Perfect Honeymoons & Holidays Travel - Ask "The Honeymoon Lady"

Hi, I'm Beth Miller Augerinos, CTC, also known as "The Honeymoon Lady," a certified travel consultant, author, speaker and president of Perfect Honeymoons & Holidays Travel in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I have spent most of my life traveling the world and see over 300 honeymoon clients a year by appointment. Here are some of the frequently asked questions that we receive from our honeymoon couples. Below are answers you will find helpful in planning the perfect honeymoon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: 703-748-3000 or email at: beth@perfecthoneymoons.com.

WHY HASN'T HE YET BOOKED OUR HONEYMOON?
	We have been engaged for 6 months, my mother, bridal consultant and I have planned our wedding, the only item I asked my fiancé to handle was the honeymoon. For months he has been looking at Internet sites, browsing through travel brochures I have sent for, yet nothing is booked. He just keeps saying, I'm working on it! What should I do?
	I can understand your anxiety, I get this phone call at least 3 to 4 times a week from brides-to-be. I wish had a dollar for every man that says, "I'm working on it!" To a woman, that means it's booked, to a man it means he's still mulling it over! You used a bridal consultant to help you with your wedding; you need a honeymoon consultant to help you plan your honeymoon! BOTH of you are going on this honeymoon, so please discard that outdated thought that it is just the man's job to plan the honeymoon. Call us, and set up an appointment for the BOTH of you. We can help! You will be very glad that we can get this moving to a positive (and booked) conclusion!

THE "DO IT YOURSELF' HONEYMOON PLANNER
	My fiance thought that it was going to be so easy for him to plan our honeymoon. "Mr. Do It myself" he says. He's burning himself out, in the middle of the night downloading hundreds of pages from the internet. His brain's overloaded with information, and all of the desitinations seem to be merging together. Help!!! Where does it end?
	It is not that easy to plan a trip as important as a honeymoon by yourself. The whole world is out there with SO MANY CHOICES. Unless you are an experienced honeymoon travel agent who visited these destinations, they ALL look good!. It has taken my staff & I years of traveling, inspecting, and evaluating thousands of Inns, villas, cruise ships, and islands, to be good at what we do. So, to expect that he can weed through and process all of this information to the same degree is unrealistic! Remember, you are NOT cooking the food for your wedding reception, nor baking your own wedding cake, you are using professionals. Do the same with your honeymoon! Contact us. We can help you.

OPINIONS GALORE… IT'S YOUR HONEYMOON
	We are trying to plan our honeymoon and we have asked friends and relatives for suggestions. We are amazed at the wide variety of opinions. In some cases, the same place was liked and disliked by people we asked. Are we taking the right approach for help in picking our honeymoon destination?
	It is fine to ask for suggestions, but the problem is that different people will like different places. Great-aunt Mary's wonderful time on a cruise may have been on a ship geared to a mature market and your fiancée's best friend's spring break trip on a swinging island were terrific choices for them. However, neither choice may be right for your honeymoon. Thank them for their advice and call our honeymoon travel specialist. Our agent will be able to determine your personalities and lifestyle, and then come up with suggestions that will be right for the two of you!

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!
	We announced our engagement a few months ago and ever since, we have been getting phone calls from "so called" travel companies with unbelievable deals for our honeymoon. One caller told us we have won a four-day trip to a choice of locations. Another told us we should prepay a five-year vacation club. I'm worried this might be a scam?
	You are right to be concerned! When the "price!" seems too good to be true, it usually is! Most likely, warehouse telemarketers that buy your name have called you. Couples are called, and you have either "won" or "were picked for this deal". Don't become a victim. For a trip as important as your honeymoon, call a legitimate travel agency... Perfect Honeymoons & Holidays.

