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Both Chicago and New Orleans are great cities! While I can't really estimate costs, using sites like CheapAir and Priceline for tickets and hotels could easily allow you to have a 5-day or 7-day vacation for bwtn 1500-2000, or possibly cheaper!
I also recommend Boulder, Colorado or Sanibel and Marco Island, Florida...Both great little towns in beautiful settings (mountains or beach...)
Good luck!
Are you looking to do mostly touristy stuff or lounge around more? Will you be leaving immediately after your wedding? It looks like you will be married in the winter so options will be different.
If you're thinking of NY you might like the Hamptons especially if you are coming in the off-season (winter time). There are lots of little quaint places there and some very nice B&B's you can stay at.
In the Hudson Valley area, you may be interested in renting a cabin with a fireplace and doing things like cross-country skiing or snowmobiling (if you like the winter sports). Otherwise, that time of year is very snowy and can be pretty dangerous getting around. Long Island gets much less snow than upstate NY. And either way you will be close enough to the city, if you wanted to spend a day there.
You might consider the Santa Fe/ Taos area. There would be snow in the mountains for snowshoe rentals or a sled ride, but Santa Fe itself would be easy to get arund in. Lots of museums, art galleries, shopping, and margaritas. You could chose from a fancy resort, or a privately owned casita...and you could find something in pretty much every price range.
If you were going to stay on the Santa Fe Plaza and not drive around the area, you could get away with not renting a car. There is a train that will take you from the Albuquerque airport to Santa Fe, and then a lot of hotels will pick you up at the train station.. I know for sure that the Hotel Santa Fe and thrir fancier Hacienda sister hotel have a shuttle that will drive you around the area. The plaza is also walkable. If you want to explore much of New Mexico, though, you'd want to get a car.
Are you going in February? Chicago will be cold (though you can't beat the museums) and Seattle will be rainy and chilly. We did stay in a great hotel in Chicago - Hotel Blake. Santa Barbara or San Diego will be nice and warm. Carmel, CA has lots of shops, as does Monterey (plus the best aquarium in the world). If you want to get out of CA the Florida Keys are nice and I've always thought Santa Fe sounded cool.
Consider these places:
Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Finger Lakes, NYC; Florida Keys; Sanibel Island, Fla; Seattle would be good; Asheville, N.C....check out Biltmore estate and all the cool outdr activities the Smoky Mtns has to offer (and also cute little towns).....
I second PP with Savannah, GA, it's very romanitic and charming - as is St Augustine, FL. The Keys are great... including Pennekamp Underwater Park in the northern keys. Portland, OR is much like Seattle used to be, very hip. Austin, TX (with a short road trip to San Antonio) is an amazing trip with charm, history and fab music.
Door County, Wisconsin! That's where we're going! Tons of quaint shops, gorgeous scenery even in the winter, and cabins you can rent by the week for less than the cost of a hotel!
If your honeymoon will be in Februrary, you won't exactly be relaxing in your bikini on the beach though. 
Visit the Rocky Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina, visit Florida (Key West), visit San Francisco, take a cruise to Alaska, Visit the Michigan Upper Pensacola or have a cabin trip to the boundary waters in Northern Minnesota..
We're going to disney world =) hehe both kids at heart I guess!
I 100% agree with Door County, WI. That's where I'm getting married. It is amazing.
We too have a VERY LIMITED Honeymoon Budget...
I live in Victoria, TX which is like right in the middle of Austin, Houston, & San Antonio
I grew up in Austin so FH and I considered Going to Austin b/c it's such a great city BUT.... hotel stays there are a bit pricey for the room I want sooooo.......
I think what we've decided is this....
We'll be staying here in Victoria at the Hampton Inn.. They have a nice Honeymoon King Suite w/ a Whirpool Tub right in the Room & a 2 person shower (oo la la) for 180 a night (that's half of the Austin cost which doesn't incl the whirlpool tub) ... Then we'll take day trips to the surrounding cities...
Austin for scenery and just enjoying the beauty
San Antonio for some History
Houston for some fine Dining
I really enjoy road-trips and I think with the less expensive cost of the room we'll be able to enjoy each other, our meals, and anything else we what to do so much more.
