How to plan honeymoon

Choosing a honeymoon destination bears some similarity to selecting
a mate. You shouldn't decide haphazardly, and what looks good on
paper isn't always so. You want the perfect getaway, but you've
learned by now that perfection is elusive--even your Prince or
Princess Charming has faults (not that you can remember any just now).

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Sit down with your spouse-to-be and make a list of things that are essential (tropical setting, surfing) and what you can live without . Discuss whether you'll take off for the honeymoon immediately following the wedding or whether to postpone it a few days, weeks or longer.
2. Surf the Web and scan travel magazines for destination ideas.
3. Agree on a honeymoon that suits both of your personalities. Hedonistic hammock-dozers and lovers of la dolce vita will swoon for a beach resort in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Fiji or Tahiti. Exotic dreamers who love to scuba dive and snorkel will flip for the Seychelles and Palau. Fun-in-the-sun personalities will be drawn to resorts, where you can go from a pool to the golf course to a reggae-blaring beach bar to the spa and back to the pool again. Or fly to a cosmopolitan European city that has a great restaurant and theater scene. If a sprig of forsythia, wooded strolls and a vintage bottle of wine stirs your souls, a country inn in New England or Napa Valley has newlywed written all over it.
4. Talk about how you'll pay for the honeymoon and, if it's necessary to save up for it, how you'll go about that . Check out honeymoon registry sites such as HoneyLuna.com for more ideas and help.
5. Pick a package. A travel agent will be wired into the latest and greatest land, air and car packages, which cost less than booking accommodations, flights and car rental separately. A typical Hawaiian or Caribbean honeymoon package might include a cocktail greeting, a champagne breakfast, a dinner at the resort, and complimentary golf cart and greens fees, all for one price.
6. Put your official documents in order, including passports or visas. Purchase travel insurance, if you're not already covered by your credit card or insurance. If you are going abroad, exchange a few days' worth of currency before you leave. If you're going off the beaten path, make sure your vaccinations are up to date .
7. Pack for the honeymoon well before the wedding. There's plenty on your plate already.
8. Make arrangements for transportation to and from the airport and to have your home and pets cared for in your absence.