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Are You a Groom Planning the Honeymoon?

Many couples plan the honeymoon together, yet the honeymoon was traditionally the groom’s responsibility to plan. Whether you (the groom) are planning it by yourself or with your bride, here are a few reminders.

• Plan early. The best resorts can fill up a year in advance. We generally recommend that you book about nine months in advance.
• What do you enjoy together? Think about your shared interests.Do you like to golf or snorkel together? Do you share a hobby like photography? Why not add some of these elements to your honeymoon to make it even more memorable?
• Good Food makes for Good Times. Food is an often overlooked element of the honeymoon. There is nothing worse than being in a resort that offers nothing that you enjoy eating.
• Surprises or extras win brownie points. Throw in something unexpected, like a cooking class or a couple’s massage.

(Photo from recent post on St. Lucia’s Ladera Resort)

Just a few friendly reminders from StrictlyWeddings.com! Check out our other tips and ideas for Grooms and Honeymoons.

Packing Tips for your Honeymoon – Bliss or Bust?

There are some people who are simply natural born packers, and know how to make the most of their closets on wheels. We look at some tips to help you make the most of the space which you have available to you.

1. Do your laundry a few days before you go so everything will be clean and ready for action. It is a good idea to have button-down shirts professionally laundered, pressed, and bagged at the dry cleaner so you can just pop them into your suitcase.
2. Start making your packing list a week before you leave. By starting early this gives you time to add items and take items off as you lead up to when you are going to leave.
3. When selecting items from your wardrobe, you should think coordinating solids, wrinkle-resistant micro fibers, such as Lycra, nylon, spandex and Tencel. Pack shoes which are versatile. Also remember that light-colored fabrics show stains, but they are cooler than dark clothes.
4. One of the ways of avoiding wrinkles is simply to roll or wrap your clothes in tissue paper. You can also lay clothes in the suitcase on their hangers and in plastic dry cleaner bags.
5. Don’t even bother taking shoes or clothes you’ve never worn before.
6. Stuff your socks and underwear into your shoes or purses. This will help these items keep their shapes.
7. If you have a luggage set, pack everything inside your second-largest bag, then put that bag inside the largest bag. This gives you the extra space for all sorts of goodies you buy while you are on honeymoon.
8. A good idea is to pack items which can have more than one use. Such as: a hair dryer with a curling iron attachment, an alarm clock and radio, a calculator and translation guide.
9. When you’ve stuffed your bag to the max, zip it up and tap it on the floor a few times to make extra room.
10. The golden rule of packing: don’t overstuff your bags! Over stuffing usually leads to exceeding airline weights and extra fees.
11. Unfold belts and wrap them around the inside of your suitcase.
12. Share bathroom basics like toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
13. Place any liquids, such as shampoos in an extra plastic bag. The altitude can cause these items to leak, and you don’t need to arrive to find everything coated in a layer of shampoo.
14. Pack your suitcase with heavier items on bottom, lighter ones on top.
15. Pack all your valuables, one change of clothes, non-perishable snacks, a small bottle of water, and your minimum toiletry needs in your carry-on incase your luggage gets delayed.
16. As soon as you arrive at your destination, unpack and hang up your clothes.

Photo courtesy of Scott Hagar Photography