Your honeymoon should be beautiful, exciting, and romantic. It is a special time together before you go back to the real world – work, responsibilities, and married life.
However, not all honeymoons go according to plan. Even if you research your destination and plan ahead, things can horribly wrong. A honeymoon can quickly become a true test of your marital vows. So, here are Wedding Solutions’ Top 5 Honeymoon Disasters, which fall into a few categories:
5. Sickness: If you’re honeymooning in a foreign country, especially Mexico, you want to find out if you will be able to eat the food and drink the water, and plan to get the appropriate immunizations and shots. Be warned: Just because you’re staying at a nice resort, doesn’t mean you’re free and clear to eat and drink whatever you want. You want to be especially careful of water and ice, even in your beachside cocktails.
One couple stayed at an expensive resort near Cancun, Mexico, complete with tons of activities and a honeymoon suite package. However, they both got horribly sick shortly after arriving. The bride said she woke up with stomach pains so bad she was in the fetal position the entire day. They felt horrible the whole trip and could hardly wait to get home and go to the doctor. While waiting for the bus to the airport they sat down at the bar. That’s when the noticed the bartenders washing the glasses out with tap water and no soap – the same water they’d been told not to drink. The realized that every glass and dish they’d used was probably contaminated. When the couple got back to the States, they had to go on medication and were still sick for another week.
The lesson: If you’re heading to an exotic location, always call the resort ahead of time and express your concerns, and read multiple reviews of resorts online. If someone does get sick, just be there for each other. Remember, you pledged to be together “in sickness and in health.”
4. Weather: Obviously, bad weather can really put a damper on your honeymoon. Unfortunately, you can’t always plan ahead to avoid weather problems. Even Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes just stuck inside their hotel for 5 days because of rainstorms in the Maldives during their honeymoon.
On the first day of one couple’s honeymoon, a tornado warning was issued in the area. Hotel management rushed them out of their room and into the basement, but after a few minutes, water started coming in. Then were then taken through an underground walkway that went to the other side of the hotel, where they ended up spending the night in a meeting room with 8 other honeymoon couples.
Another couple planned to go to Minneapolis for their honeymoon, but the temperature was a record low, so they were skeptical about continuing north. They got stuck in a tiny town where they ate dinner at McDonald's and found a room at the Holiday Inn. For the next three days, they ordered room service watched football games.
The lesson: Because you can’t always plan for weather issues, make the best of your situation. The one couple looked at their disastrous Holiday Inn honeymoon as an adventure they got to take together.
3. Car Trouble: Couples who decide to honeymoon in the States risk running into car trouble that can derail their honeymoon bliss.
We love this story, which we like to call “The Illegal Tree.” This couple got married in December and set off for their honeymoon in Colorado. While driving through a snowstorm that left 12 inches on the ground their car’s muffler and exhaust fell off, forcing the groom to get out in the blizzard and attempt to wire it back. They continued to drive through a pine forest, still upbeat, and felt inspired to stop and cut down their first Christmas tree as newlyweds. They pulled over and the groom went to cut a tree. As he was walking back with the tree, a buffalo ran out of the forest and started chasing him. He threw the tree on the car and quickly strapped it down. The couple laughed about the incident until, about 100 feet down the road, they spotted a sign that read, “Do not cut the trees. Punishable by a $1,000 fine.” They ditched the tree and continued, only to hear the screeching of their brakes. By the time their brakes were fixed, they’d given up on their hopes for a honeymoon, and headed back home to Iowa.
The lesson: Once again, car trouble is something you usually can’t prevent. This couple tried to turn their snowy drive into an adventure by cutting down their own Christmas tree – a fun idea, had it been legal. It all goes back to the idea that no matter what you end up doing, you’re doing it together. So smile, laugh, stay upbeat, and go home with a good story, if nothing else.
