Stressed about your Big Day and can’t decide on a ‘just-married’ destination to suit both you and your spouse-to-be? Take a deep breath and let Giselle McKenna guide you through some great options.

Nowadays the honeymoon is rarely the first trip abroad taken by a couple; however, it still has its place in the list of important life events. Therefore, choosing the right honeymoon destination is a very important decision.

If you want to visit different countries just for a little while, indulge in various cuisines at any hour of the day, be served on hand and foot, and share a dance on deck under the moonlight, a cruise is for you

Travel is a very personal experience because much of it depends on people’s interests, hobbies, tastes and capabilities. After all, much as the view from the top of a mountain is sure to be spectacular, if you suffer from a bad back, or simply laziness, it’s hardly a holiday that you’re going to jump at. So how do you make a joint decision on where to go when it comes to the honeymoon?

Short of wanting to visit North Korea or Antarctica, the world is readily accessible and every corner of the globe has something wonderful to offer.

Whether you prefer to remain closer to home or are looking to explore further afield, your honeymoon destination needs to be somewhere that is special for the both of you. Money may dictate your decision, as will holiday leave allowed by your office, but if you plan sensibly and save accordingly, then your honeymoon can be the trip you’ve always dreamed of.

The following list is hardly exhaustive (and not quite hierarchical), but it should help to give you some ideas before booking your honeymoon flights.

1) Europe

Sometimes we tend to forget the beauty and riches that lie almost on our doorstep. Europe is the ideal destination for people who want to get away for a few days with many places to choose from.

Paris is a no-brainer. Considered to be Europe’s most romantic city, many couples will opt for the City of Lights for their first holiday together as a married couple.

Barcelona is another option if you’re after bustling nightlife and a fun trip that’s a mixture of culture and colour.

Scotland might not be at the forefront of people’s minds, but if you’re getting married in winter and enjoy the colder weather then perhaps the idea of snuggling up in front of a roaring fireplace in one of Scotland’s castle-hotels is ideal.

And if sun-worshipping and island-hopping sounds idyllic, then the Greek islands offer some spectacular scenery.

2) South Africa

I may be biased here, as I am going there on my honeymoon, but I do believe that South Africa offers a generous mix of everything that one could want in a holiday. If you want beaches there are plenty to choose from, some of which are homes to the cutest penguin colonies.

If its culture you’re after, this former Dutch and British colony is steeped in history, some of which is very recent and still affects the region till this very day. Fancy a spot of shopping? Places like Cape Town and Johannesburg are flying high in the fashion world and designer shops line the main streets.

Wine enthusiasts? South Africa is at the forefront of the New World’s best wines, so a visit to the specialised wine region of Stellenbosch will not go amiss.

And of course, there are the safaris. Seeing the Big Five in the wild is an amazing experience that will remain with you for the rest of your life. A word of caution if visiting – don’t act like the stereotypical tourist. Beautiful as the country may be, it is still notorious for muggings and being street-smart will help you have a successful holiday.

3) All about the beaches

OK, I’m cheating a bit here but how can I choose just one destination that offers amazing beaches and guaranteed relaxation? Fiji, Hawaii, Bora Bora (French Polynesia), Jamaica, Bahamas, Maldives, Mauritius, Thailand, Aruba… all these, and many more, destinations are serious contenders if what you’re after is long stretches of white sand, crystal clear waters, swaying palm trees and beautiful sunsets.

These tropical locations are ideal to de-stress after the months of wedding tension build-up; lounge in a hammock with a large cocktail and forget all about the stresses of daily life. Be warned though, returning to the reality of work and daily traffic might be a shock to your system.

4) US

Still viewed by many as the land of opportunity, whether you opt to visit the East Coast – think New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Florida – or the West Coast – essentially, California – a trip to the States is the dream of many.

You’ll need to dedicate at least two weeks to this holiday, mainly due to the time taken to travel there, so you need to decide whether you want to visit just one place, immerse yourself in it and discover everything about it, or whether you want to hop from city to city (or state to state) trying to see as much as possible by spending one to two days in each. Ultimately, it’s a matter of preference, and opportunity.

5) Cruise

Am I cheating again? Perhaps; however, a cruise is also a great honeymoon choice.

I wasn’t of this opinion until quite recently, thinking that cruises are lovely… for when I’m retired. Not so.

Cruises are a great way to travel to various destinations in complete comfort. No airport queues, no overweight luggage restrictions, and if you book an adult-only cruise (which you’d really want to do for your honeymoon), no screaming children.

If you want to visit different countries just for a little while, indulge in various cuisines at any hour of the day, be served on hand and foot, and share a dance on deck under the moonlight, a cruise is for you. All you need to decide now is which one to book.

Tip: When we came to choose our honeymoon destination, I was gung-ho for Bora Bora, wanting a couple of weeks of nothing but beautiful beaches, clear waters and lazy cocktails. My husband wanted to go to China. No comment.

Clearly, we needed to think this through. So we listed our top 10 destinations and tallied them against each other, until we came up with a clear winner. It worked and we’re both very pleased with the destination chosen (together).