Viator
Google

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A Happy HoneyLuna Honeymoon Bridal Gift Registry Client

WOW!!  Just another testimonial we had to share that HoneyLuna is the best honeymoon registry!  Thank you Lillian!

"I just wanted to write and boast about our experience with Honeyluna. We used the site 6 years ago for our honeymoon to Hawaii and it worked perfectly. We already lived together and really did not need another toaster, so when I came upon this site I was excited. We were gifted $800 from our friends and family through this site. We used the money from my honeymoon registry and they got to enjoy particpating in our honeymoon experience. We sent postcards from each place we visited and it really made it special for us and our "sponsors". Since then I tell everyone I know who is getting married about Honeyluna and a few have used it (including my Sister In Law who just registered). Thanks for helping us to create memories!"

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Why Honeymooners Should Work With A Travel Agent

For most couples, your HoneyLuna will be your first big trip together.  You want it to be special.  You want it to be easy.  You don’t want to have to worry about anything.  In the middle of all your wedding details, you also don’t want to be spending countless hours surfing the net trying to figure out where to go and what’s best for you.

Working with a travel agent gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing a professional is handling and / or has handled all of your travel arrangements for you. 

Working with a travel agent gives you the peace of mind knowing that help is a phone call away should you encounter any problems on your honeymoon. 

In the event of a problem, your agent will act as your advocate, ensuring that a solution is reached and, where appropriate, restitution is made.

In addition to booking the air and hotel for your honeymoon, your travel agent can help you plan what you will do once you arrive. Through their own personal travel experience, travel agent education and travel agent “familiarization” trips, agents gain extensive destination knowledge and can often recommend restaurants, activiites and attractions. Many agents also help honeymooners get extra "perks" through their connections that you can't get on your own.

There is a myth that travel agents cost money, or that booking at trip with a travel agent costs you more.  While there may be times where some smoking internet deal beats a travel agent’s price, more often than not, a good travel agent will always find a great rate. 
Not to mention, agents save you time and money by doing all the necessary research to find the best deals for your money and travel needs. A travel agent is a trained professional who offers expert travel guidance to insure you pick the right honeymoon destination, the right hotel or cruise, and help you find it for the right price.  

Do you want to trust your honeymoon to a “smoking deal” in a place you know little or nothing about?  The Internet is a great tool that can help you do some preliminary research, check on weather during your honeymoon period and general information about destination.   It is a great resource… but A travel agent provides the knowledge, expertise, counsel and peace of mind that an online site cannot provide.

Let a travel agent help you and insure you have the honeymoon with fantastic memories to last a life time.  A good travel agent will make your honeymoon a stress-free and memorable experience (for all the right reasons!)  And, chances are you will have enjoyed the experience so much, they will become your travel agent for life!

And of course, don't forget to to share your   HoneyLuna   honeymoon registry with all of your friends and family.  Between having the most amazing honeymoon booked by your travel agent, and fabulous pieces of your honeymoon as your wedding gifts, you are on your way to a beautiful new life together!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Book Your Grand Cayman Honeymoon Package for 2012 at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa

Honeymoon Package

Are you getting married in 2012 and looking to book the perfect honeymoon? Look no further!

Book your Grand Cayman Honeymoon Package in 2012 at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman to experience all the Cayman Islands have to offer. The Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman is the ultimate paradise experience. Guests enjoy the powder white sands of Seven Mile Beach, our luxurious pool and pool bar, snorkeling, delicious restaurants, and treatments at our signature Hibiscus Spa.

Newlyweds that book our Grand Cayman Honeymoon Package in 2012 enjoy:

OceanPoolViewsphoto_lg
  • A Bottle of Champagne
  • One Day Jeep Rental
  • Sunset Cruise for Two
  • A Couples Massage
  • Room Service Breakfast for Two
  • 10% Discount On Clothing at All Red Sail Sports Shops
Create your perfect honeymoon by registering for our Free Honeymoon Registry. Add items to your registry to plan your dream Grand Cayman honeymoon. Use our announcements and emails to inform friends and family of your honeymoon registry. Have wedding guests purchase from your honeymoon registry, collect registry gifts and enjoy the honeymoon of your dreams!

