Ultimate Honeymoon Planning Checklist: Things to Do & Pack from 12 Months Before to Travel Day

Imagine you planned an amazing honeymoon photoshoot but you forgot to pack those twinning clothes or forgot the camera batteries. Here the honeymoon planning checklist can be your saviour. This will prevent you from any speedbreaker in creating memories. So, let’s get real and prepare a checklist that will keep last minute chaos at bay.

Timeline for Honeymoon Planning Checklist:

6 to 12Months

You have sufficient time to plan your honeymoon efficiently. 

1. Discuss your Dream Destination: This is the time where you can both express your likes and dislikes about the destination. Beach, mountain, cultural city break, or exotic island or a combination of both.
2. Set a Honeymoon Budget: Based on your shortlisted destination, draw a honeymoon budget. Consider flights, hotels, activities, meals, and shopping to draw the amount. Talk to a travel expert who can suggest good options. This will keep you away from last minute finance struggles.
3. Research Best Seasons: Find out the weather, festivals, and off-season perks for your chosen destination.

3 to 6 Months 

1. Passport Requirements: For international destinations, make sure your passport has sufficient validity as per the country to be visited, usually 6months before travel and atleast 2-3 blank pages for stamping. If not sufficient, do apply for new application or renewal as per the requirement.
2. Destination Experiences & Activities: Discuss the activities you both are interested in doing at the respective locations. Prepare a tentative itinerary to add all those activities like private dinners, wine tours, spa sessions, sunset cruise, hot air balloon ride or water sports.

1 to 3 Months

1. Visa application: Find out the visa application process for your shortlisted destination. Some countries take more than 15 to 20days or even a month more. If the embassy asks for additional documents that might take longer.
2. Forex or Travel Card: To be financially secure during the tour, make sure you apply for the travel card well in advance.
3. Health & Safety Precaution: Schedule vaccinations or health checks as per your honeymoon destination. Some African countries need yellow fever vaccination before the visit.
4. Finalize Your Itinerary: This is the time when you finalise your itinerary and confirm all the bookings done to avoid last minute surprises.
5. Prepare a Packing List: Carry the correct number of beachwear or winter wear as per your destination so that you don’t over pack. Shop for honeymoon-specific essentials like lingerie, sunglasses, evening wear, etc. Stock up on travel-size toiletries, sunscreen, insect repellent, and first-aid basics.
6. Travel Document Kit: Prepare a travel kit that will include your travel documents like passport, visa copies, airtickets, hotel bookings, itinerary, your personal shopping list, travel insurance copy, handy cash, international credit cards and travel cards.  You can definitely save the documents in the app. But if you run out of mobile battery or network or couldn’t connect to the airport wifi immediately then that may create a ruckus.  

1 week before

1. Doctor Consultation: If you are carrying any regular medicines, do ask for  its prescription as the immigration might cross question about these medicines.
2. Grooming Essentials: Book a salon or spa appointment to be honeymoon ready.
3. Honeymoon Surprise: Surprise your partner with a gift to make the honeymoon more special and memorable. You don’t need to buy an expensive gift but a simple poem or a handwritten feeling about your first meeting till the wedding day will prove much more magical for your partner.
4. Telecommunication Services: Check with mobile service providers about the international roaming charges or data charges especially when you are sightseeing in the city.
5. Pack a Medical Kit: Carry regular pain killers, band-aids, motion sickness tablets, sprain spray. 
6. Operational Technologies: Double-check on the phone chargers, adapters, headphones, and power banks. Reconfirm the type of adapter used in your visiting honeymoon country.
7. Country Essentials: Some European countries use regular tap water for drinking. So carry your reusable drinking bottles. The package water bottles are quite expensive there. Some African countries do not have jet spray in the bathroom so you need to carry a portable jet spray. 
8. Home Prep: Clear the pending bills in advance including electricity, maid salaries, etc. So that you don’t have to burden yourself once you are back from the vacation. Take help of your neighbours if required to take care of your pets or you may send him to a pet shelter home for that duration. For plants, you may order self watering spikes to keep them fresh.
9. Health & Safety Country Guide: Double check if your visiting country needs any health declaration to be filled like Thailand or Malaysia do.

A honeymoon is one of life’s most cherished journeys. It should unfold exactly as you’ve envisioned. From documentation and travel insurance to accommodation confirmations and packing essentials, meticulous planning helps you to experience a stress free honeymoon.

As a travel consultant, we understand that every couple’s idea of a “perfect honeymoon” is unique. Our role is to simplify the process and manage every detail so your experience is effortless from start to finish. Connect with the experts today for this seamless experience.