Why more newlyweds are honeymooning closer to home

Jennifer Repetto and Mark La Bella had planned on taking a weeklong
honeymoon
after their Dec. 27 wedding in Philadelphia. But instead of jumping on a plane to the
Caribbean
or some far-flung locale, the couple, who live in North Wales, Pennsylvania, headed off to coastal Maine.
"We wanted to keep it simple and low-key and not change time zones," Repetto said. "The trip was about being with each other without spending a fortune."
Their getaway began at Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick on the southern coast, where they celebrated New Year's Eve. Repetto, 44, a middle-school math teacher, and La Bella, 51, an owner of a sheet-metal fabrication business, then drove a rental car 45 minutes north to the Cape Arundel Inn & Resort in Kennebunkport.
"We had great seafood, cozy dinners, soaks in hot tubs and took walks along the water," Repetto said. "We came back refreshed, not exhausted, which is exactly what we wanted our honeymoon to be about."
Married couples have traditionally used their honeymoons as an opportunity to take once-in-a-lifetime trips that have long been on their wish lists or to book stays at romantic resorts in the Caribbean or farther afield. More recently, however, many newlyweds have been opting for domestic honeymoons instead.
Live Events
The shift can be attributed to several factors, including constrained budgets, limited time off, or a desire to avoid the complications of international travel. Many couples are also increasingly drawn to the idea of a more laid-back, relaxed honeymoon without the pressure of a packed itinerary.
Domestic honeymoons and weddings have had a slight but steady year-over-year increase between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of this year, according to data from the
Internova Travel Group
, a travel service provider in New York that has more than $20 billion of travel sales a year overall. The data reflects sales from 20 travel agencies within Internova specializing in honeymoons and destination weddings.
When choosing where to go, couples appear to be looking beyond beaches, resorts and other domestic honeymoon mainstays like Hawaii, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Internova's data indicates that Massachusetts more than doubled its wedding and honeymoon travel sales, while Colorado, Arizona and Utah also gained momentum as romantic destinations.
New York City also had a significant rise in popularity, according to Internova, with bookings more than tripling. Other emerging city destinations for couples include Phoenix; Memphis, Tennessee; Knoxville, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and Burbank, California.
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study, released in February, also indicated an incremental increase in domestic honeymoons. Of the nearly 17,000 U.S. couples surveyed who wed last year or planned to marry this year, 41% opted for the United States as their destination, compared with 38% of couples asked in 2023.
Florida, Hawaii and California were the most popular states for these trips, with Tennessee and Colorado not far behind.
In a recent survey of 400 engaged couples by the wedding platform Joy, nearly half said that they planned to have a domestic honeymoon. "We're finding that many couples are making the conscious choice to simplify, to savor and to stay grounded in the moment," Vishal Joshi, the chief executive, said. "The dream of faraway places meets the reality of time, budget and logistics."
Speaking to this point, Caitlin Bell-Evans, 26, a nurse, and Erica Bell-Evans, 28, a middle-school special-education teacher, who wed last April and live in Philadelphia, took a 10-day honeymoon to Palm Springs, California, last November.
