Travel

Travel enters a wedding twice: when the wedding itself is somewhere you have to fly to, and when the two of you leave afterward. Both reward planning further ahead than seems necessary. A destination wedding depends on the marriage law of the place you choose, which can mean months of paperwork, translations and residency rules before anyone books a flight; many couples marry legally at home and hold the ceremony abroad. A honeymoon depends on the season — hurricane season in the Caribbean, monsoon in Southeast Asia, high summer in the Mediterranean — and on documents that match each other.

If you are changing your name, book your honeymoon travel in the name on your passport and change it when you are home. Check passport expiry dates early, since many countries require six months of validity beyond your return, and buy travel insurance once the big deposits are paid.

Many couples now take a short trip straight after the wedding and save the longer honeymoon for a few months later, when prices, weather or vacation days suit them better. When guests are traveling to you, a hotel room block arranged early and a clear travel page on your wedding website save everyone a round of questions. The guides below cover the details.