Bride Debate: When should you go on honeymoon?

Bride editors Amanda Griffiths and Sarah Harris offer their opposing views 

Image: Arnel Hasanovic via Unsplash

Straight away, says digital editor Sarah Harris who honeymooned in Orlando, Florida

“I chose to take my honeymoon the day after my wedding. We went to Orlando,
Florida, where we covered the Disney parks, Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Centre. It was a busy honeymoon but lots of fun.

“We decided to honeymoon immediately after the wedding as my husband is restricted with the dates he can take off from work. He also works away from Monday to Friday, so it meant we could have some quality time together immediately after our wedding.

“While we made sure we had packed before the wedding, it did mean the turnaround time after the big day was quite frantic and rushed. However, as we were still swept up in the excitement
of the celebrations, it wasn’t too overwhelming.

“When to honeymoon is a recurring debate among couples and there are pros and cons to both sides. A honeymoon straight after the wedding allows extended quality time as newlyweds but can also spell a harsh return to reality come home time.”

Wait a while, says magazines editor Amanda Griffiths who enjoyed a minimoon straight after her wedding and her official honeymoon a year later

“We honeymooned in California, just over a year after the wedding, taking a road trip from LA up the West Coast, diverting to the Napa Wine Valley, Death Valley National Park and then finishing in Las Vegas.

“We were paying for our wedding ourselves, so decided to ease the financial pressure by waiting and having another year to save. We asked our guests to contribute to our honeymoon fund, if they chose to give us a wedding present.

"The delay also gave us plenty of time to pick the perfect route. We packed a lot in, from climbing Yosemite Falls to a vineyard tour; a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon to a gondola ride in a casino.

“We didn’t want to miss out on time together straight after the wedding though – going straight back to work felt like an anti-climax, so we had a minimoon at a lodge with a hot tub in Suffolk. The weather couldn’t compete with California but we had a few lazy, relaxed days unplugged from our phones and any technology. It was just what we needed after the excitement of the big day.”

What we agree on...

There are pros and cons either way but make sure you get time together as newlyweds. Going away straight after the wedding is the traditional choice but could lead to the wedding blues on your return home, while waiting a while gives you something to look forward to.