Honeymoon Poll/Experience

OK, So I couldn't come up with that many possible honeymoon things to do in the poll...   Anyway...

I know this really depends on individual situations, but I would really like to hear everyone's experiences and their opinions about them.


My questions are:

How important do you feel a honeymoon is?

Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important?

What would you have done differently?


I'm just asking because my DF and I are contemplating just going to Chicago (have to get my FLR visa anyway and we both love that city) or actually going all out to the Caribbean.  We were talking about it and both decided that it will be special no matter what, but we also might really enjoy time to relax after being stessed out by the wedding activities.

What do you all think?  For those of you that went to a big city, was it nice and enough time to bond some more and relax enough or was it too hectic?  I know many of you have been through this before so let me know what you think please.

DH and I spent the first few days after the wedding in the historic district of Wilmington, NC.  After that, we went to NYC for about a week (mainly for the spousal visa).  We had a lovely time (despite my cold and sprained ankle  ) and plan to go back for a "second" honeymoon sometime soon.

How important do you feel a honeymoon is? 

i dont think it's important at all... for me, anyway.

Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important?

not sure... it wasnt important to me, but we had a small, stress-free wedding.

What would you have done differently?

  we went to Barcelona on our honeymoon, and the place was fantastic, but i was very ill while we were there... suffering an allergic reaction to some antibiotics i was given over the counter in a Barcelona farmacia!   If i hadnt taken those, i would have been fine, and would have really enjoyed Barcelona.
 
For those of you that went to a big city, was it nice and enough time to bond some more and relax enough or was it too hectic?

  Not sure about the 'bonding' thing....  we had already known eachother for 13 years as friends, and had lived together for a year before getting married, so i think we were already as 'bonded' as we were ever going to be, so that wasnt important to me. But honeymooning in a city wasnt 'hectic'.  When i wasnt ill, we slept late, went for walks, and leisurely meals.  Not hectic at all. 

How important do you feel a honeymoon is? 

I think everyone's situation is different. For us it wasn't a matter of importance. We had two sons we had to deal with after the wedding so going away on a honeymoon wasn't really an option but to be honest I don't think I would have wanted to go anywhere anyway.
The day after our very small wedding we had to decorate for my eldest sons birthday party. I think once you have kids your days of honeymooning are just about over.

   
Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important? 

Like I mentioned above we had a very small wedding. It was more like a big party. I'm not a big believer in huge 'wedding shows' where you spend a fortune  impressing family and friends. That WOULD be exhausting! For us we took a few thousand pounds and put a down payment on our house. No regrets at all by the way!



   What would you have done differently?

Nothing....it was a perfect day for all of us   

How important do you feel a honeymoon is? 

I don't think the typical honeymoon travelling to some exotic place is a big deal...we have friends that have married then travel for months to China or Thailand then the reality sets (more like shock!)  in because they don't know what to do when they get home. Even if you have kids sometime spent together is good it doesn't have to be on holiday to do that..we went away as a family to Cypress..it was fun but I would have enjoyed a picnic in the park just the same.  I don't really understand having an overblown wedding complete with theme napkins and all costing the same as a deposit for a house either but then to each is own.


   
Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important? 

Time spent together yes and just to discuss things if things cropped up that they didn't think about before or how they felt at the wedding. To get used to each other and learning to live together if they haven't before.



What would you have done differently?

Nothing really ...except would have taken the holiday earlier instead of July it was fecking hot!!!

DH and I spent the first few days after the wedding in the historic district of Wilmington, NC. 

