Adventure seekers or beach bodies? 

According to Claire Hastie, from One World Travel, focusing on what makes you tick as a couple is the most important first step when it comes to booking your perfect honeymoon.

...And having a budget in mind is also a vital part of any plan.

Claire is one of the trusted suppliers we refer our customers to again and again. With 20 years’ experience of travel agency, she helps them to plan trips that create memories of a lifetime.

“The first thing I always advise couples to do, is to decide what makes them happy – for example, are they looking for adventure, do they like exploring and taking in culture or history – or would they rather simply relax on a beautiful beach somewhere?

“The other vital ingredient is their budget. A lot of people are wary of sharing their budget expectations up front, but actually if they do so, it helps us identify exactly what kind of honeymoon they might be able to aim for.

“Often, the options we come up with surprise them. If they say ‘we have between £3,000 and £4,000 to spend’, we can often secure them more than they expected – anything from a cruise to a trip to Thailand.”

We asked Claire which destinations are proving particularly popular at the moment.

“We’re seeing quite a trend towards people being more adventurous,” she said.

“We’re arranging a lot of honeymoons to long haul destinations like Thailand, Vietnam and Mauritius.

“I think this is because they are looking for something a bit more unique that will give them amazing memories. People are pretty well travelled these days and generally know what they want from a holiday. European destinations are also still popular, but flights to Europe are so cheap at the moment, many feel this is something they can do any time, whereas long haul trips are that bit extra-special.”

One of the most exotic honeymoons Claire’s team have arranged recently, is to South America. “We had a couple come in who knew exactly what they wanted and are going on quite an intrepid tour, including all sorts of activities like rainforest visits,” added Claire. “We had great fun organising that one!”

However, they are also finding people thinking outside the box when it comes to Europe, too.

“We still have a lot of requests for European destinations, either just because couples love certain places, or because they are on a slightly tighter budget.

“Italy is always popular, because it’s so pretty and romantic, and the food is great. However, less common destinations like Croatia are also being asked for more and more, because, as well as being very pretty, they are also a bit less ‘touristy’ and – with the Euro so strong against the Pound – they can still get a little bit more for their money over there.”

Claire’s top three things to consider when planning your honeymoon

1. Think about the weather and the seasons in the place you want to visit. It can be very different to the UK, and might have an impact not only on when you go on honeymoon, but when you get married too. For example, we always advise our customers to avoid monsoon season when visiting places like Thailand and Vietnam.
   
2. Book early. Lastminute deals aren’t really the phenomenon they used to be and you can usually get a better package by booking at least a year – maybe even two – in advance. This also means you can choose the best room, with the view you want, to ensure your break is as special as possible. And you can pay your deposit and spread the rest of the payments, making it easier to budget.
   
3. Lots of the couples we help have lived together for a while before deciding to get married, and so they already have a home and all the day-to-day items they need. If this is you, Claire suggests asking for contributions towards your honeymoon instead of having a wedding list, to help with the overall cost and enable you to buy a few special extras you couldn’t otherwise afford.

An experienced, helping hand

While the Worldwide web means we all have, literally, a world of possibilities at our fingertips, all the time, searching through them all can be quite daunting. There are certainly advantages to seeking help from an experienced travel agent like Claire.

“We know, from experience, what different levels of investment will buy when it comes to honeymoons,” she concluded.

“And we have long-established relationships with holiday companies, tour operators and accommodation providers all over the world. This gives us the buying power to ensure our customers the best deal, and we can also often leverage a bit of added value, such as free room upgrades or flowers and wine in your room on arrival – just to make your trip that bit extra-special.

“Even closer and more traditional destinations, like Italy, can offer some more unusual and unique itineraries – from adventure sports to wine tasting and boat trips – and our knowledge means we can point people in the right direction, without them doing too much leg work.”

Claire has worked as a travel consultant for over two decades. Up until a year ago, she owned the Tutto Italia travel company, specialising in holidays to Italy. She sold Tutto to One World Travel in 2016 and now works alongside their team as a Senior Sales Consultant. Based in Beverley’s Saturday Market, Claire and the rest of the One World team offer specialist help with travel bookings to destinations all over the world.

You can find out more about what they have to offer via (01482) 280081, Beverley@1worldtravel.co.uk and www.tuttoitalia.co.uk

At Village Farm Marquees, we aim to hold your hand through the whole process of organising your wedding or other event, including introducing you to tried and tested partners like Claire. To arrange your free, no obligation initial consultation, email info@villagefarmmarquees.co.uk or call us on (01262) 468160.