In all the wedding planning, there is perhaps nothing which offers more excitement or more fun in its contemplation than the honeymoon. The couple will have this time alone together in whatever setting they choose - they may be surrounded by the millions of people in large cities, or they may be in a cabin in the Maine forests, but essentially they will be alone. It should be one of the most satisfying times of their whole life together.

The honeymoon should be planned on a quiet, not a hectic scale. Spend your time for the most part in one place - some sightseeing is fine, but not too much. You will want a certain amount of quiet and aloneness (you are really getting to know each other in a way impossible before your marriage), but you will want to be with other people, too. Breaking up the trip with different modes of transportation is fun - such as going by automobile to a sea coast, then by ship to an island, and finally return by air.

Remember, the trip is for you both. The tastes of two individuals must be considered. If the groom is a golf enthusiast, while the bride is not particularly enamored of the sport, settle on a spot where she can go swimming while he is on the golf course - unless she prefers to stay with him and walk around the course! If he is athletically inclined, he will be, probably, much stronger than her. He must remember that she will not be able, most likely, to swim all morning, play tennis all afternoon and dance all evening and remain patient as well as full of energy.

The bride should tuck into her luggage some candy bars and perhaps a box of cookies. There are times when the groom might get hungry at night after room service has closed.

The groom might order bottles of iced champagne for the first and last nights of the honeymoon. Some people advise that he carry this with him and have it iced when the time comes. This would be difficult to do, however, unless the honeymoon is a motor trip.

The bride should carry with her a few simple first aid supplies including plastic band aids, iodine or mercurochrome, unguentine (for bad sunburn), one of the new lotions advertised to keep off mosquitos, rubbing alcohol, foot powder, dramamine (for seasickness if their travels will take them on ships), a good cathartic, bicarbonate of soda, some form of sleeping pills or tranquilizer (you may be surprised what the excitement and exhaustion caused by the wedding and reception may do to you - sometimes it is difficult to unwind) and a flask containing whiskey.

The whiskey is especially useful when you are in a plane that happens to run into wind pockets or a feathered engine, or something unusual. Even those who are not drinking people find a little swallow of whiskey comforting and soothing to the nerves at a time like this.

Both bride and groom should be sensible about getting plenty of rest. They should remember that they have been through a very great deal of excitement and should not try to take the honeymoon in too much of a hectic rush. It is a wise investment if they spare themselves an afternoon or a morning of rest. And every now and again it is very wise to take an afternoon in which to do things separately - the groom to play golf, perhaps, while the bride has her hair done, or just relaxes reading in her room.

After a few hours away from each other, a bride and groom will appreciate each other all the more.

With some planning, the honeymoon will be a great success.