Post # 1
Member
270 posts
Helper bee
So confused!
Fiance and I are getting married in November. I’m a school teacher, so taking off for a honeymoon in the middle of the school year is not an option. We were thinking of two options.
The first would be to go away this summer on a “honeymoon”. Both of us could use a vacation. The weekend of the wedding we would go somewhere local just to be alone. If we do this, we have less of a budget, so some dream destinations are out of the question.
The other option is go away Christmas break in Decemeber. If we do this, we would have more time to save for a nicer honeymoon. BUT we are debating if we should spend our first married Christmas with friends and family. We are both family oriented, and it would mean a lot for us to be home, but it’s also a great time for us to get away.
UGH! What would you do in my situation?
Post # 3
Member
4822 posts
Honey bee
Third option: Go during the Feb or April break and have even more time to save and spend holidays with your fam.
In my opinion, a honeymoon can only happen after the wedding. Before is just a vacation. Not only by definition, but in reality, also in feel. A honeymoon is to bask in the glory of being newly wed, to relieve yourself of the stresses that occur during wedding planning etc. Doing it before, is well, doesnt do any of that. Its just a vacation.
Post # 4
Member
35 posts
Newbee
You only get 1 real honeymoon, so I think you should wait and go away in December. Your friends and family will understand that it’s your honeymoon (you can always Skype on Christmas Day!) Hopefully you’ll have many, many more years of Christmases as a married couple to spend with your family.
If you go before you’re actually married, I would just be worried it might not feel as special.
Save up and do it right! The memories will be worth it!
Post # 5
Member
43 posts
Newbee
I am also considering having my honeymoon BEFORE my wedding. My Fiance and I are both doing school full time, and our wedding is scheduled for the saturday of spring break, 2 days before we go back to school. I think it would be nice to get away for a little while before the wedding to celebrate our upcoming wedding together, and then stay in a nice hotel in town on our wedding night, before classes again on monday.
If you do a less budget honeymoon in the summer, you can always save up for a nice fancy one for maybe your 5 year anniversary.
Post # 6
Member
1473 posts
Bumble bee
I agree with @lefeymw that the idea of springbreak could be really good as well. That way you’ll have more time but won’t have to sacrifice the holidays with your friends and family. On the other hand, I think I’d prefer to have the honeymoon right after the wedding (but if you’re planning a local mini moon then you could have the best of both worlds!)
Post # 7
Member
10283 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
A Honeymoon can only really happen after you’re already married. If you want to go away beforehand then go for it, but it probably shouldn’t be considered your Honeymoon. 90% of the fun is that over the moon feeling of being husband and wife. If you Honeymoon before you’re married then its just another vacation.
I agree with
@lefeymw, I would plan something for Spring break. That will give you even more time to save and it’s really not that long to wait. You could still do a mini moon after the wedding and just keep it local.
Post # 8
Member
11532 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
Like most of the PPs, I voted for December. However, you could have a short, inexpensive honeymoon in December and still carve out time to be with each of your families, and then have your big honeymoon the summer AFTER your wedding. You would have many more months to plan and save, and you would also have something really special to look forward to and work toward after the wedding.
Post # 9
Member
6432 posts
Bee Keeper
For me, a honeymoon has to be after the wedding; I want our honeymoon to be as newly-weds, so going before would not be a honeymoon, it would just be a holiday. I also want it to be more special than any trip we’ve taken so far, so if that meant waiting a few months, I would wait.
Post # 10
Member
2441 posts
Buzzing bee
Go in December/January. Leave the day after Christmas so that you can spend the holiday with family. Assuming you’ll have to return to work on 1/7/13 you could easily fit a 7-10 day honeymoon between 12/26/12 and 1/6/13. You would be gone for NYE but I think that would be an exciting time to be on a honeymoon.
Post # 11
Member
2183 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: November 2011 - Florida Aquarium
We got married last November, and we went on a cruise Thanksgiving week. It was awesome for us! This year, though, we’re planning on spending Thanksgiving with our families, and then we’ll celebrate our anniversary around Christmas in Europe.
I vote December.
Post # 12
Member
270 posts
Helper bee
You ladies are probably right. We should just wait. Thanks for all the input.