A Case for Postponing the Honeymoon

To most brides the idea of postponing a honeymoon may sound crazy and we thought so to when my aunt suggested it but it was the best thing we could have done.  Our wedding day was filled with joyful dancing and time spent making memories.  The honeymoon should be as well but imagine for a second that after that amazing wedding day, you have to wake up early to catch a flight and spend your first day as husband and wife running through airports.  BLECH!   We encourage all our couples to just sit and soak in that moment, wake up late, and postpone that honeymoon.  Here’s why. . .

R & R

Your wedding day will be one of the most exciting, most beautiful, emotional, and joyful days of your entire life; it’ll also be one of the most exhausting! You and your husband desperately need to recover from the long hours of standing, dancing, bustling around on a timeline. Savor in the reality that you are finally married! Let your brains clear, reset, and create space for other things (like your first vacation as a MRS.).

Enjoy Your Guests

You have such a short time to try and cram in a quick “hello” to the loved ones who’ve come long distances to share this moment with you. Honor that legacy, yourself, and them by considering a low-key lunch the day after your wedding. You won’t have to stress about making sure everyone is visited with during the dinner hour of your reception… and less stress is the goal, right?

Paving a Smooth Road

As you well know, the devil is in the details. It’s true for weddings, and it’s true for travel. Allow yourself time to go through your checklist thoroughly and with a clear head. Give yourself a buffer to: arrange drop-off for your gifts and wedding clothes, make sure you have everything, maybe open your cards so you can deposit enclosed checks, and most of all- make sure the path is smooth for your first steps together on this fun and relaxing adventure.

Beat Post Wedding Blues

Bridal blues are real! It’s physical as your body chemistry is a wreck after the highs and lows of all that lead up to a wedding… not to mention lack of sleep from all that excitement!  It can be mental and emotional as well. If that’s not enough, then you’re faced with a pile of paperwork for changing your name, and the “business” of being legally married. If you have a honeymoon on the horizon, then you can power through this with greater ease, knowing that you have a sweet escape headed your way. Bonus, you’ll have all the business tasks out of the way before your vacation!

Focus on What Matters

I always say that a wedding is just one amazing day and a marriage is a lifetime of adventures with your best friend.  Focus on shepherding each other’s hearts and really soaking in each and every moment by slowing down.  Don’t rush through airports and off to cruise ships.  Instead remember that before cakes, flowers, passports, and bikinis…. there were two people who made the commitment to serve each other for the rest of their days. This is more easily said than done. Spend some quality time navigating this transition, then celebrate your victories on a belated honeymoon.

Regardless of when you leave, the whole point of a honeymoon is to relax and enjoy each other. Make sure you set yourself up for success in accomplishing that purpose.  As you make these plans, make sure you take the time to document this time together.  If you need help figuring out how to take better honeymoon photos then check out this youtube video we made below.