The Benefits of Planning a Minimoon

We're all about honeymoons—they're one of the most exciting things to look forward to, post-wedding. But we also know that they take an immense amount of planning and budgeting, which can be a lot to juggle while you're planning, you know, your wedding. Enter the minimoon: A quick trip—maybe just a long weekend—that newlyweds often take in the days or weeks following the big day.

When it comes to planning a minimoon, it can be as simple or as involved as couples want it to be. Oftentimes, couples might just want to head to a local hotel or resort for a long weekend of massages, breakfast in bed, and pure relaxation. Others may want to hop in the car and road trip a few hours away from home, to get out of town. Domestic flights are also a great option for a quick three-to-five-day trip.

"To maximize the short amount of time you have for a minimoon, I recommend choosing a closer destination, within four hours of driving or two hours of flight time," says Sara Margulis CEO of Honeyfund. "A four-day weekend is doable for most couples who can't take a week or more off for the big trip [right away]. However, more and more, we see week-long minimoons followed by three-to-six-week honeymoons! Couples seem to be going longer and farther post-Covid, with average wedding budgets going down while average honeymoon budgets go up."

Keep in mind that just because you're not taking your honeymoon trip right after the wedding doesn't mean you have to skip it altogether! "There are several considerations for the timing of the big honeymoon, like aligning time off schedules at work, saving some extra money for the big, dream honeymoon trip, or waiting for the right season in a destination," explains Margulis. "If any of these apply to you, a minimoon is a great way to get some post-wedding time away while you wait."

Ready to start planning? Here, travel experts weigh in on how a quick minimoon trip can benefit couples after the wedding festivities.

Decompressing from Wedding Planning Stress

There's no denying it: Planning a wedding can be stressful. The amount of organization, mental and emotional energy, and prepping that goes into the big day is surely all worth it in the end, but on top of day-to-day life, it can feel like a lot. If you're not ready to jet off on a long honeymoon, a minimoon can provide newlyweds with the space and time to unwind and just kick back after all the celebrating.

Bonding as Newlyweds

It's likely that you and your new spouse bonded a lot during the wedding planning process (and during the actual wedding, of course!) but getting away for a mini-vacation can allow couples to strengthen that relationship bond without outside distractions or any pressure. That can take many forms, from trying new activities together in an unfamiliar destination to putting down your phones and just being together.

Saving Money for a Future Honeymoon

As Margulis mentions above, just because you're not taking your honeymoon right away doesn't mean you won't ever take it. In fact, going on a minimoon first allows you the time to really think about where you'd like your longer honeymoon trip to take place—and more importantly, it gives you time to save money for a longer trip. Especially when it comes to bucket-list honeymoons in far-flung destinations, the cost of travel can add up quickly. There's no harm in taking your time with the planning process, unwinding for a few days closer to home after the wedding, and then going all-out for a future honeymoon adventure.