Honeymoon in Europe? It used to be that honeymoons or destination weddings were almost always in the Caribbean or Hawaii. No more. In this post, we look at two emerging trends.
Some couples want something different than the typical beach honeymoon. Solution? Europe. Romantic Italy or France top the list in terms of popularity. When we were in Bruges, we saw several weddings at historic churches. And a wedding in a UK castle is a reliable winner. In a world of Instagrammable photos, these settings will definitely set you apart.
The downside of course is that some of your guests just aren't going to make the trip across the pond. Flights can be more expensive to Europe (though we just saw some economy tickets from NY to Paris for about $400 each!). And face it, not everyone has a week to spend in Europe or wants a long weekend given the 5 - 9 hour time difference.
For those that want their wedding stateside, many couples are choosing to honeymoon in Europe. One popular approach is to do a Mediterranean cruise. You have your choice of large ships or smaller luxury ships. But even on the large ships, like Norwegian or Royal Caribbean, there's a wide range of cabin choices.
Another approach is to spend a week, say in Italy. A popular itinerary we have done for several couples is a Rome - Florence - Venice (sometimes Sorrento) customized trip. This can include time on a Tuscan villa and some great meals, wine tasting and balsamic vinegar sampling. Or you can join a group tour to save even more money.
And of course you can combine approaches. Recently we sent a young couple on a honeymoon. They spent 4 days in Rome and included a special meal at a Michelin star restaurant. Then they took a Rome to Barcelona cruise on a large ship, complete with nightly entertainment, loads of daily sightseeing and speciality restaurants galore. What could be bad? They even saved money by booking a lower level cabin on the cruise.
While flights typically will cost more to go to Europe than the Caribbean (from the east coast), depending when you go, it can be quite reasonable. If you avoid the summer and holiday rush periods, hotel and cruise prices can be very reasonable. And if the dollar happens to be strong, it's even more affordable.
Best to use an experienced travel agent to help you think through the options, set everything up and actually book the various components.