Honeymooning at Home

The concept of honeymooning originates way back in 1546 when it was called a honey moone. A newly married couple were said to spend their first month in matrimonial bliss, stemming from the idea that the first month of marriage is usually the sweetest! As the honeymoon became popular over the centuries, a couple would often take a bridal tour across Europe to present themselves to the world.

As much as we'd all love to tour Europe for a month, current reality requires that we find a more practical approach.  A lot of young couples see their honeymoon as a time to escape and relax before coming back to the “real world” of bills, school, and organizing the apartment!  With that in mind, a honeymoon doesn’t have to be extravagant or over the top, especially since newly-wed finances are often too tight to allow for a private villa on an island in Bora Bora!

A new trend for newlyweds is Honeymooning At Home!  This is a great alternative to jetting off the night of your wedding, touring a foreign place and scouring maps, and returning home jet-lagged and in need of a vacation from your vacation. Being a tourist can be exhausting and you don’t always get to spend quality time together! Should you opt to honeymoon at home, you can take the time to save up for your dream trip later in the year!  Honeymooning at home may not sound like an extravagant vacation, but with a bit of unique planning, you could create a nice week of relaxation and time to spend together in a comfortable environment.

1 - Go on a day of dates – Fill this day with all of the memorable dates you have had as a couple!  Start by reenacting your first date, move onto the moment you fell in love, and relive the date of your engagement. Complete the day by creating a whole new date: your first date as man & wife. By the end of the day, you will have fallen in love with your spouse all over again!Photo courtesy of Maria Grace Photography.

2 – Splurge – Go a little crazy! Book a room at the nicest hotel in town and make reservations for a swanky restaurant. Get all dressed up and really make a night of it!  Splurge on things you're not likely to do again, or that you wouldn't care to spend the money on usually. Though you'll still be close to home, you'll feel transported to a new world!
3 – Breakfast in Bed – First rule for this: sleep in! Do this every morning if you want, and either take turns making breakfast for each other, order something in, or cook together and spend the morning munching in bed!

4 – Go Stargazing – Drive to a secluded spot where you can really see the night sky and just enjoy seeking out constellations and looking for shooting stars!  Bring nice warm blankets and snacks and enjoy “wishing” on stars with each other in cheesy, newlywed bliss!

5 – Game Tournament – Designate a night that you break out all your games and play them back to back to find the true game champion!  If you don’t own any games yet, stock up on the classics like Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Shoots & Ladders, Candy Land, and others that you grew up with. You'll be prepared and well practiced for game tournaments when friends come over.

6 – Go On a “Campout” – If you're the outdoorsy couple or if you would like to be, pitch a tent, or a makeshift tent with lots of blankets and pillows either in your back yard or at a local camping site. Roast some marshmallows and sleep under the stars!Photo courtesy of Emily Heizer Photography.

7 – Order Take out – You probably wouldn’t be cooking on an exotic honeymoon, so why worry about washing pots and pans while honeymooning at home? Order from your go-to restaurants or find new places to order takeout. You'll have fun chuckling over Chinese in a cozy living room in your jammies.

8 – Movie Marathon – Create "an affair to remember" with an all day marathon of movies you both love. Take all your pillows and blankets, even your mattress if you like, and make a bed on the floor for an intense day of movie watching!  Eat popcorn and candy and end the night with a “sleepover” in your living room!

9 – Be a Tourist & Get Lost – Have you ever toured your hometown? Most New Yorkers have never seen the Statue of Liberty, and most Utahans have probably never been to This Is The Place Monument or Promontory Point! You may have overlooked some beautiful sites that your city has to offer.  Do some research and ask around to find out what things are must-sees. Then, just go for a drive, no maps, no Garmin, just the two of you and the open road!  Just be sure you can still find your way back home. 

Photo courtesy of Lori Romney Photography.

10 – Have a “fake honeymoon” – Who says you have to eat your baguette on a bench in front of the Seine? Not everyone can afford to go to Paris and have a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, but you can pack a picnic and find a river, and practice your French!

No matter if you rush off to Tahiti or mosey over to the local hotel, remember that your honeymoon is a celebration of your relationship. No other time in your life will feel as peaceful, joyful, and worry-free, so take advantage of whatever surroundings you find.