Couples usually decide about their honeymoon destinations much before marriage and it is a recent trend that they combine their wedding and honeymoon into one experience. At times they also substitute one for the other.

The concept of honeymoon is not a new one. In fact it dates back to the 16th Century. The time spend between the couple, usually in the first month of their marriage, when there is a lot of tenderness and pleasure. Somebody once said, every relationship demands its due respect and time. If you have less time for your relationships, it has very little to give you back. Honeymoon in the life of a couple is the time spend together to know each other better and respect their feelings.

Honeymoon has been compared to many things in general. One among this is the comparison to the moon. The bright full moon holds a beauty of its own but it takes very little time for this beauty to fade away. Similarly marriage starts off well with everything so nice and good but with passing time, things start to cool. This comparison with the moon is probably the one reason that gives it the name, honeymoon.

Research also shows that the word dates back to the times of Babylon. It was a custom that time, that the father of the bride would provide his son in law with a lot of honey based drinks. Tempting enough, but this was generally done to increase the virility and fertility of the newly weds. This drink was called the mead. Thus the word honeymoon owes it all to the honey based drink. The drinking of mead for one full month after marriage is a custom that was prevalent in the medieval times too.

Apart from all this, the Summer Solstice could be yet another reason for the birth of the word honeymoon. This is a prime time between the planting and harvesting of crops. Moreover this was the time when honey was harvested. This could have possibly contributed to the name.

Couples plan out their honeymoon to some of the most exotic and exciting places. Its not just the time to be together but also to relax after the tiring ceremony of marriage. But a perfect honeymoon needs a lot of planning. In fact a meticulous planning. You need to decide the place. Here too, the place should be of both your choice. At times it might happen that the lady refuses to go to the mountains but he loves to spend his time in their company. Honeymoon is the time where you need to have the perfect communication and not spoil everything due to miscommunication. Honeymoon usually happens once in a life time. So it is very essential to make the best use of it. But as for the ones who enjoy honeymoon more than once, its always a different story.

It is also very essential to keep your budget in mind. It is always advisable to spend as much as your pocket allows. But if your pocket allows a considerable amount, don't ruin everything by spending less. Moreover, never leave things for the last moment. From the cost to the booking of the hotels, everything should be done in advance. If not you end up spending all your honeymoon on some unknown beach. I last remember of Casey returning back from her honeymoon all in tears, due to Jemmy's poor honeymoon planning. The two of them ended up in a hut trying to look out for a decent hotel room. They blamed it a 30% on the holiday season and the rest was Jemmy's irresponsibility.

Our busy schedules, leaves us with very little time for each other. Holidays are the time to make up for all these. And the essence of honeymoon adds the charm. So plan your honeymoon well and make it a memory for the rest of your life.