again, i can't stress how awesome of an amazing website, the plunge, is.

check out this article about honeymoon planning.



Instead of thinking about destinations, think about the characteristics you want in a honeymoon. Do you see yourself sprawled on the beach by day, then savoring a quiet romantic dinner at night? Would the two of you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a city vacation? Do you want golf courses, nightlife, and sightseeing all in one place?

How about wine tasting, snorkeling, or European sex clubs? Theoretically, it’d be great if you could tick off every single variable you’d like to experience, then input some constraints (price, dates, hours of travel time), and then magically get back a range of possible destinations, places you’d otherwise overlook.

There's a tool for doing just that. It's a site called TravelMuse. Check it out.

For the rest of your planning, follow these 10 lightning-quick rules:

1. Budget early.

Sock away money for the honeymoon when you first scope out your wedding budget. Let’s say your car gets totaled—crushed fender, dented hood, shattered headlights. Now imagine that you get a crack in your windshield. Do you think you’d be more pissed off if the cracked windshield happened during the accident…or six months later, after you’ve already paid to have the sucker fixed? Get all your bad news at once.

Need an easy tool for budgeting? Check out The Plunge's Honeymoon Budget Spreadsheet.

2. Wait a day or two before you embark.

Slow down. Relax. You just had the most anxious, nerve-busting, 48-hour stretch since you waited to see if your ex-girlfriend’s results would be “pink” or “blue.” After the wedding, give yourself a day to chill out, sober up, decompress, recap the night’s activities with each other (it’s likely the two of you will “divide and conquer” your guests during the evening) and thank your family and close friends. Click here for more tactics on the honeymoon departure.

3. Plan spontaneity.

As explained above, most of the “surprise” factor has disappeared from honeymoons. Steal a little of it back. In your research, dig for some perks that she doesn’t know about—massages, champagne picnics, all that crap—and don’t tell her about it. You’ll look like a big hero…even if she doesn’t realize that it just might be the last romantic gesture you’ll ever make in your life.

4. Plan early.

Earlier planning equals cheaper flights equals more money to “invest” in booze or blackjack.

5. Think about a half-n-half.

Maybe you’re waffling between a quiet week on the beach and a daring, balls-to-the-walls adventure through Beijing. You can do both. This is the one vacation in your life (not really, see below) that should cater to your every whim. There’s no rule that says you can’t hit a beach resort first, decompress, then spend a week in Western Europe.