Getting married seems pretty simple in theory: You fall in love, sign some papers, and live happily ever after, right? In today’s world, not quite – the stress and planning that go into putting together a wedding can make finding the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with the easy part of getting married. From picking a venue and determining flower arrangements to sending out invitations and choosing the menu for the reception, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes at any wedding. Plus, you have the honeymoon to think about! 

Whether you’re leaving for your honeymoon right away or you’re waiting a couple of months, there’s nothing quite like that first vacation that you and your special someone take as a married couple. Of course, aside from deciding on a destination and drafting an itinerary, there’s another kind of important (i.e., really important) aspect of planning your honeymoon that you have to consider…. Money! 

If you’re fantasizing about an awesome honeymoon but are struggling to fit it into your budget, an easy, smart way to make it work is to create a honeymoon registry rather than a traditional wedding registry. Keep reading to see how a honeymoon registry can help you to make your dream post-wedding vacay into a reality! 

What Is a Honeymoon Registry, Anyway? 

Honeymoon registries have been growing quickly in popularity in recent years. But, even so, not a lot of people realize that they’re even an option. So, what is a honeymoon registry? 

Basically, a honeymoon registry is like any other type of gift registry (e.g., a wedding registry or a baby shower registry), only instead of asking for traditional gift items—like, say, a blender or wine glasses—you ask for money toward different travel expenses and activities. For instance, you might include your plane tickets, your hotel room, and any excursions or experiences that you’re planning for your honeymoon. If you want to go to Hawaii, you might put a snorkeling session on your registry, or if you want to go to Florence, you might include a guided walking tour of the city. 

Deciding What to Put On Your Honeymoon Registry 

When it comes to planning your honeymoon and making your registry, the first step is probably going to be the hardest: deciding where you want to go! Most people automatically think “tropical” when brainstorming honeymoon ideas, but don’t be afraid to choose a destination that’s a little unconventional (Some of our fave offbeat honeymoon places are Japan, Iceland, Vietnam, and Ireland!). Once you pick a place, it’s time to get into the really fun part—creating your itinerary. The kinds of things that you’re going to put on your registry will (obviously) depend on where you’re going. Regardless, here are some general tips for deciding on what to include on your honeymoon registry. 

Specificity When Possible 

When it comes to money, most people are, understandably, a little weary of blindly gifting away significant dollar amounts. This means that you’re going to want to try to be as specific as possible when you’re building your honeymoon registry. For example, if you want to ask for money to cover the cost of food, try finding some restaurants that you want to go to so that you can name actual places instead of just having the overarching category of “food.” (That being said, if you don’t have everything planned out, that’s okay, too! Hotels; money for cabs, buses, trains, etc.; and non-specific activities like “hiking” or “pub-hopping” are valid things to put on your registry as well.) 

Don’t Forget the Little Things

It’s easy to get caught up in the big things that you want to do—like skydiving or bungee-jumping—while you’re on your honeymoon, and while you’ll definitely want to include some of those activities on your registry, don’t forget to think about the smaller expenses that you’ll need to cover. Admission to museums and other attractions, the cost of guidebooks and maps, and spending money for souvenirs are all great “little things” to include on your registry. 

Find Activities That You’ll Both Enjoy

This one might seem obvious, but it’s important that your honeymoon is a dream come true for you and your partner. If you haven’t done much traveling together yet, you might want to discuss your travel habits and see how your spouse-to-be usually does things when they’re away from home. And if you have different interests… You know what they say about marriage: Compromise is key! Find things that you can do together, and if your travel priorities aren’t exactly the same (e.g., one person wants to do a lot of sightseeing while the other just wants to hit the beach), make sure that you find a way to do some of everything. 

Bon Voyage and Bonne Chance! 

Your wedding should be an amazing day that you’ll never forget—and your honeymoon should be equally memorable, filled with swoon-worthy romance and exciting experiences! That being said, budgeting for you and your partner’s ideal vacation can be difficult, especially after setting aside so much money for the wedding. This is part of the reason why honeymoon registries are becoming so popular. After all, your family and friends want to contribute to celebrating your marriage, and what better way to do that than by helping you have the best honeymoon that you could ask for? So, get planning and start making a honeymoon registry—love is in the air and so is adventure!