Royal Weddings and Honeymoons
On the 19th May 2018 the popular Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in Windsor to much fanfare and huge worldwide interest. For their Honeymoon it certainly looks like they have chosen Alberta, Canada as their first choice. We can certainly confirm that Jasper is an amazing place to visit and stay, not to mention the rest of Alberta and indeed British Columbia the next state over.
The Queen, who has probably been to every country in the world at least twice, chose a staycation at Broadlands House and Balmoral. I would imagine travelling long haul was firmly at the back of her mind. Prince Charles and Diana hopped aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia and headed to the Med. Prince William and Kate went for the beauty of the Seychelles. I cannot agree more with this location being the epitome of luxury and relaxation as I was married here myself. Wedding and honeymoon in the same place.
Creating honeymoon’s is all about listening closely to what both parties want, working to the budget, and then formulating the trip of a lifetime, or is it? I have created honeymoons for a diverse set of clients over the years. It used to be the ultimate itinerary or travelling to somewhere they were not likely to visit again, but a lot of thought goes into honeymoons and not everyone is looking for that. Running all over the globe to epic locations, but arriving home shattered is not everyone’s idea of the trip of a lifetime. Sure, some like the option for relaxation, but also the opportunity to hit the city for shopping, nightlife and restaurant hopping, but increasingly I’m seeing those ‘’trip of a lifetime’’ ideas being spread out over the decades. 30th, 40th, 50th birthdays for example, 10th anniversary, these are all opportunities to cruise to Antarctica, relax in the jungles of Costa Rica, maybe even travel to Vegas, then hit the road through the National Parks to San Francisco or Seattle. More often I’m seeing couples wanting to have ‘’the newly weds experience’’ where they can totally relax, and plan the rest of their lives together. No long drives, no multiple airline sectors, no rushing to leave to the next stop having barely touched the surface of the current location. A 2 week trip is often, 10 or 11 nights in a heavenly hotel, a suite of course, followed by a few nights in the gateway city to have some fun. Admittedly, there are still many who want the ‘’trip of a lifetime’’ for a honeymoon, but the definition of this is not the same for everyone. Occasionally, in hushed tones, I’m instructed by one of the party to find a hotel with no WiFi, or at the very least, WiFi in reception only. However it’s still true some want that 18 day tour of Peru, but 3 nights in Miami and 3 nights in New York on the way home.
In our busy world, it’s also not uncommon to find a short honeymoon. 7 nights in the Royal Mansour, Marrakech, or 7 nights at Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro would both be exceptional trips. Exceptional dining, no jet lag and a driver to take you to your offsite restaurant reservations. Bliss.
So if you’re getting married, have a really good discussion about what you want to get out of your special holiday. I have had clients who want a few different options until something really jumps out at them, after all it’s possible that the pitter patter of tiny feet may postpone your trip to Easter Island for 18 years. For those without, you have years of skiing, cruising, expeditions and awesome weekends away for the rest of your life. As do those with Nannies.
Staycations support the local economy and are increasingly popular, but personally I’d rather be putting my snorkel gear on in the Whitsundays than fighting off a seagull who’s after my chips in St Ives.
Congratulations to the Happy Couple!
Go on, AsktheTraveller
