Posted by Grace Bonney, of Design*Sponge
Now that we’re measuring the distance between today and the BIG DAY in weeks, not units of six months, it’s time to get serious about our honeymoon. That’s right, we haven’t booked a honeymoon. I know, I know, ridiculous, but here’s what happened.
Scene: Six months ago, our living room in Brooklyn.
Me: Hey, we should really book our honeymoon.
Aaron: Cool, what were you thinking?
Me: What about Big Sur? (I show him the website for the Post Ranch Inn)
Aaron: Awesome, it has a fireplace and a hot tub? Sounds great. Let’s book it!
Me: (sound of calling and reserving the honeymoon suite) We’re set. Big Sur here we come!
End scene.
The Post Ranch Inn.
Cut to six months later— the economy has totally tanked and visions of staying in fancy rooms on the edge of a cliff with an infinity pool have become largely laughable for us.
So now we’re trying to scale back our honeymoon and find the perfect place to spend our first week as a married couple. We shifted gears pretty quickly to decide on what is regrettably called “glamping” these days (glamorous + camping). We’re both fine with roughing it, but for the honeymoon we wanted something extra special.
The only hitch? All of the places we’d like to go are up north and seem to not open until the end of May or early June, a full month after the ceremony.
So now we’re trying to decide: should we wait a month to stay somewhere dreamy like The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, or Clayoquot in Canada? Or should we try something like this in Southern California that might be able to take us right after the wedding?
Some of the contenders: Clayoquot and The Resort at Paws Up.
My questions to all the wedded-experts in the audience today are:
1) Did you wait to go on your honeymoon, or go right after the wedding? If you waited, did you regret it? Or was it worth the wait?
2) Did anyone go fancy camping (I refuse to keep saying "glamping") for their honeymoon, and if so, where did you stay?
As always, thanks for your tips and feedback.
You should go here:
http://www.rockwatersecretcoveresort.com/
It's amazing!
Posted by: shawna | February 27, 2009 at 04:05 PM
You might like:
San Ysidro Ranch in CA (where Jackie & Jack Kennedy honeymooned!)
Twin Farms in VT
Blackberry Farm in TN
Posted by: kelly | February 27, 2009 at 04:55 PM
We went the day after our wedding. I was so involved in my wedding planning that I wanted to get out of town right away. It was so special to spend the time with my new husband, I highly recommend it. It was wonderful to spend that week reflecting on the festivities and just being with each other. We went to Turtle in in Placencia, Belize. Which was like fancy camping in a cabin literally right on the beach, we absolutely loved it. http://www.blancaneaux.com/desk/
Posted by: Emily | February 27, 2009 at 05:08 PM
We waited a full 2 months after our wedding. It was worth the wait. We also totally changed from an energetic city honeymoon in Buenos Aires to the very low key and affordable village of Chacala in Mexico totally tucked away from civilization. It's the best decision we could have made for us. We had the time to decompress, focus on each other and reflect on our celebration.
Posted by: yvonnes | February 27, 2009 at 05:23 PM
We are doing a "mini-moon" right after the wedding (staying at a beach hotel in a nearby town for 3 days) and then going on our actual honeymoon a few months later.
Posted by: Amy | February 27, 2009 at 05:47 PM
I seem to be your opposite - I live in Montana and honeymooned in New York.
If you end up at the Paws Up -which I've heard of but have never seen - you must, must take the drive up to Glacier Park. It might be fun to rent a car and have a road-trippy honeymoon, visiting some of the cute towns in MT and stopping for picnics and hikes.
I will warn you though, if you go in early May it could be wonderfully spring-like or there could just as easily be snow. In college I once moved out of my dorm room in May in a huge snowstorm!