They stayed at the Mediterranean-inspired Korakia Pensione during the trip and spent their days sleeping until 10 a.m., sitting by the hotel's pool and visiting local spas to use the hot springs. Come evening, they enjoyed Mexican food with tacos and tequila and treated themselves to a few nicer dinners. Caitlin Bell-Evans said that they chose Palm Springs because the city's mountain and desert landscape offered a stark contrast to the East Coast and made them feel as if "they really escaped."
"It was so much less work to stay domestic," she said. "We put so much work into planning our wedding and were tired. Plus, I didn't have a passport and didn't want another thing to add to my to-do list." She noted that they also thought domestic travel would be "cheaper" than going abroad.
"We really feel that staying in the U.S. was our way to give back to ourselves," Erica Bell-Evans added.
Some luxe domestic resorts also report a bump in honeymoon bookings. The Wauwinet, an oceanfront resort in Nantucket, Massachusetts, introduced a "happy honeymoons" package this spring in response to the rise in newlyweds at the property, according to Ashish Verma, the executive vice president of
White Elephant Resorts
, the resort's parent company.
The offer includes two nights of accommodation, daily breakfast, one lunch and one dinner. When they arrive, couples are welcomed with flowers, oysters and Champagne.
Kara Bebell and Harlan deBell are the brother-and-sister owners of the New York travel company the
Travel Siblings
, and planned Repetto's and La Bella's trip. They said that the United States had an abundance of resorts for newlyweds. "Whatever experience couples find romantic to them, from wineries and small towns to beaches and glamping in the wilderness, there is something fabulous for everyone," Bebell said.
The two suggest Acqualina Resort & Residences on the Beach, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club and Faena Hotel Miami Beach, in the Miami area. "These resorts have a Caribbean feel without leaving the country, and for the West Coast, it doesn't get more romantic in Laguna Beach than checking into the Montage," deBell said.
Wine lovers might consider Napa, Sonoma and
Healdsburg
, which are among the wine regions in California. For couples seeking upscale camping with activities like fly fishing and hiking, Bebell and deBell recommend resorts in Montana, including Paws Up, a ranch resort in Greenough, or the Ranch at Rock Creek, in Philipsburg. They also recently planned a weeklong honeymoon to the all-inclusive luxury resort Twin Farms, in Barnard, Vermont, which offers activities such as archery, ax throwing, cycling, hiking, canoeing and pickleball.
Caitlin Fogle, a travel adviser with Protravel in Miami, suggests couples plan their trips six to nine months in advance, if possible. "You'll get better rates and hotel availability, especially on premium rooms," she said. But she added that a memorable, last-minute domestic honeymoon was "definitely doable."
Fogle also advises couples to splurge on one or a few extravagant activities. This might include a private cruise with a sunset dinner, a hot-air balloon ride or a lavish private picnic in the middle of a hike. "These extras go a long way in elevating your trip," she said.
Andrew Gehrt, 36, the owner of a tree removal company, and Brittany Quay, 30, the director of a child development center, who live in Spartanburg, South Carolina, took her advice during their late-May honeymoon to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
At Fogle's recommendation, they splurged on privately guided tours of Yellowstone and
Grand Teton National Parks
. They also golfed, explored downtown Jackson and soaked in a hot tub while drinking Champagne.
"Most of our friends go to beach resorts in the Caribbean for their honeymoons," Gehrt said. "Ours was different. It was unique and definitely perfect."
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Economic Times WhatsApp channel
)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Al Etihad

