Make a firm wedding budget and allot your desired amount for the honeymoon. Don’t let cake, flowers or bridesmaids gifts eat up any part of that budget. Don’t postpone the honeymoon saying that you’ll take it later; tomorrow never comes for honeymoons. Now is the time; later work, kids, family and everything piles up and the charm of a honeymoon at the right time fizzles out.

If airfare is eating up your entire budget, forget about Hawaii or Europe and save the flying time and airport hassles by going away some place local. Not only will you save big money, you won’t get lost as much, you’ll have a honeymoon memory you can visit again if you like and you can even come home early if the place doesn’t turn out to be as you expected.

The least expensive way of going on a honeymoon is to stay at someone’s house while they are away. Look into home exchanges where someone can stay at your place while you see a different locale. Similar to the Cameron Diaz- Kate Winslet movie, you might snag a great deal on seeing a new city without spending a dime on hotels.

If you can’t find a time share or other free accommodation, you can still have a great honeymoon by skipping the five star hotels and staying at a bed and breakfast instead. The rates are much lower, the policies less stringent and the innkeepers more friendly. There is no need for you to get souvenirs from your honeymoon for all your friends and family. Chances are you threw a great wedding and everyone got a favor; pick up a trinket or two for your new place together but leave it at that.

Typically, most honeymoons occur within a few days of the wedding ceremony although that is not always the case. Some people will plan the wedding based on school or work schedules and plan a honeymoon trip later when both parties can get a large chunk of time off for vacation. Others will decide where they want to go first and then decide on the when in regards to honeymoon planning. If you and your intended have your hearts set on a skiing vacation, then the obvious when in regards to honeymoon planning will be sometimes in the winter months. However, in seeking a tropical destination, the when could occur at any time of year.

Knowing where you are going is crucial to the where part of honeymoon planning. For strict budgets, you will likely stick close to home with the idea of going all out in a few years on a more extravagant vacation. Looser purse strings might see you venturing abroad to foreign countries either by cruise ship or by plane. The where in honeymoon planning is also influenced by what you and your intended’s likes and dislikes are in terms of weather and available activities. Tropical settings offer up the most opportunities for newlyweds and they are also romantic as well.

Unfortunately, the buck sometimes stops right where you don’t want it to – your dream destination for your honeymoon. Unless you want to be in debt for a few years while you pay off your dream honeymoon, it pays to be more sensible in your honeymoon planning. There is no reason not to choose a destination based on what your budget will allow and still plan that dream destination vacation for a later date. For some couples, a cruise makes economical sense in terms of the how of honeymoon planning. Your food, drink, activities and accommodations are not only under one roof but also part of one price. Plus, with this type of honeymoon, you can still see new places each time the ship makes port during your cruise. Let your budget dictate what you can and cannot afford in terms of your honeymoon destination. Honeymoon planning doesn’t have to be rocket science, just plain old common sense with a hint of dreams and romance thrown in.

There are also some interesting possibilities for those who have a home or apartment ready to occupy. There are some great home exchange programs. These programs help people make arrangements to exchange accommodations. Since the accommodations are often the most substantial expense of any trip, a home exchange can provide a fantastic honeymoon on a budget. There are people looking to exchange homes in Europe for similar accommodations in the United States. A honeymoon couple could trade their home for one in London, Paris or Berlin.

Couples who love the great outdoors could have a honeymoon on a budget by planning a camping trip. Life out in the wilderness could be the most romantic trip possible. Many of the national parks have great camping facilities that would provide magnificent settings for those ready to get away from the pressures of every day life. The parks also have some accommodations that offer shelter for those who like nature but not camping. Europe also has some great camping facilities so a couple could get to Europe and still have a honeymoon on a budget.

A honeymoon on a budget might mean just staying closer to home. Disneyland and Disney World are favorite spots and couples should go to the amusement park closest to their home to save some money. There are beautiful beaches on both coasts and a trip to the closest coast could bring some great savings. Driving to a destination saves the money of airfare, and a well-planned road trip could be a great time. There are wonderful sights such as the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls that are beautiful and inspiring. A road trip that includes such a destination could be the perfect honeymoon on a budget.

Most people who do not allow time and money for a honeymoon usually regret that decision. Weddings can be hectic, frustrating and joyful, but the festivities do not always allow much time to relax. The honeymoon is the perfect time to unwind from the wedding without all of the friends and family around. There are lavish trips for a bridal couple, and there are simple road trips through a scenic part of the country. Most people only have one honeymoon so it is wise to get some honeymoon tips before planning this special event. Honeymoon tips will probably help the budget as well as the itinerary.

First hand experience is the best, and there are probably some people close at hand that have some great advice for planning a honeymoon. Other newlyweds will often have the best honeymoon tips because they have this first hand experience. Other newlyweds will also have recent experience which should be most enlightening. Friends that have been on any kind of trip will also be able to provide some honeymoon tips. A bridal couple should make a special effort to get these honeymoon tips before paying out the first payments or making the first reservations.

Information on travel is available from many sources, but each couple should make some tentative decisions before looking at any destination in depth. The local newspaper often has very recent accounts from a reporter about a fascinating destination. These articles are usually based on first hand and recent experience. These articles provide information on the sights, food and special events at the destination. Information about costs are often included as well. Although these articles are not exclusively for newlyweds, these articles usually focus on very interesting destinations.

Honeymoon tips could help each couple get a perfect start to their life together. In other words, this is an important event. Take some time to thoroughly discuss the possibilities and then tap the sources available to get valuable honeymoon tips. Websites now provide comprehensive information on the most desirable destinations. This information is usually the most current available. The local library and the local bookstore will have plenty of information on many different destinations. Some of the books are dedicated to travel so these are written by people with extensive experience. Their honeymoon tips should be most valuable. Insightful honeymoon tips could make a huge difference in a very important trip so each couple should take the planning for the honeymoon most seriously.