I used to live near there

We haven't gone on a honeymoon yet. After baby is born we will probably take a short-honeymoon somewhere,nothing exotic or anything, just somewhere out of this area and where we can be alone . We haven't had much time to relax after wedding, our baby is due soon so there has been a lot of preparing to do,even though we will probably never be fully prepared from what I've been told lol. we had a registry office wedding,because theres more important thing to do with our money right now then spend thousands of pounds on a wedding,but I wouldn't change any of it. It was a great day for us,it didn't have to be a big huge white wedding with ice swans to make it special

We couldn't go on honeymoon directly after the wedding, because we had to wait on my LLR visa (and passport of course) to come!  So we married mid-Aug, then took our trip in early Oct (2004).  We flew to Barcelona, then traveled to Madrid where we spent a week, then back to Barcelona for a week.  We lost my suitcase & all of my stuff (never recovered) on the second day on the way to Madrid through a series of mishaps...  So it was a crash course in traveling light!

How important do you feel a honeymoon is?  Eh - really it was just another vacation for us.  We both love traveling & having adventures.

Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important?  Not too important but I suppose it depends on how much of a 'do' you have for a wedding maybe?  In my case, there was a period of 'coming down to earth' in the 6 months (or so) following the moving, wedding & honeymoon excitement...getting a job - all that business.  (Blah!)

What would you have done differently?  Held onto that suitcase.

My husband and I -- though always in love -- have really grown on each other more with time.  In some ways, I think we are more like honeymooners now (1 year+ into the marriage) than we were then.  It just gets better & better.

How important do you feel a honeymoon is?

For us it was super important. why? it was the longest we'd ever spent back to back.  period.  we'd had so many 4 night visits (with a week here and there) that when we did the 10 day trip we learned a lot about eachother

Do you think the time to relax after the wedding is very important?  yes, for me it was between moving to the UK and getting married so it was a lovely time for us. magical. worth every penny!

What would you have done differently? Nothing. the place was perfect.  we stayed on maui.  maybe we would have only done the b&b in the hills for most of the trip, then the trendy place in hana for 2 nights.  we also stayed at the four seasons which was nice, but a total change to our chill time at the b&b. that was the most special.  well other than the hot tub on our porch in hana. 

I really can't answer the questions as I'm not married yet but we too were considering going to Chicago for our honeymoon while I get my Spousal Visa, but we have decided instead to mail it in and take our honeymoon on Mackinac Island.  It's where I've always wanted to go for my honeymoon and since we will now be getting married here in instead of in the UK as originally planned, one of my childhood dreams will come true (for the second time in my life:D)

We really wanted to go to Italy for our Honeymoon, but traveling to a place like that really keeps you busy. We always run here and there, trying to cram in every last thing. We decided after all of the stress from the wedding and moving, we should go somewhere relaxing. It was wonderful!! We went to Jamaica and we stayed at an all inclusive resort so we didn't have to worry about a thing. It was nice to have that alone time together. The only thing I worried about that week was which bikini to wear! 

I always thought I would have a typical honeymoon.  I always wanted to go to Paris from the time I was a kid.  Well the day after we spent a few days in NYC, our Best Man stayed one night with us there. (Talk about romantic )

About two months later we took a 4 day trip to Paris, and last Christmas we went to Puerto Rico.  (Part of which my family was there for)  If I could do it over, I would have picked an all inclusive place in the Caribbean and just relaxed.

Im not sure I really count here because we haven't had our honeymoon yet!  Just got married a month ago, hes back home in UK and Im here in SF until January.  In May we will be going to Greece and Spain for two weeks.  Thats our honeymoon.  We stayed in a B&B the weekend of our wedding and it was perfect.  We also had 20 people wedding and didnt have any stress.

I think its about having a few days together right after your ceremony.  Its romantic and relaxing to get a room and just stay in bed together all day, room service, movies... ETC!!!!!!!!!!!  We are basically considering our trip in May a vacation.  First time we can fly on a plane together, not alone!

Even in a big city you can find a nice hotel and hide in it together!!  Congrats!

No money for honeymoon, but I don't care. I can wait

We went on our honeymoon for our first anniversary.  No money or time after the wedding.

We spent a long weekend in Prague.  It was wonderful - but it was kind of bittersweet because our first anniversary just happened to fall on Mothering Sunday, so I spent Mother's Day away from my mother, my mother-in-law AND my own kids for the first time ever.