How to Plan a Fun Honeymoon Without Spending a Ton of Money
But what if you want to think outside the traditional box? What if you don’t have thousands to spend – especially after the fortune put out for the wedding – or simply crave something different, something special, something you will remember long after the bridal gown has gone into long-term storage?
The answer often lies well beyond travel agents, bridal magazine writers, and wedding coordinators, many of whom are geared toward getting you interested in the usual fare. They make their money in being able to get you to buy packages offered to thousands of other couples.
For Joe and Annie Lewis of suburban Philadelphia, in their mid-30s as they planned their wedding and honeymoon nearly a decade ago, they say money wasn’t the issue but they wanted a honeymoon that was more than a fancy vacation. “We wanted the start of our lives together to be a celebration of life and commitment and not just a chance to spend huge amounts of cash on one big day followed by a trip to a resort,” says Annie.
Instead of a fairy tale wedding and a room filled with brightly wrapped gifts of toasters and juice makers, the Lewises investigated their options carefully. The wedding was a comfortable, casual, and joyous affair held on the lakefront property of Joe’s uncle. Rather than gifts, guests were asked to donate cash toward a 10-day honeymoon the couple spent in Central America building a church, meeting place, and housing for the poor.
“If we’d gone to Bermuda, the memory of the cost would have lingered longer than the trip itself,” reports Joe. “But even all these years later, we remember vividly the joy and hope we brought to two small villages as part of a U.S. volunteer team. Next spring, for our ten-year anniversary, we’re going back there to help build a new school, with our son joining us. We can’t think of a better way to renew our vows and our commitment not just to each other but to the world.”
David and Joanne Milner of lower Manhattan also took a different road to a happy honeymoon. The first week of their two week trip was spent with Joanne’s parents working on a Habitat for Humanity home in the rural South – “one of the best times of my life,” declares David, a financial specialist . The other half of the time they went driving through Louisiana, experiencing some of the out-of-the-way inns and Cajun eateries along with great Southern hospitality.
“I wouldn’t have traded those two weeks for the best resort. And we still keep in touch with the family whose house we built during that first honeymoon week,” David adds. “Unfortunately, we’ve learned that some of those wonderful Cajun places we visited were lost to Hurricane Katrina. But we still have our memories.”
Beth and Micah Allenson didn’t spend their honeymoon twelve years ago volunteering, but traveling through New England, staying each night in a different inn or bed-and-breakfast. Although they admit packing in a great deal of fun, they spent a big part of their twelve days going to barn and garage sales to buy special pieces they brought back to Indiana where they set up an antique shop. The money family and friends gave them toward the honeymoon funded their shopping and their business startup rather than pay for a lavish honeymoon in Hawaii.
“Today, we make a decent living based on the business born during our honeymoon. It was great! I’d recommend it to anyone,” writes Beth.
Likewise, George and Phoebe Lesson, who now live just outside Atlanta, took their honeymoon cash to invest in their future. They spent time at a hotel management summer school being offered in southern New England during their vacation, then returned to Georgia to begin their careers in hotels and hospitality work.
“I’d never been north of Washington, D.C. and even though we took classes, we got great accommodations and wonderful food. Neither of us regret the decision. Before that honeymoon, Georgie and I both worked in low-wage jobs. Afterwards, we got much better ones. Name a better way to start a marriage,” says Phoebe who now manages corporate meeting arrangements for a large company.
