Paying For Your Honeymoon

Your wedding day is one of the biggest expenses you’ll ever incur – with only the purchase of your car or house topping the expense. Traditionally, the father of the bride has always been responsible for most, if not all of the expense of the wedding, but in more recent times there has been a trend towards sharing the cost with the groom’s parents and in many instances the couple paying for it themselves.

When it comes to the honeymoon, however, there is no firm rule that states who should fit the bill. (In the past the groom’s parents would have covered this cost). However, many couples are deciding to pay for this holiday themselves by sharing the cost between the two of them.

A great way to get additional funds towards your honeymoon, especially if you have been living together prior to the wedding and already have all the home essentials you need, is to set up a honeymoon registry. This can be done either at a reputable travel agency, or even online. All you need to do is simply register your honeymoon, obtain a reference number and print all the relevant details on cards. Some will disagree on putting these cards into your invitations (asking for a donation could be considered rude) but keep them handy and let close family and friends know should anyone ask for gift ideas.

For many couples this really helps to stretch the honeymoon budget and enables you to afford a destination honeymoon. Many of your guests would also prefer to give you something they know you will make use of and enjoy.

Another alternative would be for you to pay for your own honeymoon, but let guests contribute to an excursion or activity that you’d would enjoy while on honeymoon. Many resorts offer day trips and special romantic meals, as an extra, over and above the cost of the accommodation. Guests will then feel they are giving something you will enjoy which will contribute to making it an unforgettable holiday! You can provide a list of all the different excursions and activities available at the resort (and perhaps include the prices), making it easier for your guests to decide which activity they’d like to contribute towards.

(When setting up your wedding budget, don’t forget to add your honeymoon costs, as this is sometimes last on the list and easily forgotten.)