Honeymoon ideas

Honeymoon Timing

When do you plan to depart for your honeymoon? The day after your wedding? Several days later? According to the latest wedding trend reports, more wedding couples are delaying their honeymoon departure by at least 24 hours after their wedding day.

They don’t want to wake up at 5amto catch a plane to their honeymoon destination, especially after being out until the wee hours at their wedding after-party. And they certainly don’t want to miss out on the morning-after breakfast, and additional time spent with family and friends. Read more…

Smart brides and grooms avoid wedding stress and arguments by going away on a romantic pre-honeymoon. Planning a weekend getaway or just an overnight stay in a bed and breakfast allows you to step away from the whirlwind of wedding planning – particularly in those last hectic weeks before the wedding – and re-connect as a couple without spending a fortune.

You don’t have to fly away to Tahiti or St. Lucia or any other top honeymoon locale in order to take your pre-honeymoon trip. Not when our state offers so many exciting destinations at the shore points in Ocean and Cape May Counties, golf resorts and ski areas in Sussex County, and more. Our New Jersey brides and grooms say they plan their getaways for our state’s wealth of exciting and indulgent vacation spots, many of which they visit annually, or where they – or friends — might even have shore or ski houses. They’re booking weekend stays and overnighters at the following types of locales:

• Upscale casino hotels like the Water Club or the Borgata in Atlantic City, where they can enjoy spa treatments, first-class service, the thrill of gambling, and perhaps taking in a concert or comedy show.

• Quaint beach towns, such as Cape May in Ocean County or Spring Lake, where they can ride bikes, relax in the sun, go shopping, and eat at wonderful restaurants overlooking the ocean at sunset, watching the dolphins at play in the distance.

• Lovely, Victorian bed and breakfasts. They’re not just in Cape May, although you’ll find some of New Jersey’s best B&Bs there. Visit www.BnBFinder.com to locate sweet and charming bed and breakfast establishments all over New Jersey, from the northernmost, mountainous points to shore points and in suburban areas in between. Friendly innkeepers see to your needs and make you a delectable breakfast in the morning. Some of our brides and grooms stay at B&Bs during weekdays to nab great discount prices.

• Brand-name hotels. Your nearby Westin, Hilton or Ramada may offer romantic weekend packages that allow you to stay in a suite, welcomed with complimentary champagne and strawberries, and a lavish brunch the next morning. You can laze by the pool, order room service, enjoy a five-star dinner, and act like you’re on vacation even though you’re only a few miles from home.

• Ski resort areas. You might choose your favorite New Jersey ski resort town, or pack for a road trip to a notable ski resort in a neighboring state. If you decide to stay off the slopes in protection of your ankles and knees before the big day, you can enjoy the ski lodge scene, go on tours, enjoy fine dining, and soak in an outdoor hot tub as a light snow falls.

• New York City. A quick ride into the city delivers you to a cultural mecca, and you might surprise your partner with tickets to a Broadway show or a limousine ride to a notable hotspot. Stay in a fine hotel and go celebrity-spotting at the city’s best-known star hangouts, or just walk hand-in-hand through Central Park during the afternoon. The city is your pre-honeymoon playground.

Best,

Lars Johnson, General Manager, Pleasantdale Chateau

As you discuss your dream honeymoon locations as you begin to think about your getaway of a lifetime, it can be quite overwhelming once you see all of the beautiful island resorts throughout the world and as you hear about your friends’ amazing honeymoon experiences. As I write this, the world is buzzing about the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, speculating that the royal wedding couple may go on safari for part of their honeymoon.

With so many inspirations out there — so many Top 10 Travel Locale website articles and specials on travel channels, not to mention bridal websites’ honeymoon articles and their annual Top 10 picks for the perfect honeymoon location – it’s best to begin your honeymoon discussions by assessing what both of you wish for in your dream honeymoon experience.

Here are some style-setting considerations:

1. Tropical environment. It may be your dream to go to a 5-star tropical resort, sip pina coladas on the beach, swim with dolphins and sea turtles and listen to steel drum music by the pool

1. Overseas city environment. A growing number of our New Jersey wedding couples are headed to Italy for several weeks of touring the famous, historic cities and historic landmarks, not to mention enjoying the Italian cuisine and upscale shopping. A flight overseas may take you to a dream destination on any continent, perhaps even to visit with family and friends overseas.

1. Big-city environment. In this era of careful spending, more wedding couples are choosing honeymoon locations within the continental United States, planning their getaways for big cities such as New York City – with the couple staying in the finest hotel, enjoying fine dining, theater, shopping, the VIP experience. Many New Jersey wedding couples say they’re always bringing friends to visit the hotspots of New York City, but they have never checked into the finest city hotel or experienced celebrity-style luxury there before. Other big-city destinations for our local wedding couples include Los Angeles, Chicago, and especially New Orleans.

1. Celebrity-style casino environment. Our wedding couples from Morris County, Somerset County, Hudson County, Passaic County all the way down to Cape May County are now booking their honeymoons at the top Atlantic City casino hotels, bumping into celebrities at nightclubs, dining in fine restaurants, shopping, taking in concerts and shows, experiencing the VIP honeymoon treatment just a short ride away…eliminating the need for pricy airline tickets.

1. Adventure sports environments. Some honeymoon locations provide adrenaline-pumping adventures such as ziplining, mountain biking down a volcano, white water rafting, scuba diving and other activities that may play into your dream honeymoon experience.

1. Heritage environments. What better time to explore the homeland of your ancestors, and share the illuminating trip with your new spouse? This trend ties into my earlier mention of local wedding couples heading to Italy, as both an international city destination and a connection to heritage, and heritage-connection honeymoon locations may be anywhere across the globe. You might wish to visit all of your heritage hotspots during a several-stop trek or during a cruise through the Mediterranean or Caribbean.

Today’s lengthier honeymoons see wedding couples visiting several locales, perhaps visiting a big-city locale for a few days, then heading to an oceanfront resort for a beach-style honeymoon – giving both of you the chance to make your wedding location wishes come true.

Best,

Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château