Laura

The month will be November. I figure Florida will be too cold (although I'm not sure about the Keys?) Never been to New Orleans but we're not party people, so I don't know if there's anything there for us. Gatlinburg was on our list, but I wonder if it will be pretty around mid November or if it will be "winter". I'd be more interested in "leaf change". We have considered Disneyworld, but we aren't sold on it.

Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Laura

Ben

Congrats Laura!
When in Nov are you planning to go?

You can never tell about the weather. My family lives in N Fla & we have worn shorts at Thanksgiving one year & flannel the next.South Florida should be fine. We spent our honeymoon in Sanibel which is near Ft Myers. It was very relaxing after the rush of wedding stuff. November will probably be pretty quiet which isn't bad.
New Orleans is always fun. November is a good time to come. The weather is usually ok & there is plenty to do for non-party people. Contrary to popular belief we do have more than Bourbon Street here.
Have you thought of somewhere like S Carolina? Leaf change may be a bit past but it still should be pretty. Charleston is nice "Old South".
I believe Gatlinburg will be a bit cool for you. Sometimes it has chilly weather in Oct so Nov might be iffy.

Good luck & may this be the most difficult thing you have to do!

Mark

Why not one of those glorious beaches on the Florida panhandle? Even if it's not warm enough to swim (might be), those long lovely walks can be great.

Otherwise: Atlanta? Savannah (which I love)? St. Augustine -- very old, Spanish, different kind of Florida.

Laura

Thanks everyone. We were planning on mid November.
I've never been to Charleston, so I'll look into that, and Savannah too.
Truthfully, honeymoon planning has been the hardest part of the wedding planning so far.


Laura

Bride

Many couples plan their honeymoon destination and then accomodate their wedding date around the best travel season.

Laura

Well, we had other considerations that were more important than the honeymoon (to us) when we chose the date of the wedding.

Laura

Bravo Laura

Bravo, Laura for your response to "Bride." I wish you and your husband a long, happy marriage, which I'm sure you'll have because you seem to have your priorities straight.

Planning weddings around destinations for honeymoons is just so bassackwards -- sorry "Bride," but the joining of two people and the meshing of families and their community is the core event here, not some expensive vacation that the bride dictates to those who would come to her wedding, and everyone else, tough noogies. The Las Vegas model: let's go partay, eat, partay, spend money, partay, and -- oh yeah -- we could get married, too.

Laura

x

Have you given thought to Hawaii? I know your budget is $5K or less from your other post but Hawaii can be done under $5K if you avail yourself of some cost cutting websites like Hotwire or Priceline or if you grab an Entertainment book that has lodging, dining and car rental discounts. November is a little before season so the prices won't be as high. We were there in Nov. many years ago and it was a wonderful time to visit.

If that doesn't seem feasible, how about any number of Caribbean/Mexican destinations? Check and see if any of the package discounters fly out of an airport near to you-Apple, FunJet, etc. There should be a number of options under $5K. Just to sure to check that you're out of hurricane season.

Although most people go on their honeymoon right after the wedding, it certainly isn't a requirement. Some brides actually like to decompress at home after all of the planning of the wedding and then go at a later time. Just a thought.

bennie

Laura - don't discount New Orleans simply because you don't "party". New Orleans is a very romantic city with beautiful restaurants, lovely shops to browse through, terrific hotels. Bourbon St is just part of the experience but its easily avoided. There is music everywhere because of the number of street performers, there are horse drawn carriages, riverboats, the trolley to take you to the Garden District.

For about $3000 you could have yourself a great time there for 5 nights. - Assuming you drive there ($50 using your own car and not a rental) and spend $250/night at a nicer hotel, this leaves you with $1700 or $280/day spending money for dinners, tours, parking etc.

I gave specifics in answer to your challenge in a different post but posted here because of the nasty tone that string was taking on.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.

Kristen

I second the suggestion for Charleston, SC - spent a week there last November and absolutely loved it. Weather was gorgeous, and lots of fun things to do/eat on short walks.

x

Bennie friends of mine who are in fact world travlers read that New Orleans was crime ridden.

Of course these kind of stories are often blown up but I suggest something for you to look into if you are considering time there. They had this info come to them through their travel agent. My friends cancelled the
trip they planned and these are friends that vacation all over Europe the east and the west, Middle East, latin America. Just don't want you to walk into a situation where you have to always look over your back, worry about where you park blah blah blah.

P.S I discount New Orleans also for the party scene, just don't get it. I have never been though so I am not a source.

x

Laura Florida keys are incredible and if you are an outdoors person there is definately plenty for you there. Ugh just to drive on the one lane highway that pass over miles. It will be great weather in December. That is the only time I have ever been there.

Bravo

Laura, like bennie, I didn't want to cope with the nasties on the other thread, but here's a thought re:your budget and plans.

Originally, "honeymoon" referred to the entire first month of marriage, which was supposed to be particularly sweet as bride and groom discovered each other and love-making; it didn't necessarily entail travel, but it did mean that they got special treatment (sometimes respectful distance, sometimes annoying teasing) from their community.

I don't have any interest at all in whether you have discovered love-making or want a whole month of it BUT what about this:

Why not spend only part of your budget on that week of traveling somewhere new and interesting, and keep back some for treating and indulging yourselves in the rest of that first month? That honeymoon for most couples (except the "destination" crew) is actually a reward/vacation after dealing with the tension of planning and carrying off a wedding, which you will certainly deserve. But I think the idea of knowing that you will still have $ to take yourselves on short weekend trips or out to fancy dinners or whatever once you get home and have to endure "re-entry" into post-wedding reality might be nice.

Hal

I would road trip it through Florida. Couple of days in the panhandle, Disney, Miami, the Florida Keys, Naples and back home. I just love road trips.

Kathy

Laura,

Charleston. Stay at Two Meeting Street Inn or another B&B. Great food. Great walking city. Romantic. They're known for candlelight tours in the fall. Go visit the fort. You will love it. Promise.

Randy

Try Callaway Gardens,45mins south of ATL,or the North GA town of Helen.Chattanooga,is also a good place!

J Correa

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in NO and had a great time. There is so much to see and do in that city besides partying. Most of the stereo-typical New Orleans partying takes place right on Bourbon St.

New Orleans is an incredibly romantic city. We wandered through the Garden District, rode the St Charles Streetcar, took a carriage ride through the Quarter, ate incredible food, went to some museums, took a Plantation tour, took a historical walking tour, sat by the river watching the boats go by. It was great and I can't wait to go back.

As for New Orleans being a crime ridden city, it isn't. Of course there is crime - it is a city after all. But just like everywhere else, a little common sense goes a long way. The most common crimes are purse snatchings and pick pockets. The easiest way to avoid that is to not carry a purse at night and for men to carry their wallets in a front pocket or an inside jacket pocket.

kam

We're not party people either but we loved New Orleans. Great food, romantic places. Charlston is high on my "must see" list although I've never been there. Savannah would be romantic as well. Don't do Disney! Sanibel in mid November would be quiet and fun to walk the beaches and collect seashells.

john

You must be from the northern part of the state! We have stayed in Orange Beach for a week in November for 8 of the past 10 years and almost every year the temp has been in the 70's most of the week and at least 80 at least once a week. Orange Beach has really grown and has some nice Condo's.
The beaches are great and the views are spectacular. For local info and pictures check out
http://groups.msn.com/orangebeachgulfshoresalabamacondo