) and looking at the various native arts and paintings.

There are side trips close by to Flagstaff, the old mining town of Jerome and other adventures to be found. Personally, your best bet is to go when the weather is cooler (we actually had snow on one of our hikes!). So it’s a perfect honeymoon destination from January through April.

Photos courtesy of my iPhone.

• Sedonna Luxury Weddings & Events
• Bliss Extraordinary Floral
• WeddingsinSedona.com
• SedonaWeddingCakes.com
• Sedona Tourist Center

Looking forward to your wedding day in 2009?  While all of the planning and leading up to the big day may be a bit stressful, at least you can rest assured that when it’s all said and done, you can head off to a relaxing honeymoon with your special someone.

Picking the right honeymoon can be a difficult choice, so to help you start your search, we offer the top 3 honeymoon destinations in Playa Del Carmen, St. Barths, & Punta Mita on our Dallas wedding site.

A honeymoon is supposed to be a stress-free romantic vacation, and the last thing you need is to deal with cumbersome luggage to and from the airport.  We recommend this great luggage site, which allows you to ship your luggage in advance to any destination, so that it’s waiting for you safe and sound at your dream destination!