Cross one thing off of your “Wedding To Do List” and book your honeymoon now. To book your Grand Cayman Honeymoon in 2012 at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman call 877-782-0149 and mention rate plan HYMN.

Check out the Westing Casuarina's blog for more ideas and info!

http://www.westincaymanblog.com/westincayman/2012/01/book-your-grand-cayman-honeymoon-package-for-2012-at-the-westin-casuarina-resort-spa.html



Thursday, February 2, 2012

Let Go of the Spatula: Reconsidering Wedding Registries




Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/02/02/let-go-spatula-reconsidering-wedding-registries/#ixzz1lFbz9tfU

This post is from staff writer Tim Sullivan.  

Written by Tim Sullivan

Published February 02, 2012

GetRichSlowly.org

My brother, my best friend, and my girlfriend's sister are all getting married in the upcoming year, so I've heard a lot about wedding registries lately, and there seem to be many pros and cons. Personally, one of my least favorite things in life is going to Crate and Barrel, walking around with my scanner gun, and seeing that the only things that fit into my price range are wooden spatulas and the saucers to espresso cups (the cups already purchased). “Congrats on your everlasting love. Here's a steamer basket.” I've always thought there has to be an alternative.

Here are two numbers I found interesting:

In 2010, 1.5 million engaged couples, or 88% of all couples with pending nuptials, set up a registry, according to the Knot Market Intelligence annual wedding registry survey.
  • According to research by the University of Denver, more than 70% of couples getting married are living together before the wedding.
Okay, so 70% of engaged couples are living together, and 88% of engaged couples are registering. According to the survey, more than 90% of registered items are bakeware and kitchen appliances. Here's my question: Those couples that are living together, do they not have spatulas, steamer baskets, and toaster ovens yet? Is their apartment filled with mismatched plates and saucers and an uneven fork-to-spoon ratio? Do they not already blend their own smoothies?

The point I'm trying to make is that the majority of couples are living together, and I assume they have a functional household complete with everything they need. As for the couples who aren't living together, it's rare to have someone move out of their parents' house and into the house of their betrothed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median marriage age in 2010 was 28.2 years old for men and 26.1 for women. In the 1960s, it was 22.8 years old for men and 20.3 for women. Compared with our parents' generation, the 30% of currently engaged couples not living together have an extra six years to accumulate not one, but two sets of IKEA kitchen starter sets and warped cookie sheets.

Apparently, I'm somewhat alone in this thinking.

Things you wouldn't buy yourself

My brother brought up that he would never buy a $500 blender, but it'd be nice to receive it as a gift. Perhaps then a registry is a collection of things you'd never buy yourself. I know that GRS readers are impossible to generalize, but I can't help but think that if we're itching for a Vitamix, most of us would forgo the $599 one from Crate and Barrel and substitute in the $499 one off Amazon listed “like new” (or better yet, chose a different Vitamix then the currently hip 500 professional series and get whatever Vitamix was hip last year, for half the price). We're conscious about where our money goes, and I'd like to take into account my friends' money, as well. (I don't mean that literally…at least, I think I don't.)

