After the Wedding Comes The Honeymoon

Summer is the height of wedding season. Luckily for me, I have no weddings this year. However, next year is a different story.

Photo Credit: http://www.onscreenweddings.com

As a traveler, I am excited about where the couple is headed for their honeymoon more than the wedding. For many couples, their honeymoon is the first time they travel outside the United States. Its an exciting time for the new couple. Add in a foreign location and the experiences to be had a numerous.

A survey by Hipmunk and Yahoo, revels that Fiji, Italy, Hawaii, New Zealand and Greece are the top Honeymoon Destinations. No real surprises there.

(Graphic: Jinah Kim)

What I like about the survey is that Disneyland, Mexico and California are the "least ideal honeymoon destinations." I had a college friend have here honeymoon at Disneyland, but the couple were major "Disney geeks." There description of themselves, not mine.

The survey reveled that 70% of men were more excited about the honeymoon than the actual wedding compared to 36% of women.

(Graphic: Jinah Kim)

Almost all couples would spend less on the wedding for a fancier honeymoon.

(Graphic: Jinah Kim)

This is where points and miles can help. Typically, weddings/honeymoons are planned a year or more in advance. A few strategic credit card applications by your fiance and you, can result in a significant portion of your honeymoon being paid for.

For instance, the Hyatt credit card offers 2 free nights worldwide. If both your fiance and you apply for the Hyatt credit cards separately, you can earn 4 free nights. For many couples, 4 nights is almost the entire honeymoon. Add in an airline credit card or 2, you could help reduce or eliminate the cost of the airfare to the honeymoon destination.

How will you hit the minimum spend on the credit card to earn the bonus miles?

Don't you have expenses for the wedding. Probably lots of expenses!

Parents paying for the wedding?

Ask them to allow you to put the charges on your credit card and give you a check. If you tell them its to help pay for the honeymoon, they might be more willing to help out twice!

A small amount of planning can result in significant savings on your honeymoon.

If you are married, do you wish you could have taken a fancier honeymoon?

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Just Pay It Forward

Yahoo has an article about a complete stranger paying for someone else's bag fee. No, this story doesn't end in the airport getting shut down, a terminal being evacuated and a SWAT team being called in. Actually, there is no ending yet.

The articles explains that "Andy" was at the baggage counter paying for his check bag (I know mistake #1, he is paying for a checked bag. Has he never heard of airline credit cards?) and his credit card was declined. Andy walks away upset and embarrassed:

"Having my card declined was extremely embarrassing, even though I didn't know a single soul in that airport," the Reddit user, who asked to be identified by just his first name, Andy, told Yahoo! Shine."

The story has a very happy ending.

 "When he returned to the counter, a Good Samaritan had generously paid his baggage fee and left a note:

'Hey, I heard them say your card was declined. I know how it feels. Your bag fee's on me. Just pay it forward the next time you get a chance. Have a safe flight. :)'"

Andy doesn't know what he will do to repay the favor, but he promises to do something.

"I think it will be a random decision, a spur-of-the-moment type thing," he explained. "I really don't think that that person walked into that airport, saying, 'I'm going to pay someone's baggage fee today.' So neither will I."

Just like he should! 

Have you ever done something traveling like this for a fellow passenger?

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Weddings: Just Say No

The Spring time bring warmer weather, but also, the start of the wedding season. In our twenties, weddings seem to happen nonstop. Your close family members, childhood and college friends, and co-workers all seem to be tying the knot. Of course, its never just one a year. They always seem to occur in groups.

Invitations to weddings = money out of your pocket. At the vary least, there is the obligatory gift. However, if you decided to go to the wedding there is the added cost of something to wear, drinks, and gas and that's if you are local. If the wedding is not near where you live, add in the cost of airfare, hotels and meals. The costs start to add up.

American Express conducted a survey of 1,500 adults which determined that the expected cost to attend a wedding in 2013 at $539 after adding in travel, attire and gifts. That's up more than 50% of last year's expected expense of $339. The increase in the amount of spending could be attributed to the approving economy and people's wiliness to spend more to attend a wedding. However, $500 per wedding can add up. 

Melanie Hicken, on CNN Money, wrote an article this week entitled, "My Friend's Weddings Are Putting Me Deep in Debt." The article details, PR Account Executive, Christopher Sledzik, who has racked up $10,000 in debt by attending 12 different weddings and being apart of 3 different wedding parities over an 18 month period. 

"For me, vacation time has been devoted to (weddings) for the past couple of years," said the 27-year-old public relations account executive. "I'm at that age where everybody's getting married, or at least it seems that way."

$10,000 in debt caused by attending weddings. Thats a little ridiculous. He goes on to say that the bill "is now accumulating $130 in interest each month." Assuming he makes the minimum payments, it will take 12+ years to pay off this debit. 12 years of his life chained to debt from attending other people's weddings.

Christopher needs to learn the phrase, "I'm sorry I can't attend." He is $10,000 in debt and what did he get? A few laughs, a rubber chicken dinner and some free booze. If you can't afford to pay to attend a wedding without credit than you probably shouldn't go. The bride and groom won't be upset, because its one less person/couple they have to pay for. No wedding is worth chaining yourself to debt for years to come. 

Here are some simple tips to reduce the costs associated with attending weddings:

1) Obviously, use points and miles to pay for airplane tickets or hotels.

2) Check to see if the "group" hotel is actually the lowest available rate at the hotel, sometimes its not.

3) Find other single people or couples to share hotel rooms or rental cars.

4) Buy gifts online and have them shipped to the Bride or Groom, saving you money on baggage fees.

5) Buy a Tuxedo. Spending $300 or $400 upfront will save you from renting multiple tuxedos later. One
     can always rent vest, cummerbund, or bow ties to match the wedding party, if necessary   

6) Extend the trip by a day or two and make it a vacation

Do you have any tips to save money while traveling to weddings?

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Have a question for us? E-mail us at chris@doitforthepoints.com or jd@doitforthepoints.com