Your honeymoon is supposed to be one of the most romantic and relaxing holidays you’ll ever take, but planning it can be a stressful business. The pressure is on to create an experience that is truly unforgettable, and it can be hard to know where to begin with so many destinations and experiences to choose from. If you are struggling for inspiration, follow these first steps to help you plan the perfect luxury honeymoon…

Enlist some help

Even if you usually travel independently, it is well worth enlisting the help of a travel company to help you plan a tailor made honeymoon – not only will it save you a lot of hassle, it is best to have the assistance of people who know the luxury destinations inside out.

Also worth investigating is a honeymoon gift list service. Honeymoons with Honeymiles is offered by the Western & Oriental collection of specialist tour operators allows you to set up your own personal honeymoon gift list online, share the page with your friends and family and your wedding guests can buy honeymoon activities, experiences and upgrades for you rather than wedding gifts. So if you want a luxury honeymoon more than you want household essentials, ask your wedding guests to contribute to your honeymoon instead!

Pick your ideal destination

Naturally, the destination is crucial, and will depend entirely on what you and your partner want from a honeymoon – beaches or cities, culture or ultra luxury, or all of the above! Once you know what kind of a honeymoon holiday you want, consult with your travel company – they’ll be able to advise you on the best destinations to choose from.

Of course, if you arrange a tailor made honeymoon, you can enjoy the benefits of several different locations within a country, mixing city breaks with beach resorts, fly drive with safaris, and pretty much any other combination of experience or destinations you can imagine. You could even visit two different countries – multi centre luxury honeymoons can contrast the beautiful beaches of Mauritius with the cosmopolitan high life of Dubai, for example.

Check the season

Before you become too enamoured of a particular location, make sure you can actually go there for your luxury honeymoon! Some destinations can be visited year round, but others are highly seasonal. It isn’t always down to weather, of course – Venice is a perfect luxury honeymoon destination for some parts of the year, but it can be very crowded in July and August; hardly what you want for a romantic holiday experience! If you’ve got your heart set on a destination for your tailor made honeymoon, make sure that you’ve chosen the time to visit where you can enjoy it at its best.

Select the perfect hotel

Luxury or boutique? At the heart of a city, on the outskirts, or in the middle of nowhere? Your hotel is likely to be the centre of your luxury honeymoon – in many ways, it is the most important element to get right! While a larger hotel can often provide grander facilities, the intimacy of a boutique hotel can be impossibly romantic. A private villa within a five star resort can be a good option, providing the privacy of the villa and the luxury facilities of the resort itself. As with every part of your tailor made honeymoon, there is no right or wrong answer – it all depends on the kind of experience you and your partner want to have.

Naturally, there’s much more to a tailor made honeymoon than just getting these elements right, but following steps will give you a solid foundation to relax and enjoy your luxury honeymoon.