The wedding day is over, you've officially said yes to each other and you can breathe a sigh of relief. No more planning, fussing and rushing. Now just go together, be next to each other and relax a little. It is usual that after the wedding - immediately or soon - the new couple goes on a leisure trip. So to speak, to celebrate the new event as a couple. We live in a great place and time, and we can arrange our honeymoon whenever, wherever, and with whomever we want, regardless of the usual standards. now and then the couple decides not to implement the honeymoon at all and invest, for example, in a new home. But often love is really celebrated with a whole trip. But what is it like to travel with your significant other, and what do you even plan?

What exactly is a honeymoon?

Going back to the ancient past, the term honey-moon or honey-moon, as it might seem, can indeed be associated with the phases of the Moon. However, already around the 19th century, the honeymoon became a privilege of the upper class after the wedding. Often, on such post-wedding holidays, the couple went not alone, but with family and friends, visiting relatives who could not attend the wedding. Even today, the idea of ​​traveling together is far from trivial, as is visiting loved ones from far or near abroad who could not make it to your big day. However, if you have decided to spend your honeymoon as a couple, what should you choose and consider?

Photo: ILZE OSE

Cold, warm and even warmer

It is important to first agree on the climate in which you want to spend your month, weeks or days. If once the honeymoon was mostly associated with exoticism and romance by the ocean, now we know that romance can also be found outside of white beaches and rose petals. If you love the cold, why not go skiing, mountain climbing or exploring the black beaches of Iceland on your honeymoon. It may happen that one of you wants a completely different climate - go to a moderately warm place that also has mountains and you will feel the contrast of the weather. Contrasts and compromises - it seems that we should start now.

Photo: ELÍNA UPMANE

How far will we go?

Līga and Kārlis thought back and forth about their honeymoon, looking for places on the map where they have not been. "In the end, we both realized that we haven't seen much here in Latvia," says Līga. The two have decided to go on a trip here, around Latvia, with bicycles some time after the wedding, when both of them have vacations. "It was great. The language is known, the exoticism is still enough, Latvia is actually very big, beautiful and kind," says Līga touchingly. "And still small enough to get home quickly if we have a fight or the weather is bad," she laughs. When asked how it was to travel together by bicycle, because the paces can be different, as well as desires, she says that it was important to talk everything out properly beforehand. The plan was not strict, just one big stop, and both she and her husband had agreed to travel quietly - if one does not come along or wants to rest, the other must agree. Sometimes we had to encourage each other. "When there are still ten kilometers to a cool guest house, but one person gets tired and has the idea to stay there, the other one encourages and offers a foot massage." Thus, one end of Latvia was highlighted and a beautiful tradition was started - to travel around Latvia with the little ones and see the unseen.

Photo: ELÍNA UPMANE

Trip nearby

On the other hand, Laura says that she chose beautiful simplicity in planning both the wedding and the honeymoon. Let it be excellent, but concise. Immediately after the wedding, she and her husband went to Estonia to enjoy the SPA. “An easy retreat after a beautiful event,” she says. Estonia was said to be perfectly suitable for this - close and yet something completely different. "This was absolutely enough to switch my thoughts to the new beginning," Laura writes. Neighboring lands - no matter which way you look - are really a good alternative for a short trip. This choice is especially suitable if you don't have much travel time. Finding accommodation, flights or bus tickets (or even a train if you decide to go to Russia, where you must not forget about visas) will be much cheaper than to distant destinations, and it is possible to do it in a wide variety of price categories, so to speak, you can stay in both castles and huts.

Fly far away

However, with good timing, finances and shared dreams, the two of you can also go far away on your honeymoon. Escape and enjoy. Annie and Oskar decided several months after the wedding in September to exchange the humidity of Latvia for the sun and air of Thailand in January. It is said that January is the right time for this, the dry period, because other months in Thailand have more rain. Another factor for a later honeymoon than running away immediately after the wedding was the fact that Annie had to be outside of Latvia for quite a long time before the wedding. Then you wanted to enjoy being together peacefully at home. After all, that's what a honeymoon can be like - without the stress of hosting, just with each other. Once it was enjoyed, Annie and Oskars could go on their way. The places to go are deliberately chosen in such a way that the trip does not turn into an ordinary frolicking on the beach, because both are supporters of active travel - they wanted to climb mountains, go hiking. “We're really lucky,” says Annie. "Traveling as a couple is easy and enjoyable. We balance each other out. Getting tired while traveling happens to everyone, the main thing is understanding and support. You have to find a way to eliminate your or the other person's negativity, it can be swimming, sleep, peace, food, anything." She encourages others to go as well, saying that it is worth it, even after the wedding itself, the elation and excitement is just as great. "The first trip as husband and wife will also be remembered in a different, more special way!" Annie giggles and laughs. "You can feel it already at the airport at the passports checks when you fly as a family!”

Photo: ELÍNA UPMANE

So - let's go!

To encourage you to travel together, even if you haven't done it yet, we definitely say unanimously - there will be a honeymoon! Worries about conflicts or disagreements should be left at home. You are a young, beautiful couple who have promised to be by each other's side forever. Therefore, safely give your hand to your companion and go. Where, near or far, for a few days or months - it's up to you. But celebrate your love as a couple too.

You deserve it!

Author of the article: IEVA CIPRUSE Photo: ELİNA UPMANE, ILZE OSE Read also: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN ORIGINAL HONEYMOON