I have been really surprised by all the people who ask about the honeymoon. It’s always “When’s the wedding?” immediately followed by “Where are you going on your honeymoon?” We are just now thinking about it—and having a really tough time picking something! We’ve traveled a lot together already, so not only are we trying to decide whether we want our honeymoon to be “different” from our previous travels, we’re also having to consider slightly different options because of the season. Here’s the (very broad) options we’re considering…
Italy
Despite having traveled over much of Europe, I’ve never set foot in Italy and Wolfman has only been to Turin, not any of the major tourist cities. My MOH went to Rome, Florence, and Lake Cuomo for her honeymoon, and it looked amazing—a perfect combination of attractions and relaxation. It’d be easy to travel between cities and flights aren’t too terribly long. Popular for a reason.
Mount Kilimanjaro
…Yeah. This is definitely Wolfman’s idea—one that I think is cool, but maybe not occasion appropriate? He thinks it would be awesome to go on a big adventure type trip for our honeymoon and that hiking Kilimanjaro would be perfect for that. After all, “once you’ve seen your wife shit in a bucket and you’re still with her, you know it’s love” (direct quote).
Maldives/Seychelles
Lumping these together because they’re pretty similar in terms of what they are (island getaways), cost, and distance. Because we’re getting married in February, we’d have to go to the Southern Hemisphere to make sure we got hot weather. Also, if it’s good enough for Kate and Will…it’s good enough for us.
Switzerland
This is our “embrace the season!” option. We thought why not go somewhere that would be enhanced by the cold—maybe Geneva or Zurich for a few days, followed by a stay in a nice cabin in the Alps.
Mini-moon somewhere close by
We’re also discussing the possibility of a mini-moon—three or four days—somewhere relatively close by, then taking a longer trip over the summer when the weather is better. The key would be to get away and relax for a bit, but save the majority of our cash for later.
I’ll post again soon once we actually pick something!
My FI and I are doing a cruise through Italy- a great way to see all the major cities without the planning required for travel.
Those all sound like such exciting options! Of those you posted, I would definitely choose Italy: I’d like to have plenty to see and do on my honeymoon but for it still to be FAIRLY relaxing (no Kilimanjaro for me: later, yes, but not on my honeymoon!)
If you choose to go the ‘stay-cation’ route..definitely look in to House Mountain Inn in Lexington, VA… 
We got married there, and it is BEAUTIFUL.
Love that quote from the mister. Im all for adventure, not so much shitting in a bucket, isnt there a happy medium?
I would DEFINITELY pick Italy out of that bunch! (But I don’t like the water!) Can’t wait to see what you choose!
Good options! We just got back from 3 weeks in Europe and it was awesome. Almost 2 weeks was in Italy and we loved it. Not as many people speak English as we were led to believe, but Italian isn’t that tough (especially since we both know enough Spanish).
If you go to Florence, we took a cooking class from a private chef that was awesome! I can give you her info.
We didn’t really like Switzerland, but we only stopped in Zurich for lunch. What a pain, getting swiss francs to put in the parking meter. I mean really – a different currency in the middle of the EU. It’s about equal to Euros but everything is EXPENSIVE. We spent over SF100 on not very much (delicious) chocolate and a sandwich. People were polite but aloof. It was gorgeous to drive though, though.
I vote Kilimanjaro! I am really hoping to go there and what a cool adventure that would be!
All of those are great options! I’ve been to a lot of those places and would say that Italy is definitely the most romantic. However, I wouldn’t go in February 
you’d be missing out on the beautiful sunny summer weather. Go on a minimoon, and go back to Italy in the summertime when the weather’s nice!
Agree with @almostmrsj – Zurich IS EXPENSIVE and really not all that impressive. I used to travel there a lot for work and that’s really what Zurich is, a business hub! I would maybe devote a half day to a day there and that’s it!
Also just got back from our Honeymoon and we did Spain, Italy and France- Naples area, Rome and Florence specifically in Italy and it was BEAUTIFUL. But there is something to be said about the South of France as well, SO lovely! We definitely want to return for a longer stay specifically in France- my ideal would be touring all the vineyards, drinking wine and relaxing!
Also for us, we started in Spain because the flights were cheaper than what was coming up for Italy. I’m from NYC and get a direct flight, but Italy, for whatever reason, is still more money.
Wherever you choose, try to build in SOME relaxation time. I was SO stressed from my wedding, when we finally got to the honeymoon, I got sick towards the end = (
Maldives/Seychelles just looks and sounds amazing, it we had the money I would so be there…but all options are amazing
Don’t do Kilimanjaro. Trust me. Two friends of mine though it would be a fun thing to do this summer, strengthen their relationship, adventure, yadda yadda yadda – they both were miserable the whole time and weeks late still weren’t far enough removed for the sense of accomplishment to overcome all the discomfort, being cold, etc.
I’m all for going at some time in your life, but I just don’t think it’s what you want for a honeymoon.
I’ve done Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice, and some small area cities. That would be my vote…amazing food and wine, romance, sights and adventure. I think the perfect balance.
Italy is amazing! But everything on your list sounds cool, especially Maldives/Seychelles. I can’t wait to see where you select.
Sound like good choices, but I definitely would never want to shit in a bucket on my honeymoon, so I think I’d vote for one of the other ones.
Italy and the Maldives/Seychelles sound amazing for your honeymoon! Switzerland in February could be really romantic too… just prepare for cold!
Lots of good options! My opinion is that doing something too touristy (like Italy) can take away from the honeymoon. When I did a tour of Italy with my mum there was a honeymooning couple on the trip, it was so go go go the whole time they didn’t really have time to be romantic and they were with a bunch of strangers!
Mrs. Gray Wolf, Washington DC Age and Occupation: 26, Business Development Executive Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Research Scientist Engagement Date: November 11, 2011 Wedding Date: February 2013 Venue: Whittemore House About Me: I'm an ultra-organized, pun-loving, list-making, cheese-enthusiast bride-to-be. Although my day job is in cubicle land, I'm happiest in the modern art wing of a museum, having recently earned my Masters in Museum Studies. Shortly after a chance meeting five years ago, I moved in with Wolfman and haven't looked back since. We love music, movies, TV, and all things pop culture; we have an unspoken competition to be the first to share the latest YouTube sensation or indie song. Together, we've filled quite a few pages in our passports, but also love quiet nights in with a Game of Thrones marathon and our French Bulldog, Tonks (Harry Potter, anyone?). I'm planning a small, cozy winter wedding---think mercury glass and candle light---in the heart of DC. Our venue is a historic home with a lot of political charm, but needs a bit of work to be wedding-ready.
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