I'm not saying to throw caution to the wind and leave yourself open to getting a bunch of gifts that don't fit your tastes, but if you're looking for something that doesn't come from Macy's, there are other options for registries. In my continuing conversations about registries with those closest to me, I've come up with a list of a few fun suggestions:
  • The Honeymoon Registry. Okay, this one has been gaining a lot of steam in recent years. Websites like honeymoonwishes.com or honeyluna.com provide an easy way for guests to help a couple afford a honeymoon. What's in it for the gift giver? Whether it's chipping in for the hotel room or scuba equipment for a coral reef adventure, you can be assured that you'll be investing in memorable experiences, as opposed to another turkey baster.
  • Big Ticket Items. My best friend and his fiancĂ©e were looking at their 500-square-foot Brooklyn apartment and couldn't bring themselves to fill it with more Stuff. They decided to register for big-ticket items. I've seen couples register for anything from new cars to a new mattress, each attendee pitching in a portion. Sites like My Dream Home Registry make it easy.
  • Give to Charities. I've talked to couples that want friends and family to simply attend the wedding, not worry about buying the perfect gift. A good alternative is to pick favorite charities for your friends to make donations in your name. Justgive.org has a wedding registry section that's easy to navigate and not only celebrates love, but generosity. (That's their line, not mine.)
  • Do It All. I have to admit, I love this couple's wedding site. Cheri and David were getting married and moving to France. The site had all the wedding info and R.S.V.P. forms, but it also had their registry. They decided their tastes didn't fit into one store (and definitely not into a suitcase). They put together a list of things, some objects (everything from one-of-a-kind antiques to easy-to-find box store items), some services (such as Internet for their first three months in Paris or passes for Velib, Paris' citywide bike rental system), and some high-ticket items (trip to Japan or a new dining room table.). You could choose to contribute to an item and that item would be marked off the list. What's even more exciting is that Cheri and David's idea was so popular that they started their own registry site, Merci Registry, and where couples can create their own blend of small boutique items, handmade artist goodies, and travel desires.
Weddings truly are big business and even creative couples who try to circumvent some of the higher costs of the big day itself often fall short in their creativity for registries. Couples can create registries that are personalized without relying on the mainstream box stores.

And to my brother, I love you bro, but when you move four times in the next five years, I know it's going to be me carrying that Vitamix up four flights of stairs.

What are your ideas for creative wedding registries? If you're married, what did you like about your registry process, and what would you do differently?

The original article can be found at GetRichSlowly.org:

Let Go of the Spatula: Reconsidering Wedding Registries

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/02/02/let-go-spatula-reconsidering-wedding-registries/#ixzz1lFcPNIQK

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

HoneyLuna Honeymoon Registries Are An Acceptable Bridal Registry Option - (a nice little "say so" from Real Simple!)

We LOVE this!  Yes, HoneyLuna honeymoon registries ARE an acceptable bridal registry option!

Thank you for the kudos Real Simple!


P.S. The Emily Post Institute of Etiquette also says honeymoon registries are an acceptable bridal registry option!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Honeymoon Budget: 25 Ways to Honeymoon for Less shared with you by HoneyLuna

Don't hitchhike to your honeymoon!  Use HoneyLuna!
Here is a great article on the Knot.com with 25 Ways To Honeymoon For Less - we especially like #3!

The secrets to getting the most bang for your honeymoon buck are to shop around and plan ahead. Keep in mind that you can avoid paying full price about 99% of the time -- even some early-booking discounts apply to peak times. Here are 25 money-saving tips to help you plan the romantic vacation of your discount dreams.

1. Set Your Priorities

First decide what your goals are for the trip and exactly what you can and can't live without. Let's say you have $1,000 for the honeymoon. If pampering is first on your list, book a long weekend in the suite of a nearby spa resort. If getting away from it all is most important, use that same amount of money to take a week-long camping trip complete with gourmet eats and treats.


2. Work With A Travel Agent

For one-stop, stress-free trip planning, a travel agent can't be beat. They can save you money with air/hotel or fly/drive/hotel packages (thanks to their high business volume), they have the skinny on last-minute or ongoing sales, and can offer the wisdom gained from years of travel experience. For savings at sea, call an agency that specializes in booking cruises. And be sure to let the travel agent know your priorities so he knows exactly what to cut and keep from your itinerary.


3. Consider A Honeymoon Registry

Here's how it works: Some travel agencies and tour operators offer a registry service by which they collect, track, and apply contributions from your wedding guests toward your honeymoon expenses. Some services, such as www.honeyluna.com, even allow guests to "sponsor" specific activities such as a sunset cruise, scuba trip, spa treatment, or meal at a romantic restaurant.


To read the rest of the article, please visit  http://wedding.theknot.com/honeymoons/honeymoon-planning/articles/25-ways-to-honeymoon-on-a-budget.aspx