Advance Planning
When you get engaged, the question of booking the church, the hotel, the bridal dress etc. comes to mind almost immediately. The date is the first thing everyone asks you and everything centres around that. However, before you set the day for the wedding it would certainly be useful to give a thought as to where you would like to go on your honeymoon. Most of the holiday packages to the popular destinations are on a weekend day rather than midweek. If you have a particular destination in mind find out when it departs and at least you will know if the honeymoon and the wedding date are not clashing.
Always when booking specify to your travel agent that it is your honeymoon. All tour operators ask for "any special requests", i.e., pool view, quiet room, ground floor, etc., and whether a honeymoon or not these cannot be guaranteed; but close to the departure date it is possible to request the same directly with the hotel or apartment. It may just make the honeymoon that little bit special rather than just a normal holiday.

Weddings abroad have in recent times moved away form Rome, and over to Barbados, Jamaica etc. In Barbados you can book the priest and civil wedding. This wedding/honeymoon is quite easy to do. The priest abroad and the local priest make contact, and the Department of Foreign Affairs must be notified for the release papers. Full details will be with most travel agents. As a special service to the customer, some (but not all)agents would send congratulations, faxes out to family and friends on the day of the wedding free of charge.
When you're busy it's easy to view all holidays as the same, but the range of options is wider than you think. The following guidelines will help you to plan a holiday that is trouble free and suited to your special needs.

Closer to Home
Many people today opt for shorter breaks closer to home, and delay a longer holiday until they can better afford the time and expense. With the costs involved in a modern wedding, a short-break holiday may meet your requirements - Week-end and longer breaks are available to Britain and the Continent at affordable prices.
With the choice of car-ferry routes in operation, France and Britain are within easy access at costs which will leave you with extra money for spending or saving.
The Northern Ireland Tourist Board will give you information on their many great breaks and special offers. Have you been to Donegal, to West Cork/Kerry, to Connemara, to Wicklow? This might be your opportunity to see why millions come from all around the world to see these beautiful areas.

Focus your Options
While the choice may be staggering, consider all your options. There are self-catering holidays, touring, cruising, railway and beach holidays, caravaning and sporting holidays, and of course town and country holidays, not to forget the "Do Not Disturb" holiday which needs no special location . . . Your first decision is whether you're going to organise the holiday yourself or go through a travel agent. Organising your own holiday is likely to prove more interesting and exciting. Your second choice is narrowed down by selecting from one of three possibilities:
1) Short-range destinations, such as Ireland, Britain, Holland and France;
2) Middle-range destinations, like Italy, Spain, the Greek Islands, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia;
3) Long-range destinations, for example the USA, Jamaica, Kenya, Hong Kong, the (former) Soviet Union . . .

Packaged Holidays
If you want accommodation and all meals organised for you, the packaged holiday is best. Tour operating is a very competitive business, and offers great value, with some excellent bargains, especially off-season. Packaged holidays are both comfortable and predictable. But this may be precisely what you need. For the first (or last) few days you might be bored, while you ease into a different pace of life. Then the process of deep relaxation and ease begins, and the lazy days roll by.
The better packaged tours lay on excursions from the hotels on a daily basis, to nearby sights and attractions. These cost extra, but may prove interesting.
If the prospect of predictability and boredom frightens you, there are a number of things to consider:
Take the accommodation option for one week and wander off for the other week.
Use the hotel as a base, wander off in any direction you like, for as long as you like. Make sure you have the essentials:

• a money belt and cash
• a good map
• strong shades
• a good guide book
• a phrase book
• sun and medical preventatives/cures

Remember, you will need a little time to recover from the anxieties and excitements of the wedding, time to relax together in pleasant surroundings, and to catch your breath. For many, this is hardly the time for an over-packed holiday - attempting to see too much within a short space of time. For others, non-stop close proximity to a single partner without the stimulation of friends, colleagues, activity, etc., can be straining on the relationship. Think about it!

A Healthy Holiday
If you're travelling beyond Europe, particularly to tropical climes, you may need a number of vaccinations. Your GP should be able to advise you on the routine immunisations:
Typhoid and tetanus immunisation is standard and in some cases obligatory.
The vaccination against yellow fever is required by many countries and is good for up to ten years.
The cholera vaccination on the other hand is only 50% effective and lasts for six months.
Vaccinations have their side-effects, and could even spoil a honeymoon, so arrange to have yours well in advance. Food poisoning is something you're likely to encounter in Europe as much as anywhere else. Simple drinks like flat 7-Up or Alkaselzer are effective against mild upsets. Heavier drugs like Lomotil are effective in more serious cases, but have their side effects.

Irish skin is among the most sensitive in the world, and we are more prone to sunburn and sun-stroke than are many other Europeans. Many a honeymoon has been spoiled by staying in the sun too long in the first few days. Begin with 10 minute sessions, enjoy the shade while acclimatising to the heat.
Build up your sun intake slowly, while your system has time to adjust, producing the protective tan or melanin in your skin. If you suffer from heat exhaustion, you must go straight to bed and take plenty of fluids and salt.
Beware of gentle sea breezes and hazed skies - the sun is especially dangerous and deceptive in these conditions. A good protective sun lotion is essential, although they can be expensive.
Avoid cheap sunglasses which will do you more harm than good.

It's wise to carry insect repellent, indigestion tablets, aspirin and calamine lotion. Also, antiseptics and sticking-plasters are often useful to have at hand. A sun hat and lip-gloss both represent good preventative medicine. If you are swimming in the sea, your hair will quickly lose its natural oils. These can be replaced by certain specialist hair conditioners.

Final Word
While obvious, it's important to remember to:

• Check that your passports are up to date well in advance of booking
• Be on good time at the ferryport or airport, as formalities here will take longer than you think, especially if you're unfamiliar with the procedures.
• Keep two separate lists of your traveller's cheques with your passport, and don't carry either in your shoulder bag or hip pocket.
• If your hotel has a special safe for such items then use it.
• Credit cards are safer than cash, and have built-in insurance in case of theft.
• If you make your own travel arrangements, it's essential that you take out insurance to cover you in the event of accident, illness or the loss of property.
• If your property is lost or stolen, then you must get an official police report from the local station before you can make your claim.