Really though Austin is a beautiful city with a great feel and lots to do.. even that early into spring. Not usually too cold, fairly dry, and just very welcoming =)
Seattle is a wonderful city. There is so much to do and see. You have Mt. Ranier for hiking and there are so many quaint areas of the city for walking and sightseeing. February could be cold and rainy so that is a consideration also.
With you being so close to the cruise lines out of LA, have you considered a cruise? Mexico in February is beautiful and the cruise could be relaxing for you and your FI. Best wishes with your planning.
Boston is an amazing city and has quaint little shops and streets, as well as plenty of museums and cultural things to do.
Miami Beach might be a good spot for you too - some different art museums to see there, and interesting little galleries and shops. As well as a gorgeous beach = romance!
@amnystik: I totally grew up in Victoria (and Gonzales)!!! crazy =)
I actually just got back from Grapevine Tx which is near Dallas...and its a cute little quaint town. Maybe not for a whole honeymoon but if you wanted to do a road trip through TX and hit other cities like San Antonio and Austin this would be a great stop over for a few nights.
The Gaylord Texan is breath taking but a little pricey. You could stay at another very nice hotel and come visit their spa and restuarants.
Downtown Grapevine has this old historic charm, this vintage railroad you can take into Dallas, lots of wineries around to try out plus cute little shops.
Boston is nice, as is Cape Cod. Lot's to do even in the winter... FI and I spend New Year's Eve there one year.
If you like winter sports, Lake Placid, NY is beautiful in the winter. You are very far from NYC (5ish hours), but there is a lot to do. Also, for winter people is Stowe,Vermont or Burlington, Vt. Lot's to do there, and a lot of skiing.
Another idea would be Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia near Virginia Beach. FI and I are on a very tight budget, and since we just moved to VA have never been to the beach, so we are staying in Williamsburg for 2 nights, going to the beach, and Bush Gardens, and Colonial Williamsburg and the Colonial Triangle.
As for NOLA, there is a lot to do, and I can recommend some amazing resturants. Plus Burbon Street and the French Quarter are always fun.
Hope this helps!!
Savannah, GA is my vote!!! The weather will be nice in Feb and much more mild than NY, MA and anywhere else in the Northeast. Savannah is a gem of a city and soooo romantic. Check out some of the B & B's there, like the Kehoe House. Perfect for a honeymoon!
Amelia Island, FL is another great option. Check out Mrs. Guinea Pig's recaps of her recent honeymoon there... http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/06/30/florida-honeymoon/
City-wise, I think NY would be fun but probably very cold in Feb. San Francisco's great too but it might be too close to home (it looks like youre currently in LA). Chicago is awesome- it's a great city and the area called Old Town (I think) is so cute. South FL would be awsome too (Miami, Ft Lauderdale, then you can even go to Key West if you get a rental car.. about 2 1/2 hours drive and it's super quaint there so you'd get the best of both worlds- quaint and big city--- it'd be nice weather too). the South is awesome too. I saw Savannah, GA as someone else's pick or maybe even Charleston, SC or Myrtle Beach, SC... you can do all three if you have the time and money Savannah to Charleston about 2 1/2 hours drive, then Charleston to Myrtle Beach about 2 hours drive. I think New Orleans would be completely awesome too!!! Good luck! :)
There aren't enough museums to make me suggest Chicago in February. We "escape" the City every year in February to head some place warm. Last year it was Key West.......and it was a blast!!! Totally easy to do on a tight budget. Check our VBRO.com for rentals. You can get a condo with a kitchenette and cook some great local seafood. Fly to Miami, rent a car, and cruise down the highway. It's a fun scenic drive.
I am from Charleston, SC and I can tell you first hand that there is tons to do and it makes for an amazing honeymoon destination!
Also, we are getting married in March, and we were thinking of Aspen, Colorado for a mountain relaxing trip to the snow. :)
These are all great placed you mentioned, thank you so much! Lots of them I wouldnt have thought of on my own... I just looked up Door County (so picturesque!) and Savannah, GA. they both look so promising!
I will check out cruises too! Boston, Victoria, Texas and Cape Cod also sounds wonderful, Im going to research on this! :) SO is Virginia beach. Wow. Lots of choices!