THE GIFT OF HONEYMOONS!
	We have lived together for several years in a home we purchased together. We have all the normal wedding gift items. What we really need (since we have a large mortgage to pay) is someone to give us a honeymoon trip. Is there such a thing as a honeymoon registry?
	Yes, this is a great concept. The honeymoon registry works similarly to a traditional bridal registry. You book your honeymoon with our agency and then announce to family and friends that you have registered with us. Your guests can call or e-mail our agency and buy travel gift certificates towards your honeymoon trip. Sometimes you will receive enough in your registry to cover the whole amount of the honeymoon. Other times the money you receive will enable you to get a nicer room at your resort, or to upgrade your airline tickets to first-class . Either way, honeymoon registries are becoming almost as popular as traditional bridal registries.

SAYING, "I DO" ON YOUR TROPICAL ISLAND
	We have both been married before. This time we would like to get away and be married on a romantic island. Is this possible? Or, we would like a small simple ceremony on a beach some place tropical, with just the two of us. Where can we get information?
	Getting married on a Caribbean or a South Pacific Island is very popular and easy to do. Combine your wedding and honeymoon in one romantic getaway. Many resorts have wedding packages either free or available at a small cost, if you are spending your honeymoon at the resort. We take care of the license, minister, flowers, and cake. All you need to provide to us are certified copies of your birth certificates, passports, and divorce decrees (if applicable), we then take care of everything from there. Many couples bring family and friends who attend the ceremony and enjoy a great vacation at the same time. Our honeymoon travel agents will have suggestions and price ranges to help you make your plans. Call us first to make an appointment to discuss your destination wedding/honeymoon.

INDEPENDENCE OR ALL-INCLUSIVE, WHAT'S YOUR STYLE?
	We are thinking of going to a Caribbean Island for our honeymoon, and looking at the newspaper we see lots of hotel and airfare packages. The All-inclusive Resorts packages are more expensive, but what is best for us in the long run?
	By booking a hotel/airfare package, you have the freedom to get out and explore your destination, local restaurants and night spots, and spend whatever you'd like. Just remember, you will need to budget extra for food, drink, sports, entertainment, taxes and tips. Another popular concept in honeymoons is the All-Inclusive/Air Package. You pay one price before departure which covers air, room, meals, drinks, tips, taxes, sports, etc., allowing you to have a stress-free trip without opening your wallet!. Cruises are also popular for this reason, because you prepay 80% of the costs before setting sail. Visit our honeymoon agents who can show you what each package includes, and help you sort through which style works best for you.

DON'T PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
	My fiancé is talking about waiting a year or so after our wedding, to be able to afford a really nice honeymoon. I feel it will not be as romantic by waiting, and that we should just charge it and go now. What do you think?
	I have had several couples consider waiting, and most who postponed the honeymoon never got around to taking it for 10 or 20 years. Try to take a honeymoon right after the wedding day and make it as nice as possible. If you MUST wait, be sure to reserve your honeymoon with a deposit prior to walking down the aisle, and take within 8 months of your wedding day.

HONEY, DON'T SURPRISE ME WITH THE HONEYMOON!!!
	My boyfriend is hanging on to the concept that planning and surprising me with the honeymoon destination is his job. Surprising me with flowers on my birthday is one thing. However, our honeymoon is the biggest and most important trip of our lives, and I would like to offer my suggestions about our choice of destinations.
	I agree with you! Times have changed and today's couples are smarter, better educated, and consult with each other on major decisions. The two of you will be working, as a team, for the rest of your lives, and both of you should have input on the honeymoon destination.

NEW LOVE... NEW LOCATION
	I have traveled to a few places with friends before I met my bride-to-be. This included a popular diving island (O.K, with a former girlfriend). Since my fiancé and I both love diving, I suggested we go to that same island for our honeymoon. She's not crazy about the idea (and you might guess why)... but it has great diving! What do you suggest we do?
	In general, I agree with her. No matter how hard you try not to bring up what you did with this other person, visiting the same spots is bound to trigger memories and comments that may make her feel uncomfortable. Tell our travel agent what you liked about this other island, and let our agent suggest one that is similar to the one you've visted before. This new location will be one that the two of you can discover together!