Whilst a wedding is more often than not a combined effort between the bride and groom and their family and friends, the honeymoon is often a decision simply between the bride and groom.

A honeymoon should be the perfect start to married life; it will enable you some down time and help you to relax after the weddings, and will provide you and your new husband with some private time together before the practicalities of married life kick in.

As such there are a number of points to consider when planning for and booking your honeymoon, here are just a few:-

Budget - Decide early on, exactly what kind of honeymoon you can afford. Your wedding will likely have put you under some financial pressure, so there is no point planning an all inclusive fortnight in the Maldives if realistically all you can afford is a weekend in Brighton

Holiday type - Consider your perfect honeymoon from both points of view, its no good booking a relaxing beach holiday if your partners idea of a great holiday is hiking up a mountain

Freebies - When you book your honeymoon, make sure that your hosts are aware that you are newlyweds. You may be upgraded to a superior room at no extra charge or receive a congratulatory bottle of Champagne on the house

Time together - Wherever you decide to honeymoon, make sure that you arrange to spend at least some time together doing nothing at all, whilst you might enjoy sightseeing and exploring your honeymoon destination it is important to enjoy the beginning of your married life together, and this is your honeymoon after all!

Your honeymoon will be your first opportunity to spend some quality time together as newly weds and to create some romantic memories that you will remember for the rest of your married lives.

Picking a romantic setting will obviously enhance your honeymoon but selecting a fantastic location is not the only key to a successful honeymoon. Even the most scenic and attractive destination can seem uninspiring after a while if there is nothing to do.

The secret to a successful honeymoon is to plan some romantic and intimate activities in advance. The destination you choose for your honeymoon will probably include a number of impressive restaurants as do the majority of holiday destinations these days, but a more amorous option might be to share a candlelit meal in the privacy of your hotel room. A secluded dinner for two will allow you to spend some time completely alone, enjoying a romantic meal and each others company.

A sensual massage will promote intimacy and relaxation on your honeymoon, pick up a massage book with your travel guides and be sure to pack it in your honeymoon luggage in advance. Light the room with candles when you practice massage to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Before you embark on your honeymoon, create a CD of music that is personal to you both as a couple, include the first song that you danced to as a newly weds at your wedding reception. There are many CD mastering companies that help you produce the CD if you don’t how to do it yourself. Music from the time that you were dating will take you back to the days when you first met and remind you of just why you fell for each other on the first place.