FI and I will probably go a few days after the wedding, so it will be around March by the time we leave. It will be so cold! I suppose we will just lounge and not do a lot of touristy things except for maybe visiting a few restaurants and museums here and there.
@beekiss2: Small little correction, it is the Appalachian Mountains that is a part of Asheville not the Rockies. But Asheville is a wonderful city to visit. The Biltmore House is one of the biggest attraction. (Side Note: They filmed Richie Rich there.) Then you have the Blue Ridge Parkway that has some of the most gorgeous views out there. Especially if you an outdoorsy person. There is a ton of hiking to do there.
New Orleans is definitely an experience to itself. I still miss the place every single day since I been gone. Nothing can replicate the vibe down there. It is so laid back with so much fun added into it. There are so many great places to eat at. But there could be a possibilty that you may be there near Mardi Gras if you are going right after your wedding. Mardi Gras is the biggest event in New Orleans. Everything just comes alive then even more so then during the regular year. But Mardi Gras dates changes every year so just gotta be on the lookout. If you stay in the French Quarter, there are so many things to do and see. You need to take a riverboat cruise is possible. Then if you have a car, you can always drive out to Avery Island especially if you are a hot sauce fan because that is where Tabasco is manufactured.
Someone else also recommended Charleston, SC. What I wouldn't give to go back there just to see the sights again. I love walking around Charleston especially going near the river front. That was where I saw dolphins for the first time in the wild. And I couldn't believe it since it was March when I went.
Good luck on the planning!
Oh and I just looked up the dates for Mardi Gras 2011 and it is March 8. So even if you go the week before Mardi Gras it will still be a great time to catch some of the parades. It won't really be cold in New Orleans, well at least for people that are use to the cold. New Orleans is usually in the upper 60's/lower 70's during the winter a lot of times during the.
Ooh... New Orleans seems like such a great idea! I've been looking it up... rates for hotels aren't very expensive!
@vttp926 Thanks for looking up the dates! It seems like itll be so much fun!
No prob at all. I will always be a New Orleans girl at heart. But definitely hotels are cheaper the week before Mardi Gras. Week of Mardi Gras will be a different story. Let me know if you need to get more info about New Orleans. I will do whatever I can to help you.
We are doing Disney World, too (in December 2010)! We are going for 9 days, 8 nights for under $3000.......and that includes round-trip airfare from Houston, all transfers to and from the airport, the resort room, ALL our meals and snacks, AND all our park tickets! We can't wait! :D
Another vote here for Charleston, SC -- that's where we went! We loved it. PM me if you want more info!
New Orleans would definitely be an awesome honeymoon location! Right before we got engaged my fiance and I went there for an extended weekend this past March. It was a few weeks after Mardi Gras so the city wasn't super crowded and the hotel rates were back to normal. We stayed at the "Parkview Guest House", which is located in uptown- a very nice part of the city. We could walk out the door of the b&b and catch the street car to the French Quarter, so we didn't need a car at all! There are so many amazing things about NO: the food, the nightlife, the jazz, the historic architecture, etc!
@amnystik: I saw your post was a year ago so you prolly already been on your honeymoon. I also live in Victoria and on a limited budget. We decided on a cruise leaving out of Galveston. They are suprisingly cheaper than you would think (just not bw May and Aug lol). We leave on the 29th :) Wedding on the 28th. I hope this helped. Its something to concider for an anniversary.
We are looing into Puerto Rico - its in the Carribean and no passport required!
I would like to recommend Louisville, KY, which is my hometown. There are great restaurants and bars and arts. Wonderful museums and horse racing!
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FI and I are on a strict budget, so I dont think an international honeymoon is in the cards right now. Im not originally from the US either so it's no problem for me though, haha, I know I'll still enjoy!
Do you have any suggestions where? I was thinking NY, Ive been there previously but only with family. I was hoping somewhere that was a little romantic with quaint little shops, coffee places, museums, etc. Chicago? New Orleans? Seattle?
If you have any ideas plesae let me know! And if you know how much (roughly) it would cost, please feel free to share! Its kinda difficult to look for honeymoon packages if its just in the US.