Three tips for honeymoon planning

With only a couple more weeks to go until the wedding, it's hard not to be excited about going away on our honeymoon! Will and I planned our trip about 8 months ago, and the hardest part about the whole thing was just deciding where to go. We literally went into the travel office and picked out a bunch of travel books and brochures before finally settling on Ireland.But it wasn't just the photos of green rolling hills and the promise of an ancestral adventure that helped us make our decision; that was based on a number of different factors, including these three things below:1. Discuss and agree upon a budget, and stick to it!Travel can be pricey, and it can all add up quickly. Between flights, accommodations, food and tourism expenses, it pays to settle on a clear budget before starting to plan. With honeymoons, this step is especially important because you will also be paying for a wedding, and traveling as a couple is double the cost to traveling alone!   2. Take advantage of your resourcesUse travel books, agents, websites, travel reviews, friends and family to help choose where to travel for your honeymoon. Our big resource was our travel agent and good family friend, who helped us narrow our search for destinations that were within our pre-determined budget. Once we decided on a destination, we used a variety of books to determine where we would travel and how we would get around.3. Explore your options for different honeymoon styles and be open to compromiseI was lucky that Will and I agree on many things, including the fact that we wanted to share an adventurous honeymoon rather than a relaxing one. But many couples aren't so lucky! Be prepared to have an open discussion with your partner about the different travel styles and what works best for both of you. Sometimes trips can be a combination of both adventure and relaxation.Although these tips are fairly simple and common-sense, they made a world of difference for us when planning our honeymoon. We are now looking forward to an adventurous road trip around Ireland, including a special night at the Ashford Castle!