Wedding Gifts: How About the Honeymoon?

Wedding gifts can be a tricky old business. Not for the buyer you understand – after all, with online wedding gift lists it’s dead easy for guests these days. No, what we mean is it’s actually tricky for the bride and groom-to-be. These two find themselves in a dilemma. Do they sign up with John Lewis, before going round the store zapping the barcode of everything in sight? They could do, of course, but let’s be honest, most engaged couples live together prior to marriage, so there’s every chance they already own a nice toaster. They’re not that fussed about a Le Creuset casserole dish. And they don’t quite have the nerve to ask for an SLR camera.

So what’s the alternative when it comes to a wedding present? The engaged couples in this office have a theory – get your guests to pay for your honeymoon. There are two ways to do this. The first is to set up an account with a travel company who deal with honeymoons. They give you your account details, which you then pass onto your guests. They’re then free to contribute as much or as little as they like, in addition to specifying what component of the holiday they want to contribute towards. For example, it may be you want to go on a few excursions while you’re away, in which case, they can pay for one of those. Likewise, they might put their contribution towards a relaxing massage for you both in the hotel’s spa. Failing that, they can just pay for a little chunk of your stay.

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The flipside to all this is that you’re limited to travelling with the company in question. And in doing so it means you don’t have the chance to shop around for the best deal. That’s where option two of simply setting up a Honeymoon bank account has the upper hand. This way your guests can simply transfer their chosen sum, which you’re then free to use as you see fit. Whatever option you plump for, there is one stumbling block – do you book in advance and hope you get the required sum to pay for it all? Or do you wait until you know how much you’ve got, before getting a late deal?

This decision might depend on how confident you are of getting your required figure. After all, if you book in advance and the full sum doesn’t materialise, you’ll be the ones left to make up the shortfall. At the same time, booking ahead gives you peace of mind and something to look forward to, while leaving it to the last minute means things are up in the air until very late. That said, a last-minute booking does mean you’re purchasing within your means. Swings and roundabouts and all that.

One thing’s for sure – as unique wedding gifts go, the modern honeymoon is a popular option. It isn’t, however, a cheap option. Just the other day, for instance, I was having lunch with a couple who tied the knot last year. Now it has to be said this couple aren’t exactly hard up, but when I learnt that of their fortnight away, £4,000 was spent on a three-night safari, I nearly choked on my steak. Obviously there are far more affordable alternatives out there, but with most couple’s desire to distinguish their honeymoon from A. Nother relaxing holiday, there comes a premium.

So be prepared to compromise and remember to bear in mind the time of year you travel. Mexico and the Caribbean in August is their low season, so you’ll get great rates only tempered slightly by the chance of the odd downpour. Then again, anywhere in Europe at the same time of year is likely to be as expensive as it gets. Year round deals to places like Bali and Thailand always represent great value for money, while the Maldives, the Seychelles and the like have a range of prices to cater to most budgets. You see where we’re coming from. And hey, half the fun is doing the research!

GoneDigging don’t sell honeymoons. But we do have a few wedding gift alternatives for you to check out. We also sell loads of other personalised gifts, from children’s storybooks and original newspapers, to mugs and retro sweets.
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Eco-Companies Partner To Provide Green Honeymoon And Service Trips For Couples

New Haven, CT – The Green Bride Guide launched a new partnership this week with Elevate Destinations to offer couples a wide range of eco-friendly and philanthropic honeymoon trips.

According to The Wedding Report, couples planning “Eco Weddings” are 20% more likely to have a destination wedding than the average bride and groom, and approximately 60% of honeymooners will travel to a foreign country.

“Many couples are not aware of the impact traditional tourism has on local communities and the environment,” said Kate L. Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide and founder of the leading green wedding website www.greenbrideguide.com . “With most packaged trips, 80% of the revenue goes to airlines, hotels, and international companies, but through Elevate Destination we are able to offer couples amazing alternatives.”

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” Elevate Destinations is a leading responsible travel company offering custom designed trips that provide couples with the opportunity to better understand the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the countries they visit.

“Everything was taken care of, from someone meeting us at the airports, to outings which showcased the natural wonders of the Seychelles, to wonderful hotels. Throughout the trip, logistics and activities were arranged that made it apparent that our commitment to being green was being met,” said Tina and Kulbir Walha who went to the Seychelles on their green honeymoon.

When it comes to honeymoons, being a green does not mean giving up luxury or comfort. “One of the things we are trying to show on the Green Bride Guide site is that couples do not have to sacrifice style or comfort to be eco-friendly,” said Harrison.

“Our green honeymoons are romantic and luxurious,” said Dominique Callimanopilos, founder and president of Elevate Destinations. “We never compromise on aesthetics, amenities, service or security and every trip gives back to people and the planet.”

