ASTA Offers Tips on Planning a Honeymoon

"Love at First Night"

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. April 15, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 15, 2009 - With June come weddings and with weddings come honeymoons. To unlock the secrets of honeymoon bliss, ASTA is providing a list of tips and suggestions. Some of the most travel-wise people in the world, ASTA members know that planning a honeymoon should be as relaxing as the honeymoon itself.

"Wherever you choose to spend your honeymoon, there's an ASTA travel agent who can help you plan the perfect trip. Whether it's a Caribbean cruise, relaxing at an all-inclusive resort or taking in the wonders of Paris, there is a travel specialist for every destination and type of travel imaginable who can ensure that your honeymoon is memorable for the right reasons," said ASTA President and Chair Chris Russo.

Among ASTA travel agents' tips for planning a honeymoon are:

. Begin early and share the planning. To ensure that both parties enjoy the honeymoon, they should consider making all the decisions together.

. Define "Ideal." If just one person will be doing the planning, he or she shouldn't assume that because they have always dreamt of honeymooning in a tropical paradise that their soon-to-be-spouse shares that dream. Consider these questions as soon as honeymoon talks begin:

o What is most important? Suntan lotion, sand and surf or the privacy and seclusion a cozy mountain retreat?

o Are you looking to experience new cultures or do you just want to get away from it all?

o Are you more interested in going around the corner or around the world?

o Do you want to spend more on the wedding or the honeymoon?

o What sounds better: a cruise, a package vacation or an all-inclusive resort?

. Pick your paradise. When it comes to honeymoon planning, most couples try to select the destination first, yet ASTA travel agents suggest a more productive way to begin. Unless the dream destination has already been set in stone, couples should first decide what type of vacation (all-inclusive resort, cruise, adventure vacation, cultural trip) they want and then narrow down their list of destinations accordingly.

. Make time for yourselves. Pad the honeymoon schedule with generous amounts of free time, for a rushed and overly organized honeymoon might feel too much like the wedding. Instead, plan a few enjoyable activities and leave lots of opportunities to just enjoy each other's company.

. Set a tentative budget. Talk about expectations and priorities from the very beginning and decide what you might splurge on and where you might cut corners.

. Splurge on accommodations. No matter what type of vacation package a couple chooses, they will spend an enormous amount of time in their room or cabin. This is not a place to cut corners.

. Brides-use your maiden name. Unless a couple is planning on taking a delayed honeymoon, the bride won't have time to change the name on her passport and driver's license. She should use her maiden name on visas, airline tickets, etc., so they match as it appears on official documents.

. Leave it to a professional. After "I do," a couple's two favorite words will be "stress free," if they opt to work with an expert, such as an ASTA travel agent who specializes in planning honeymoons. For stress-free travel plans-especially those with multiple steps like a honeymoon-seek out the expert advice of a travel agent. A good travel agent can save money as well as time, two enormous factors for a couple trying to plan a wedding and a honeymoon simultaneously.

Regardless of travel plans, using a professional ASTA travel agent can save time and money. For information, visit TravelSense.org. There, consumers not only can find travel tips and advice but an ASTA travel agent in their area who specializes in a particular destination or type of travel on the Find a Travel Agent Directory.

The mission of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable and growing and a rewarding field in which to work, invest and do business.