When Is the Right Time to Book Your Honeymoon?

In the midst of all of the wedding planning you’ve likely been doing, you’re probably at least starting to think about where and how you’ll spend your honeymoon. While there are no set rules for when you should start planning your honeymoon, depending on when you plan on taking it, you certainly want to allot enough buffer time in between when you book your flights and when you take off.

Kate Johnson, a leisure travel planner and honeymoon specialist, recommends that clients book their honeymoon at least 10 months in advance of when they’ll be traveling, or once their wedding date and site are secured. “Flights become available roughly 330 days or 11 months in advance to your dates, and it is important (especially if you are on a budget) to secure reservations early as you can ensure the best flight pricing and take advantage of early-booking discounts,” she says. “This time also allows for me to work with clients in tailoring their trip to meet their specifications and we map out the perfect trip that is uniquely designed for them.”

Before you do anything else, sit down with your fiancé and decide what your travel priorities are and what budget you need to set aside. “Once the wedding planning gets rolling, it’s easy for honeymoon planning to fall to the wayside,” says Johnson. “Make sure you make time to discuss what the two of you want—you’ll be surprised to learn it’s often different for each person what they want out of the honeymoon, and make sure you allot a budget so you can make your travel dreams come to fruition.”

Related: Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Honeymoon

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything on your plate (which is most likely quite a lot!), consider hiring a honeymoon travel advisor. “We understand you are completely overwhelmed and focused on planning all aspects of the wedding, and oftentimes the honeymoon falls by the wayside,” says Johnson. “When you work with a travel advisor, we get to know the both of you thoroughly—your likes, dislikes, travel dreams, bucket list experiences—and we are here to help take the stress and pressure off planning the honeymoon and curate your dream honeymoon that is as unique as you are.” In addition, you might save money working with a travel advisor, who is familiar with deals and steal you might not be privy to.

When considering, destinations, always factor in the time of year. “If you want to have a Caribbean honeymoon, but are getting married in October and want to go on the honeymoon immediately after, then you will be traveling during the worst of the hurricane season, and your honeymoon experience may be more than you bargained for,” explains Johnson. “Or, if you’re getting married in January, and want to go to Europe for the honeymoon immediately after, then keep in mind it will be extremely cold and possibly a snowy getaway.”

Avoid booking the honeymoon flight within the 48 hour period post-wedding. “Weddings are amazing and such an incredible experience, but trust me when I say you are going to be exhausted and might not even feel human the next day!” says Johnson. “Take into consideration your nerves on the big day, all of the partying, dancing, and well-wishing to family and friends—the next day you will be lucky if you even have a voice let alone the energy to get on a flight.” For this reason, she highly recommends wait at least two to three days after the wedding before you depart for the honeymoon.