The Bridal Times: Destination Series: Honeymoon Planning

Furama Resort & Spa -- Da Nang, Vietnam
[Photo taken by Kha Thai Vo | All Rights Reserved © April 2008]

The main focus of any couple’s special day is of course the wedding itself. And considering all of the choices, decisions, and logistics that need to be determined, the whole process is more like a Hollywood production that can often times feel overwhelming. So it’s no wonder that the norm is to hire a wedding planner to take care of all of the details and behind-the-scenes tasks to ensure that your ceremony and reception go smoothly.

But what about your honeymoon?

Have you carved out some time in all of your busy wedding planning activities to figure out where you will take your first vacation together officially as husband and wife? Perhaps you have a general sense of where you’d like to go or the kind of honeymoon you’d like to have (i.e. adventurous, relaxing, luxurious, etc.), but just sifting through the mountains of information out there on the Internet is daunting. From TripAdvisor to Jetsetter, there is an endless supply of opinions, travel tips, and travel photos to be reviewed. And once you’ve done all of this (if you’ve done all of this), you still have the tedious task of booking everything yourself. But what if I told you that you can have someone else, a travel expert, do all of the destination research, price scenario comparisons, and booking for you completely for free?! Sound too good to be true? Well it’s not!

Erg Chebbi -- Sahara Desert -- Merzouga, Morocco
[Photo taken by Kha Thai Vo | All Rights Reserved © April 2012]

Many travel agencies (yes, they still exist) work off of commission, which is paid to them by the hotel directly, so they don’t charge you a fee for their services. And because they are able to negotiate discounted rates with the hotels, it’s a win-win for everyone! While it can certainly be a fun and rewarding experience to read all the reviews and look through candid traveler photos, not everyone has the time for that. This often results in overpaying for hotels or things going wrong because of limited planning or uninformed decision-making. While blind-bookings on German Wings or other travel web sites can be a fun and spontaneous experience, would you really want to take any risks when it comes to having your dream honeymoon come true?

At HJ Planners, our resident travel expert and Managing Director of Global Operations at HJ International, Kha Thai Vo, will take the time to consult with you and review all of your likes and dislikes for an ideal honeymoon. Whether you would prefer to spend your honeymoon skiing in the Alps or snorkeling in Bora Bora or riding camels in Morocco or simply just relaxing on the white sandy beaches of St. Lucia, Kha will research everything and find you the best pricing options for your honeymoon dates. And once you’ve decided on a destination, she will book everything for you AND write you up a very detailed and customized travel itinerary. With over 30 years of travel experience in over 40 countries, chances are she will even have all kinds of personal travel tips and recommendations if you end up honeymooning somewhere she’s already been!

Ask your wedding planner to introduce you to Kha or feel free to email her directly at kha@hjplanners.com. Our honeymoon planning service is included in our full planning package, and is available at a nominal fee our partial planning and day-of package couples.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Destination Series: Honeymoon Planning