Would You Take Your Friends On Your Honeymoon?
As weddings become less and less traditional in 2017, honeymoons aren't far behind. The idea of spending two weeks in newly wedded bliss with just your spouse? Forget that - brides and grooms are starting to bring their friends on the post-wedding vacations, eschewing the traditional honeymoon for a "buddymoon."
About 12 percent of couples have gone on group honeymoons in the last five years, according to a recent Priceline survey asking 1,000 Americans about wedding travel. Even celebs have done it - after Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's surprise wedding in August 2015, they brought their famous friends Chelsea Handler, Courteney Cox and Jason Bateman along to continue the celebration in Bora Bora. "We had thought about it; we could just do a normal honeymoon or we could go with friends, keep the party going, relax, and have fun," Theroux told Extra of bringing along some of the couple's closest friends.
As people get married later into adulthood and a marriage affects life less and less, they're making a honeymoon even more special by sharing the experience with those closest to them. "Couples are planning more destination weddings than ever, so they're tacking on a trip with their friends at the end of it to extend the celebration," Lia Batkin, co-founder of In The Know Experiences told Condé Nast Traveler.
Gabriella LeBraton told CNT that she wanted to combine celebrating with friends and an adventurous type of group skiing, which she and her new husband love to do. "We're both passionate skiers so our dream holiday is a ski trip," she said. "However, because we both love off-piste skiing/freeriding, this usually involves hiring a guide and skiing in a group of likeminded powder hounds, which is why a buddymoon struck us as the perfect option."
Just because friends are along for the trip doesn't mean there can't be romance. "I absolutely loved being cozied up in that candlelit and fire-warmed hut, sharing tales of our wedding with friends over some wedding cake that I'd saved for the occasion," said LeBraton.
Guests see the benefit as well. Lynn Hansen, a publicist in New York enjoyed a trip to Spain for a friend's nuptial, and a small group headed from the wedding in Marbella to Ibiza for some post-wedding fun before the couple continued onto Italy, she told CNT. "It was perfect for the couple who were married, and a great way to send them off to their romantic part of their honeymoon," she said. "It just felt like a continuation of their wedding."
Although group fun might not be everyone's idea of just-wedded bliss, for those who want some pals along for the celebrations, Batkin has some tips for planning a successful buddymoon. "Pick a longer trip with lots of things to see, keep the group under 10 people, and stick to mostly couples," she said."Also, you want to be sure the people you're traveling with have similar outlooks and price points. The last thing you want is to feel stressed on your honeymoon."
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