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Are You Stuck in Honeymoon-Planning Hell? By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large March 24, 2004 When you're a travel pro, guys unabashedly confess that there is nothing worse than the pressure of making her dream trip come true. Wherever I go, they come clean with tales of woe, begging for advice on where to begin with planning a honeymoon. I guess the commitment issue isn’t the hardest part of getting married. You've coughed up cash for a rock. Then you have to plan a trip that will be judged--not only by the love of your life--but by all of your friends and family too! Somewhere along the way it seems the word “budget” flew out the window. This alone is enough to give anyone cold feet, but take a seat, champ. Let me clue you in to a few things: It doesn't have to be wildly expensive to be amazing; it doesn't have to be exotic to be special; and it doesn't have to be the most outrageous vacation imaginable to be your trip of a lifetime. What it does have to be right for you--for both of you. It has to suit your whims and desires, but it shouldn’t be left to chance. Sorry guys, but this is once instance in which women really do expect you to be detail-oriented! Have no fear. These quick tips will have you planning in no time: Make a list of realistic expectations. Honeymoons need to be carefree, in a planned sort of way. Think about how you want to spend your days and nights and make a list so you don't leave out anything. Remember to think about what both of you would like to do. If you have different ideal vacations, then consider this your first job as one half of a married couple. It's about caring compromises, and you're both going to have to do it--but it doesn't mean you won't have fun. Set a budget; you'll feel better. Then, be honest about it and stay within it. Believe me, it won't make you happy to penny-pinch once you've arrived. And coming home to credit card debt may make your first few months of married life more stressful. (Remember, you can always choose a place where your dollar will go farther.) It's never too soon to get your passports in order. You don't want to leave that to the last minute—it’s too stressful, and you'll pay more to have it rushed. You’ll probably also want to make her flight reservation with her maiden name, that way it's sure to match all of her identification. She’ll have time to make those changes after you get home! It's ok if you want to enlist some help on this. Just be sure that you always buy from a reputable agency when booking your trip. You should be involved enough in the planning to have total confidence in your travel plans. Be sure to look for competent, accessible, round-the-clock customer service that will be available to assist you at any point on your trip, whether you're abroad or stateside. Buy insurance and be sure to read the fine print first. For a vacation like this, it's worth it. Now that you're feeling more confident about how to start your honeymoon planning, you can begin to choose a destination. Don’t forget to reference that list of what you both want from your honeymoon vacation…. (Now that should keep you busy for a while!). If you have a question or topic you would like me to cover in a future column, please e-mail Amy Ziff at askamy@travelocity.com And remember to look here for your topic each week!

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