Posted by: coral | February 27, 2009 at 05:48 PM
hi grace! sounds like you made your decision but i wanted to chime in too :) we waited about 5 months after our wedding to go on our honeymoon (kauai = LOVE)). we waited mainly because we were so busy with wedding planning, i could not fathom having to plan yet another thing! my hubs and i were both so glad we waited because we could completely relax and fully appreciate being on our honeymoon. that being said, i hope you & aaron take a few days (or the next week) off after the wedding to just absorb everything wonderful that's happened, and it's great to have that time to yourselves afterwards. i only took a couple days off (friday wedding, back to work wednesday!) and wish i'd taken a couple more days off. but in hindsight, it wasn't a big deal :) congrats to you and aaron! i've been a longtime fan of d*s :)
Posted by: tracyh | February 27, 2009 at 07:05 PM
hi grace. i'm not married, so i can't give any suggestions as to whether or not you should wait, but, i live in southwest montana and i have a suggestion for your honey moon location. it's one of my favorite places to go when i want a quick trip out of town. it's called chico hotsprings. here's their website: http://www.chicohotsprings.com/ the hotsprings is SO relaxing! They have a really nice restaurant for a nice dinner and a nice day spa for extra relaxing! just a suggestion! : ) ...but, the pictures of the other montana location look fabulous... i might have to check it out for myself some time!
Posted by: amanda | February 27, 2009 at 08:23 PM
I love the idea of glamping. We didn't really do that, but we spent a LOT of time outdoors. We flew out the day after our wedding to Portland, Maine, and then took a ferry to Monhegan Island. Its the eastern most island in the US (or something like that). I think is 1.5 miles long by a half mile wide...There are no cars on the island, just a few lobstering trucks. We didn't realize that we would be the youngest people on the island, but we didn't mind. There are lots of artists that go there to paint/sketch/etc, we mostly hiked and photographed the island over the course of a week. (and played a lot of scrabble!) There were a few delicious restaurants we dined at for dinner - all were bring your own wine. We went to the small grocery and bought food for picnics each day. We stayed at a lovely b&b on the ocean that had a full kitchen, so we could have cooked if we wanted to. It was the perfect vacation. I bet Maine will be pretty chilly in the early summer, but we went in September, and got to experience almost every kind of weather, which was awesome. We liked leaving right after the wedding because we were so exhausted.
Posted by: Amy | February 27, 2009 at 08:42 PM
We had to cut our honeymoon plans a bit when I was suddenly laid off a month before our wedding. We still went as planned but we were very careful not to overspend on meals, shopping or sightseeing when we were abraod. With that said, a honeymoon is for indulging and relaxing. you can do that anywhere with the one you love! ;) Looking back, I wouldn't have changed a thing but looking ahead, I would say that perhaps it's better to indulge in a little luxury even if that means a well spend weekend as opposed to an entire week away. Bon Voyage!
Posted by: perfect bound | February 27, 2009 at 09:43 PM
hey grace!
vancouver island is really beautiful, i'm sure clayoquot would be amazing.
here is another site i had been checking out which also looks fabulous. it's not exactly camping but they are hand hewn cabins:
http://www.duntonhotsprings.com/
Posted by: elaina | February 28, 2009 at 01:17 AM
dear Grace,
i love the place in Montana. it's beautiful and romantic and it feels like somewhere in Africa. honeymoons are to be spent in very special places and this one sure is. xoxo
Posted by: Llubav | February 28, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Just another Montana Vacation Site, Maybe a little more affordable.
This is in south central Montana and on the edge of Yellowstone National Park.
A natural Hot Springs that caters to folks who want to get away, No computer, no TV, and the only wifi is in the lobby. Great Spa and you can get up early and drive down the road a way to the 45th parallel and soak in the "Boiling" river.
Check it out, www.chicohotsprings.com
Posted by: Sondra | February 28, 2009 at 02:06 PM
update: we're going to paw's up!! we bit the bullet and decided it was worth postponing the trip a bit to have a truly magical honeymoon. so we'll be spending half our time in a rent tent and half in a small cabin (just in case it's too cold). thanks to everyone for their advice!
grace
Posted by: grace | February 28, 2009 at 04:15 PM
2 winners!!!
www.verana.com/ small Mexican hideaway-Totally awesome!!
www.elcapitancanyon.com/ near Santa Barbara. Luxury camping!!
