3 mistakes couples make when planning their honeymoons

04.03.2024 - 06:35 / insider.com

Planning your honeymoon can be one of the most exciting parts of being engaged.

When looking at centerpieces or booking a caterer gets too stressful, you can daydream about your post-wedding getaway, whether you intend to spend your honeymoon relaxing on a beach or sightseeing in a new city.

But just because you're good at fantasizing about your ideal honeymoon doesn't mean you know how to plan it, especially if it will be your first big vacation.

Business Insider spoke to Allison Kobasky, the cofounder of Over the Moon Vacations, about the most common mistakes people make as they plan their honeymoons.

Kobasky said many couples fall into "tourist traps" when planning their honeymoons, often because of social media.

"A lot of people, because of our social-media era, see a hotel on Instagram and want to go there, and it's really hard to talk someone out of that," Kobasky said, which can lead them to end up with an "Instagram versus reality" issue when they actually go on their honeymoon.

"Even if it's beautiful, it might not have the service level you're accustomed to or be in the best location or whatever," she said. "Really make sure you're doing enough research to understand what you're seeing. Don't just see one cute picture and be like, 'OK, boom, done.'"

Likewise, Kobasky advises against relying on friends or people from Facebook for honeymoon advice.

"On that same note, crowdsourcing on Facebook makes me cringe," Kobasky said. "Someone's like, 'I'm going to Atlanta, tell me 10 restaurants,' or whatever it is. No one's thinking of you at that moment. They're just spilling out the restaurants they've been to one time."

Although your Facebook friends are well-intentioned, they likely can't give you a holistic view of your destination. And as you look through social-media posts, remember that someone else's dream vacation might not be your perfect trip.

Kobasky, who owns Over the Moon with her husband Josh, said she often works with clients who want to travel to multiple locations during their honeymoons, which is fun in theory but can "severely impact your experience."

"We have clients that'll be like, 'We want to do Thailand, the Maldives, and Italy,'" Kobasky said. "Geographically, that makes no sense. Save one for another trip where you can really enjoy it."

And even if you're staying in one country, Kobasky still advises against booking too many activities.

"Some people want to do and see as much as possible," she said. "Every minute is planned out, and we're like, 'Leave time to get lost.'"

"You want to wander the streets of Rome and not feel like you have to get back for that Vatican tour," she gave as an example. "You know, you just want to be able to have time to enjoy the actual place