-Every trip is carbon offset, to neutralize the impact of travel on the earth

-5% of the net cost of every trip is donated to NGOs working on conservation and community development projects in the destination country

-Couples stay at eco-hotels and lodges that also give back to the community

In addition, couples can choose to add one or more days of community service to their adventures. Ambitious couples can plan full service trips, where they can teach English, volunteer at an orphanage, or assist with species preservation.

Billy and Kristin Byrnes, who traveled to Belize in December 2009, chose to do service with a conservation organization: “We wanted to have an eco-friendly honeymoon in which we could do some volunteer work. We tried unsuccessfully, on our own, to find destinations in the Caribbean that could accommodate our two priorities: eco-friendly and volunteer opportunities. Thank goodness we came across Elevate Destinations! They were able to fulfill both of our top priorities, in addition to planning a fabulous honeymoon for us.”

According to Callimanopulos, many couples who take service trips stay connected with the people and projects they work with and continue to support their efforts to make the world a better place long after the honeymoon is over.

The Green Bride Guide is offering every couple who books an eco-friendly honeymoon this year a free couple’s massage on their trip. Couples just need to mention the Green Bride Guide promotion when they book the trip.

About the Green Bride Guide

The Green Bride Guide, founded by Kate L. Harrison, is the most comprehensive and credible resource for engaged couples seeking eco-friendly wedding ideas, products and services. The site is a companion to Harrison’s book, The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth Friendly Wedding on Any Budget and offers pictures and stories from real green weddings, decor ideas, educational resources, approved green vendor directory, planning tools, and advice from industry experts. Kate L. Harrison has a background in environmental law and conservation. She recently developed the country’s first Green Wedding Professional Certification Course.

About Elevate Destinations

Founded by Dominique Callimanopulos in 2005, Elevate Destinations is a leading sustainable travel company that caters to luxury-oriented travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime adventures to exotic destinations where they have an opportunity to better understand the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the places they visit. The company also organizes donor trips for non-profit organizations.

Source:
http://www.1888pressrelease.com/eco-companies-partner-to-provide-green-honeymoon-and-service-pr-218099.html

http://www.greenbrideguide.com/
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How To Have Two Honeymoons In One

Travelling from the UK to any exotic destination for your honeymoon often means a lengthy flight.  None of us really want to sacrifice our romantic island getaway just because the flight is too long, but it’s certainly a drawback.  Recently I discovered that it’s a popular practice to include day-long stopovers in between lengthy flights.  You can visit two places on your honeymoon instead of one and there is just no disadvantage to that.  If you’re flying from the UK to Asia or Australia, you may find yourself heading over the United States.  Many of the airports at which you’ll change planes are in fantastic cities, so why not spend a day exploring rather than sitting in the airport waiting for the next flight?  Here are four great US cities where you’re most likely to have a layover – and most likely to enjoy yourself a little extra on your honeymoon.

New York City is famous the world over for its bustling lifestyle, fantastic culture, and media presence.  It also has a fascinating history and a fair number of landmarks; you can visit the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, or Times Square and there are many tours through the city.  You may also choose to have your travel company set up a day for you; for example, you might choose to view Manhattan from the decks of a restored 1929 sailboat in the spring and summer.  That sounds romantic enough for a honeymoon to me.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, a stopover in Las Vegas is in the perfect location.  At the airport, you can transfer onto a helicopter and land at this famous landmark in style, enjoying a romantic champagne picnic while there.  Vegas has numerous other charms and is a great place for a break from lengthy travel, especially if you have money to burn in the city’s well-known (and often filmed) casinos.

Avid film buffs may insist on stopping over in Los Angeles, the portal to all things Hollywood.  You can find your favourite performer’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or see the famous sign for yourself.  Or perhaps you’d like to have a meal in one of LA’s culinary hotspots.  You never know when you might run into one of your favourite celebrities and what a honeymoon memory that would make.  If the bustle of the city isn’t really for you, you might prefer a helicopter ride over Hollywood, seeing all the landmarks from above without the hassle of other tourists.

San Francisco is another exciting stopover destination in California and a regular honeymoon destination for many couples.  My parents chose it, in fact.  Undoubtedly you’ll have seen the Golden Gate Bridge in films and on TV without even realizing what it was!  The city has a varied liberal culture, with plenty of museums and landmarks for a speedy day out.  If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even explore the nearby Alcatraz prison and see the cells where famous criminals like Al Capone were held.  All of San Francisco’s scenery is best displayed in a seaplane flight, generally offered by travel agencies.

All in all, choosing a stopover destination can take the pain out of a lengthy set of flights and can give you a fantastic start – or end – to your honeymoon.

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About the Author:
Meghan Burton is a professional copywriter who really loves going on holiday.  She recommends Turquoise Holidays for all of your holiday needs.
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