Honeymoons and Eco-Travel: Love the Planet Like You Love Each Other

As much fun as a wedding can be, for the happy couple the greater fun can actually be the honeymoon that happens afterwards. After all, all of the stress, financial commitment and planning associated with the wedding is finally over. And, unlike all or most of the events associated with the wedding, it’s finally just the two of you getting some much needed time alone. Add in that you’re in either a relaxing location or an adventurous one and you may find that your memories of the honeymoon are even better than your memories of the wedding. But if you want to be at all eco-friendly about things, then you should put a tiny bit of thought into planning your honeymoon. Here are our five favorite tips for keeping your lovebird trip something that’s actually healthy for the planet’s birds.

Tip One: Here’s What NOT To Do

The easiest way to keep your honeymoon on the green side of the green travel scale is to avoid the big offenders when it comes to the least eco-friendly trips that you can take. In the category of honeymoons, that can really be condensed into two things.

No Cruises! Yes, we know that many newlyweds fantasize about the big romantic cruise through lush blue waters. But a cruise is hands-down one of the most harmful and wasteful ways to travel. There isn’t even such a thing as an environmentally friendly cruise.
No All-Inclusive Resorts! The general rule of thumb is that anything that includes the words “all-inclusive” means that the resort is cutting costs everywhere it can and catering to huge crowds. That mix is a surefire recipe for eco-disaster on the micro level.

Tip Two: Save Up for a “No Corners Cut” Honeymoon

One of the reasons that so many typical honeymoon destinations are bad for the planet is that many newlyweds are trying to travel on a budget. Given that the average national cost for a wedding alone is $30,000 and the “accepted” cost for an engagement ring is three months of his salary, it isn’t all that surprising that many newly married couples are trying to get more for less when it comes to honeymoon time. But there’s also no rule that says that you have to take your honeymoon right after your wedding. Increasingly, couples are taking a one or two day “staycation” to unwind after the wedding and then taking a larger (nicer) honeymoon later. If you wait longer to save up for and take your honeymoon you can not only have the budget to pick more environmentally friendly destinations but you can also take an overall nicer trip together.

Tip Three: Consider a Honeymoon Registry Instead of a Gift Registry

We want to say upfront that many people consider any type of “cash registry” as a huge breach of etiquette. However, you know your wedding invitees as well as your own beliefs and values better than we do. We happen to think that honeymoon and other “cash registries” are actually a great idea that cuts down on the consumer push for “stuff” and the many unnecessary items that couples tend to get as wedding gifts. What we would advise though is that you do some research into the various types of honeymoon fund websites or services out there. Many of them take significant cash percentages from your total amount. That’s not great for you or for your guests! But you can actually use the fact that you want to take a honeymoon as a way to reduce the overall carbon footprint of a wedding by getting away from all the “stuff” that happens in the form of gifts.

Tip Four: Consider an Eco-Travel Destination

You may be surprised how lush, exotic and completely romantic actual eco-travel destinations can be. Many of them have even more romance than out-of-the-box standard resorts and all-inclusives, plus you get the benefit of having a unique story behind why you picked your honeymoon destination. From gorgeous beaches to eco-conscious destinations in major, glamorous cities, you can find a perfect honeymoon location that almost scores off-the-charts when it comes to an eco-score.

Pro Tip: Need some inspiration? We compiled our favorite fantasy eco-travel destinations here.

Tip Five: Just Be Sure to Follow Eco-Travel Basics

No matter where you go or what you do, it’s possible to use a few simple choices to reduce your overall travel carbon footprint. Instead of getting overwhelmed, we’re just going to refer you to our simple list of ways to make sure your vacation is as green as possible. We promise that it’s only ten tips, they’re quick and easy to read, and we have confidence that you can do them all without feeling tried.

When is a honeymoon better? When the love is for two people and the planet that they live on.

Did we miss a way to keep your honeymoon eco-friendly that you want to share with us? If so, just tell us about it on one of the social media channels below.