Planning Your Mini-Moon Honeymoon
Exhausted by planning (er … re-planning) your wedding? Frazzled by the constant changes affecting your travel and wedding planning? Nervous to splurge on that once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon experience when your dream destination is not open or just opening to American travelers?!
It is time to take a deep breath and think outside of the box with a mini-moon. A mini-moon could be a placeholder for a bigger trip in the future, a way of celebrating while you wait for your ideal destination to be open for travelers, or a wonderful way to save.
Cara Cartee, the founder of CMC Events & Travel, is an expert in designing, planning and executing the ultimate honeymoons, trips and mini-moons that deliver a “wow” factor. She’s sharing on this blog why you should consider a mini-moon and how you can have the honeymoon of your dreams without needing to travel internationally.
Why You Should Plan a Mini-Moon
Whether you are thinking about one mini-moon, or a mini-moon and honeymoon combination (MANY-moon!), there are plenty of incredible options both within the U.S. and right in our backyard. Here’s why you should think about planning a mini-moon honeymoon.
- Get back to basics. What do you truly want out of your honeymoon and why? Really thinking through your hobbies and what you enjoy doing as a couple allows your travel planner to offer this through unique and special options during your trip.
- The U.S. has it all! No matter what you’re prioritizing on your honeymoon or mini-moon – romance, adventure, water, mountains – it’s time to explore.
- Support the tourism industry. Mini-mooning in the USA is an excellent way to support small business and the still suffering tourism industry, plus, you won’t break the bank.
- No passport required!
- Affordability. You don’t have to postpone that Instagram worthy honeymoon forever! But with a little ingenuity, you can probably do both, and make them special in different ways.
- Familiarity with COVID-19 updates and the most up-to-date safety protocols: While guidelines still vary greatly from state to state, having the knowledge of what’s most current is easier to track nationally.
The Mini-Moon Honeymoon Lowdown: Local vs. Long-Distance
If you’re looking for a destination further from home, consider Napa Valley. For the ultimate romantics and those with a more flexible budget, Napa Valley offers unbelievable culinary and wine experiences, beautiful landscape and so many areas to explore. Check out our favorite hotels: Auberge du Soleil and Farmhouse Inn.
If you want to save on travel costs but enjoy a local getaway, there’s lots of options to choose from. If you are lucky enough to live in the Triangle, there are tons of ways to make your mini-moon feel worlds away. This option is more budget-friendly, yet still offers a taste of the great outdoors, multiple unique downtowns and lots of cool activities. Plus, luxury is in no short supply here. Whether you stay at The Umstead Hotel & Spa or the Raleigh’s chic boutique hotel Heights House Hotel, you can’t go wrong.
Cara Cartee: Trusted Travel Planner
Cara Cartee is Heart of NC Weddings’ top recommended travel planner. Cara comes highly recommended by all her clients and has been awarded Top Travel Specialist 2021 and 2022 by Conde Nast Traveler.
The luxury and lifestyle travel magazine recognized Cara and CMC Events & Travel for the ability to always pull off the impossible and spare her clients on the logistics. Cara is known for being all about details in the experiences she cultivates. That includes leisure vacations, action-packed honeymoons, bachelorette parties and more!
Need more ideas? Read more about CMC Events & Travel and why we recommend Cara on our website. Or, if a destination mini-moon doesn’t fulfill your travel bug, check out these ideas for a whole destination wedding in NC.