9 minutes ago

• Al Etihad

Abu Dhabi launches Safe Summer campaign

22 June 2025 15:26 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)|Abu Dhabi Police has launched the sixth Safe Summer Campaign, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Civil Defence campaign, which runs until August 31, 2025, will raise awareness of safety precautions during summer by delivering messages and guidance, enhancing public safety across the initiative will utilise digital, audio-visual and print media, as well as community majalis, to spread safety messaging. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of preventive measures and essential safety protocols, enhancing fire and accident prevention efforts during the summer months. It will share awareness messages with parents on supervising children in swimming areas, encourage families to take necessary safety precautions at home, and remind drivers to check vehicle tyres and ensure their safety. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi

Rhyl Journal

9 minutes ago

• Rhyl Journal

Plaid to PM: 'Don't follow Trump into Middle East conflict'

Rhun ap Iorwerth, MS for Ynys Môn, and Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, welcomed Prime Minister Keir Starmer's calls for diplomacy and de-escalation, but voiced concerns that he had fallen short of roundly condemning President Trump's authorisation of US strikes against Iran overnight. The Plaid Cymru politicians said that the pursuit of peace should take priority over any UK loyalty to the US and warned against repeating history where the UK entered a regional conflict in the Middle East as 'America's puppet.' In a joint statement, Mr ap Iorwerth and Ms Saville Roberts said: 'President Trump's decision to launch US strikes against Iran is potentially catastrophic for an already destabilised region. 'Whilst Prime Minister Keir Starmer's calls for diplomacy and de-escalation are to be welcomed, it is concerning that he has fallen short of roundly condemning President Trump's actions. 'The pursuit of peace should take priority over any UK loyalty to the US. We all remember the disastrous consequences of being dragged into a regional conflict in the Middle East as America's puppet. 'It is essential therefore that Parliament has the opportunity to veto any UK military involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict should Keir Starmer yield to any pressure from President Trump and propose some form of intervention. 'In the same way the US Democrats are divided on the issue, Keir Starmer may well face pressure from Labour hawks to follow President Trump's lead. 'Air strikes were launched against Syria in 2018 without granting Parliament an opportunity to vote on military action. At the time Plaid Cymru accused then-Prime Minister Theresa May of showing complete disregard towards democracy. 'We stand firmly by that view and reiterate our calls for restraint before more innocent civilian lives are lost.' The US strike on Iran has fuelled fears that Israel's war with Tehran could escalate to a wider regional conflict. World leaders have reacted with calls for diplomacy and words of caution. US President Donald Trump had said on Thursday that he would decide within two weeks whether to get involved. In the end, it took just days, and Washington inserted itself into Israel's campaign with its early attack early on Sunday, reports the Press Association (PA).

Yahoo

9 minutes ago

• Yahoo

NBA》Wembanyama評比歷史最佳先發五人 Curry、LeBron都名列其中

結束少林寺閉關後，馬刺隊球星文班亞瑪(Victor Wembanyama)近期到紐約參加一年一度的Fanatics Fest，在被主持人問到他心目中的歷史最強五人時，文班亞瑪表示要選擇前五人有點困難，但他可以排出自己心目中的歷史最佳先發陣容。 文班亞瑪說道：「我會選擇柯瑞(Stephen Curry)、喬丹(Michael Jordan)、詹姆士(LeBron James)、鄧肯(Tim Duncan)和歐尼爾(Shaquille O'Neal)。」 Victor Wembanyama reveals his all-time starting five at Fanatics Fest 2025: PG: Stephen Curry SG: Michael Jordan SF: LeBron James PF: Tim Duncan C: Shaquille O'NealThoughts on his five? 🤔Via. @NBABuzzMikey / @CourtsideBuzzX — Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) June 21, 2025 這個陣容並不讓人太意外，不過還是有幾個耐人尋味的地方，首先，文班亞瑪在控衛部份挑選了柯瑞，而不是許多資深球迷可能比較屬意的魔術強森(Magic Johnson)，然而文班亞瑪過去已經多次公開讚揚柯瑞對現代籃球的巨大影響力，去年文班亞瑪領軍的法國隊也是被柯瑞的三分雨澆熄金牌夢。 喬丹和詹姆士都被文班亞瑪放進最佳陣容，非常巧妙地迴避誰才是GOAT的難解爭論。大前鋒部份，文班亞瑪也很「識相」地選擇了自家前輩鄧肯，如何讓馬刺在後鄧肯時代重返榮耀，也逐漸成為文班亞瑪肩上的重擔，馬刺隊目前已經連續6個賽季無緣季後賽。 年僅21歲的文班亞瑪，這個賽季因為右肩出現血栓而提前報銷，整季只打了46場比賽，有點不可思議的是，他的176個阻攻數依舊高居全聯盟之冠。馬刺球團目前還不確定文班亞瑪的復出時程，他近期到中國少林寺進行10天閉關休行，也是希望能讓自己體驗一些從來沒經歷過的活動，藉此提升自己身體的力量和延展性。 BUDDHIST TRADITION: Victor Wembanyama travelled to China to begin his journey of an ancient Buddhist tradition called 'Vassa,' at the Shaolin Temple. Wemby, who shaved his head bald & is training by jogging through China & on 'The Great Wall of China,' is practicing the… — Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) June 10, 2025