Posted by: jill dupre' | February 28, 2009 at 05:19 PM
We waited about 3 weeks after our wedding to go on our honeymoon. We are both snowboarders and went on a snowboard honeymoon to Whistler/Blackcomb, BC, Canada. We got married Nov 9, but waited until Dec 3 to go on our trip to ensure there would be snow. I'm very glad we waited because getting ready for the wedding was so hectic that it was nice to have time in between to decompress and then refocus and have something wonderful to look forward to. You won't have to pack for your honeymoon at the same time you're worried about all the stuff that goes into getting ready for your big day. It really cut down on a lot of unnecessary stress for both of us!
Posted by: Melissa | February 28, 2009 at 07:10 PM
Hi Grace,
We left the day after our wedding and went to Hotel Villa del sol in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. It was mid-winter and all I wanted to do was lay on the beach. Ten days later and I was still happy on that same beach (it was 90 degrees and sunny every day, so that helped as well).
For our five year we went to Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. (We were at my parents house outside SF and they watched the kids while we escaped for 2 days) I know the $ isn't necessarily on the less expensive side at the Post Ranch Inn, but EVERYTHING was included in the price (even the convertible Lexus we were able to test drive up and down the coast). The mini bar was full with goodies- all complimentary. I have been many places and the Post Ranch Inn was pure heaven. If you can still swing it, it is absolutely divine.
Regardless of when you go on your honeymoon, it will be special because it is YOUR honeymoon with the person who you said "I DO" to. Make sure you go somewhere special, that will mean a lot to both of you, because hopefully you will only have one honeymoon. (And lots of anniversary celebrations after.) Do what you love to do, and it won't matter when it is. It is up to you guys- if you have always imagined your honeymoon the day after- then that is when it should be. With this economy, cancellations happen. So just keep calling. If you don't care that it is one month after your wedding- then do it then.
Posted by: Patricia | March 01, 2009 at 03:23 PM
Hi Grace,
I was reading this on design sponge:
I think anyone who lives in a city can agree that sometimes the most relaxing vacation is the one that politely forces you to disconnect from the rest of the world, and this spot looks dreamy.
I know the perfect place for you.
Very affordable, romantic, out of the way (you must take a ferry or small plane to get here)it's early in the season have the beach almost to yourself. rent a secluded beach cottage or stay at a luxury B&B. You'll find Friendly people here. It's the best place on earth to relax. It's so beautiful here Ocracoke Island was named the #1 beach in the USA.
Find out more here: http://www.Ocracokeweb.com
by the way, I'm a wedding photographer on the Island.
Congratulations and
Best wishes with all your plans!
Mary
Posted by: Mary | March 01, 2009 at 04:54 PM
We stayed at our family cottage in Michigan for our honeymoon. HOWEVER, if you want upscale camping, I'd definitely recommend Maho Bay on the island of St. John. We've been over 1/2 dozen times in the last 20 years. You sleep in a 16x16' wall tent nestled into the side of a mountain overlooking the water. Staff is super friendly and the whole place is an eco-resort. No telephones or TV's. You go to sleep & wake up with the sunset/sunrise. It's so totally relaxing. And exploring the island is fantastic - beautiful beaches and lots of history.
Posted by: Julie | March 02, 2009 at 08:40 AM
Don't wait! Go on the honeymoon right away! We got married July 2008 (we're in the Real Simple Weddings 2009 issue - Kelly & Colin). We went to Nova Scotia for the honeymoon. We booked our honeymoon in May, about 2 months in advance. We drove from Ohio to Bar Harbor and took the ferry to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. We rented this house for 5 nights: http://www.saibeachhouse.com , then we traveled east to Cape Breton and stayed 2 nights at the Keltic Lodge and for our final two nights we stayed at the Trout Point Lodge (http://www.troutpoint.com) near Yarmouth. Trout Point is perfect for your idea of glamping...it's located in a UN-designated biosphere with canoes, a natural hot tub, fireplaces in the rooms, tons of trails, an onsite naturalist, and the best organic, locally sourced food ever!
Posted by: kelly flamos | March 03, 2009 at 09:01 AM
sai beach house...new link:
http://www3.telus.net/rf3285
Posted by: kelly flamos | March 03, 2009 at 09:04 AM
We waited and then never followed through. It's a regret.
Posted by: L | April 04, 2009 at 01:54 AM