2. Theft: If you’re traveling to a foreign country, you’ll want to be especially wary of theft. In popular honeymoon destinations like France, Italy, and Jamaica, for instance, you’ll want to carry only as much cash as you need that day, as well as traveler’s checks and credit cards. Make photocopies of every document you bring, and write down international phone numbers (not toll-free numbers, which won’t do you any good abroad) for all your credit cards and banks. Leave expensive jewelry – even you wedding rings – at home. Here’s an example of why …
One couple was honeymooning in Spain, enjoying a picnic lunch in a crowded park, when they were mugged by two men with a knife. They stole their money, camera, watches, and wedding bands. When the couple went to the police, her husband tried his best Spanish to explain that they had been robbed. The groom later realized he’d mixed up his verbs and told the police they had robbed someone by mistake! Needless to say, the police weren’t much help. To make matters worse, their hotel in the next city refused to believe they were married because they had passports with different names and no wedding bands, so the hotel put them in a room with twin beds. The final straw was when the Spanish airline placed the bride (who was terrified to fly) and the groom in different rows.
The lesson: Laugh about it later. The couple now shares their honeymoon disaster story at parties. They were determined not to dwell on the negative experience, or take it as a bad omen for their marriage. They moved on, and can now laugh about it.
1. Bad Luck: No matter how much you plan or research or take precaution, sometimes plain old bad luck strikes on a honeymoon. Many of the couples we talk to have crazy stories that really make you say, “What are the odds?!”
One couple booked their honeymoon for September 10, 2001 and ended up stuck in a foreign country, unable to get a flight back to the States or get in touch with any of their family members. By the time they were finally heading home, they were just relieved to be able to speak to their families and make sure everyone was okay.
When the couple went fishing off a dam in Minnesota, the groom stepped back off the ledge into the water. Neither the bride or the groom could swim! As the bride screamed for help, he managed to grab a handhold and pull himself to safety. As she put it, “I was almost a widow on the first day of our honeymoon.”
Another couple actually won a national contest and a second honeymoon for their honeymoon disaster story. Not only did they get stung by jellyfish while skinny-dipping, but the bride was attacked by a barracuda and had to be pulled to safety by a local fisherman during a snorkeling trip.
The lesson: Sometimes you’re in for more than the standard sunburn or hangover on your honeymoon – you just don’t realize it when you set out. You have to remember that even though you’re happy and excited to be married, you should still use the same level-head and caution you would at home. As for the couple honeymooning on September 11th, they banded together to stay calm during that awful turn of events.
The overall lesson for a honeymoon disaster is, stay positive and stick it out together. Many people say that hey laugh about the incidents looking back. And, in fact, most people who shared their horrible honeymoon stories say that the experiences brought them closer together as a couple and prepared them for the challenges of marriage.
Most important, avoid viewing your disastrous honeymoon as a bad omen for your marriage. As one bride said, after her horrible honeymoon, “Beginnings don’t always show how it will turn out.” While you’ll definitely be disappointed if your honeymoon goes awry, keep your head up – you can always take a “make-up” honeymoon in the years to come, as many couples do.
The best ways to avoid honeymoon disasters is to use the expert knowledge of a travel agent, and to research, research, research. Travel agents have relationships with hotels and vendors and can help you get great deals and upgrades. They also have extensive knowledge of the area you’re thinking of – so you don’t end up honeymooning in the tropics during hurricane season, for instance. Bottom line, use a travel agent and you’ll have fewer surprises. You’ll also want to do tons of research yourself.
Read reviews and blogs about resorts you’re interested in, from several different sites. Also, check travel sites for weather and updates about the city you’re heading to.
Lastly, if you’re traveling abroad, be sure your passport is up to date – and that you remember it! Grey’s Anatomy’s Katherine Heigel recently missed out on the first of her Cabo San Lucas honeymoon because she left her passport at home. Also make sure you get all the proper shots and medications to prevent illness. By doing all that, you’re well on your way to avoiding a honeymoon disaster!
By Alex A. Lluch, author of over three million books sold and President of
Weddingsolutions.com,
WedReviews.com, and
UltimateGiftRegistry.com.
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