Q1. I’ve heard of people who receive money from their guests for their honeymoon. What’s the etiquette for this?

Some  travel  agents  and  other  outlets  now  offer  honeymoon  registries.  It  works  just  like  a  gift registry where you have an itemised list of experiences from which guests can choose something to give you. For example if you want to jet off to Italy, your registry could include a lovely meal out, a trip on a gondola in Venice and a room upgrade in your hotel.

Q2. We want to slip off after our reception and go on our honeymoon. Is this OK?

Of  course.  It’s  really  up  to  you  when  you  leave  for  your  honeymoon.  Some  couples  like  to  stay  a  few days  after  their  wedding  if  they  have  overseas  guests  to  continue  the  celebrations.  But  if  you want  to leave  straight  after  your  reception  you  can  do  this  too.  It  may  be  a  good  idea  to  enlist the  help  of  a trusted family member to lend a hand with your luggage and perhaps driving you to the airport.

Q3. We would like to combine our wedding with our honeymoon. Is it possible?

There  are  many  places  both  here  and  overseas  which  can  now  cater  for  the  weddingmoon.  An obvious example is Fiji. Why not take a few close family and friends and jet off to a luxury island in Fiji hold your ceremony and then relax poolside or even jet off to another island for  some well-earned privacy? There are specialist companies that can cater for this, or you can organise it yourself.

Q4. I’m not a very good flyer, what are the options closer to home for our honeymoon?

We  are  lucky  enough  to  live  in  Australia  with  a  huge  diversity  of  culture  and  landscapes.  What about  a retreat in the snow, a gourmet  vineyard honeymoon  or relax by some  of our fantastic coastline? Try  an interstate  city  break  and  spoil  yourselves  in  a  luxury  hotel  for  a  few  nights.  What  about crossing  the country on a luxury train or taking a driving trip –  you could drive to Melbourne or Adelaide from Sydney via the Great Ocean Road.  You don’t have to get  on  an aeroplane to have  a truly luxurious honeymoon right on your doorstep.

Q5. My hubby-to-be and I have completely different holiday tastes. How can we come up with a compromise?

Ah  yes  –  an extremely common problem  and  an easy  one to fix. Just choose  somewhere that can cater for the two  of  you. For example if he likes trekking through mountains  and  you like lying on the beach, choose a destination that has both of these things. Many places in Asia could fit the bill. 
What if you like shopping  and  he  doesn’t?  Again,  choose  somewhere  with  lots  of  fab  shopping  and  other  activities like snorkeling, game fishing, wine tasting or even scooter hire while he can explore and leave you to shop in peace!
Of course, if he likes snowboarding and you want to work on your tan, poolside then one of you might just have to compromise a bit…well, after all, that’s what all good marriages are about!