minimoon

How to have a romantic mini-moon

Photo by Austin Marshall. Try a mini-moon vacation closer to home and explore the USA. 

After all the planning and work in the lead up to your wedding and the excitement of the day itself, a honeymoon gives couples a welcome escape, a chance to spend quality romantic time together as you set out on your journey into married life. If you are planning a honeymoon, but either can't take a fortnight off work or don't have the budget left, you should consider a mini-moon vacation break. 

After wedding costs such as the venue, entertainment, food & drink and your rings, a honeymoon can be a big expense. Saving up for a longer honeymoon might just not be practical as you are paying for these expenses along the way. At the same time, finding a dream destination at an affordable price, booking the flights and sorting out transfers all takes time. In the run up to your wedding, your schedule can be pretty full!

A mini honeymoon or 'mini moon' vacation can be just as glamorous, indulgent and romantic as a traditional long honeymoon. Choose the right destination, and even close to home you can find fantastic places to enjoy time together. Getting a mini moon right is about finding a gorgeous place to stay, somewhere with a few romantic activities in the area which is not too far from home. You don't want to spend too long travelling and use up all your time flying.

So settle in for a few days romance, relaxation and fun with our guide to mini moon's.

Take the pressure off

Those weeks building up to your wedding day can often become some of the most intense and busy of your life. A bride or groom to be will often have a spreadsheet or long 'to-do' list of tasks to tackle in their wedding planning. It can feel like you are very much under pressure to get everything done. Planning and paying for a honeymoon on top of this can add more stress. So why pile more on yourself? Take a mini moon instead to cut costs and take the pressure off yourself. This way you can enjoy the planning after the wedding. 

Go somewhere special closer to home

A mini moon doesn't have to mean compromising on either the romance or luxury of your honeymoon. Staying closer to home, whether in the same state or a different part of the US doesn't mean giving up on gorgeous destinations either. Do you have special memories of visiting or staying somewhere in the USA together? Perhaps it's where you first met or where you got engaged. By choosing to take a mini moon in the USA, you could stay somewhere which is meaningful to your relationship together. A place where you can relive wonderful memories as a couple as you start your married life together. If that special place is abroad, but a relatively short-haul flight you could still head out there too. This can equally apply to a romantic getaway before the wedding as to a mini moon. 

If you do choose to have a longer full-blown honeymoon later, you are giving yourself the chance to save up for a blow-out trip with the budget of a lifetime. You'll also feel that you haven't missed out on taking romantic time straight after your wedding to spend together. Having a mini moon straight away and saving the blow-out vacation for a little later also lets you put any wedding gift money towards the costs of your honeymoon without you having to pay out deposits when cash can be tight.

Make it a surprise

What bride-to-be doesn't like to be whisked off her feet and be taken somewhere special by surprise? When you're travelling long-haul you need to find your partners passport. You might need to organize visas, which can require passports and even visits to an embassy! With a more local mini moon, all you need to do is book the time off, choose a destination and surprise your partner with a wonderful, romantic getaway when you really need one. 

Don't just stop by surprising your new partner with an unexpected post-wedding vacation. You can make your mini moon more romantic and special by organizing surprise activities. Think of something you love to do together as a couple or even take a walk on the wild side. Plan that activity you both always dreamed of doing. That mini moon needn't feel cheap or like you are missing. in fact it could even be much more luxurious than a longer vacation.  

Keep that newlywed feeling for longer... and give yourself something else to look forward to. 

It's a strange thing to say but after all the bustle in the run up to your wedding and the relaxing fun on the honeymoon vacation, couples can often find that they come back down to earth with a bump as they easy back into everyday life. For some, it can be difficult to let go of all the planning they have been doing for the past few months. By taking a shorter mini moon first and then coming back to plan a longer honeymoon after the wedding, you get to enjoy that newly-wedded bliss longer. When you do come around to taking that big honeymoon, it will bring back all these memories and feelings from your wedding day. After settling into your new life together and getting into a routine, it can be a lovely treat to enjoy a vacation together, indulging in pampering, romance and special treatment. 

At Our Wedding Story, we can help you tell your wedding story through beautiful, high quality images and video. Contact us today to book your wedding or engagement photography shoot.