OK, let’s talk honeymoons. Our wedding was on a Saturday night and we were on a flight to Jamaica by early Monday morning. We did not opt for a European getaway or an adventurous trip that took us to multiple beautiful cities. We weren’t looking to travel, just for a full-out vacation. Take that all into consideration as you read this post! If you’re looking to travel, though, stay tuned for a Europe recap post from me in the future.
Here’s what we did right:
1. Going All-Inclusive
It would have been a much different vacation if we’d been paying for everything meal-by-meal and drink-by-drink all week right after spending a bunch of money on all the little things you need to buy for a wedding at the last second. We sipped on fun cocktails and wine all week (still dreaming of piña coladas), took advantage of the fully stocked mini bar in our room, and ordered lots of room service. We also did not skip desserts! It was such a comforting feeling to be catered to all week at Excellence Oyster Bay after working so hard to plan and execute our wedding together. The energy spent on interacting with guests all weekend alone merits a relaxing vacation. 🤷🏻♀️
2. Splurging on the Fancy Room…Briefly
The resort we stayed at was already a little pricey, albeit nice, but I had my eyes set on the fancy room with the infinity pool. Of all the times to splurge, I figured our honeymoon would be the time. That was the correct decision. I had mentioned to the guy I booked with on the phone that we wanted a nice view and somehow scored us a room with a balcony twice the size of all the other rooms at the same level. It was truly amazing. Getting the room for only the first two nights was also ideal. Our married friends had warned us that we’d do nothing but sleep for the first 24-48 hours, which wasn’t that far off. If there was ever a time to get a fancy room, it was for the 1.5-2 days that you didn’t want to do anything but be with each other and relax in your room.
3. Scheduling Zero Excursions
I understand the appeal of guided tours and adventures in a foreign country. I really do. I’ve done them in the past and had a ton of fun, but not leaving the resort was absolutely the right choice for us and the type of vacation we were looking for. We explored every inch of our big resort and loved trying out new spots to read together and relax with a cocktail. The concept of having nowhere to be and nothing to accomplish made the week a dream.
4. Choosing Adults Only
If there’s ever a time to book a kid-free-in-every-capacity vacation, it’s your honeymoon. Or an anniversary trip. Or literally any time you’re vacationing with only adults already. I love kids so much, but it was so nice to just be around grown-ups and hear all about their marriages. So many bits of advice, warm wishes, and sweet stories were shared with us!
5. Booking a Spa Treatment
We booked a couple’s massage to fully let go of stress together and that was our only set plan for the entire week. It was not the world’s best by any stretch, but it was mostly relaxing! Ours was as much a skin treatment as a massage, so I’d recommend doing deep tissue full body massages sans exfoliation to others. I would also say to book your treatment pre-sunburn to let yourself enjoy a massage or treatment to the fullest. We booked ours later in our stay and felt lucky we weren’t burnt! Booking our treatment meant an hour of aqua wellness/hydrotherapy prior to our massage. We laughed so hard being guided through each step together (definitely not the point) and so enjoyed that time together.
6. Picking a Stylish Resort
Just typing that out felt bratty, but it was so fun to handpick this resort that is still so new and beautifully designed. So much of its style felt modern, mid-century, and just moody enough, which is the type of interior design style we seem to be drawn to right now. We’d looked at the lobby setup with an amazing, swanky bar in it and the many really wonderfully designed restaurants extensively online and were so excited to see it all in person. The whole lobby always smelled phenomenal–like some citrusy essential oil combo—that instantly relaxed us. Also, the style of music always playing didn’t hurt! I highly recommend choosing a resort that feels like you.
This coconut martini was my jam.
7. Staying Long Enough
We stayed at the same resort for a full week. Five nights would be enough, but less than that would have felt like such a tease of a vacation. We came home ready for life again. Weddings are so stressful, no matter the scenario, so honeymooning for more than just a long weekend is so critical for stress relief.
The roomie and I have been craving the level of relaxation we felt on our honeymoon and the resort, itself, lately. Ryan has been mentioning it so much and is currently getting targeted ads from our resort showing off some great prices. We miss you, Excellence Oyster Bay!
Bonus Tip: Milk the heck out of a honeymoon or anniversary. We had champagne and fruit twice! Once in each room and one time it was chocolate-covered strawberries. Ask about any and all perks!