When couples begin planning their wedding, determining the budget is always the very first hurdle to overcome. Inevitably, the conversation about the type of honeymoon desired also comes up. Some couples may choose to not go on a honeymoon or push out the honeymoon for a later date, in order to splurge a bit more on the wedding. However, in my humble opinion the honeymoon is just as important as the wedding.
I remember planning my own wedding and the thought of not taking a honeymoon immediately after my wedding never crossed my mind! In fact, I remember carefully and appropriately budgeting for the most extravagant honeymoon we could afford. Your honeymoon is your first trip and the first days you will spend as a married couple. It is the beginning of forever. Why skimp on that? You'll never get another honeymoon. You’ll of course have many blessed anniversaries but there is only ONE honeymoon. So I’m probably the last person to talk to if you are considering not going on a honeymoon because I’m a honeymoon snob!
Just recently, I was reminded of our honeymoon to Bora Bora in the French Polynesian islands. We happened to rent the movie “Couples Retreat” and it was filmed on the same island that we honeymooned on almost six years ago! I will never forget the overwater bungalows that floated atop the serene waters of the South Pacific. So Bora Bora set the stage for all trips for the rest of our lives… although I will say, nothing else has quite compared to that trip and I think that is exactly how it should be.
Here are a few fabulous honeymoon locations:
South Pacific
The location for the recently released movie “Couples Retreat”, the hotel features the fabulous overwater bungalows. From the St. Regis website, “After you have experienced the exhilaration of world-class snorkeling in the private lagoon at The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort – surely you will allow yourself to be seduced by our undeniably romantic, adults-only Oasis Pool with secluded private cabanas. Also, take in sunset views at our beach side bar - Aparima. Outside of The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, guests may enjoy jet skiing, jeep safaris, shark & ray feeding, sailing, diving, hiking & sunset cocktail cruises.” - This sounds wonderful.
South Africa
This newly refashioned luxury hotel delivers all the creature comforts you'd expect from world class luxury accommodation and lots of little extras, too. Proudly situated in the iconic centre of Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, on its very own private quay - Cape Town's most popular shopping and tourist attractions are all easily within reach. Providing a tantalizing experience that melds modern luxury with traditional Cape culture, each of the 121 individually custom-decorated guest rooms and suites brings the charm of Cape Town to life.
Costa Rica
HOTEL GRANO DE ORO
Really the only place to overnight in the capital is this gracious mansion with one of the best restaurants in town, a rooftop terrace and comfortable, beautifully kept rooms. If you like Victoriana, the Vista de Oro and Garden suites are quite magical.
Hawaii
FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI AT WAILEA
This self-contained world of tall palms and white-curtained pool cabanas on a glorious stretch of sandy beach has first-rate service that stops just short of washing your feet. The three restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago (see Eat), are among the island's best, and the spa is encyclopedic. The 305 guest rooms and 75 suites are spacious and loaded with amenities and luxury, down to the marble bathroom countertops and the extra-deep tubs for two. Try to book a room on one of the higher floors (there are eight stories) for the best sunset views and whale-watching vantage points. All the big bones at the Wailea are perfect, but it’s the small touches—the twin sinks, the cushy towels, the L’Occitane bath products—that really make it heaven.
Europe
Hotel Ritz - Paris
Who needs Versailles when you’re ensconced in the Louis XVI splendor of the one and only Ritz? (How many hotels have songs written about them, not to mention their own filmography?) You’ll feel like a right royal couple at this Parisian pied-à-terre of kings. You can book the former suite of Coco Chanel, Marcel Proust or the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, a thrilling brush with history. But whatever you do, book a room in the Vêndome Wing, the oldest part of the hotel, with soaring ceilings, marble fireplaces, tapestries, crystal chandeliers and baths with gold-plated swan faucets. Start your day with a swim in the spa’s stunning Roman pool and end it with a nightcap at the glamorous Hemingway Bar. In between, browse the—yes, ritzy—jewelry shops lining the handsome Place Vendôme, just outside the door. And don’t miss having a meal at the Michelin-starred resident L’Espadon, one of the best restaurants in Paris.
*Hotel write ups courtesy of Brides.com
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