Should I stay in Italy and honeymoon straight after my Italian wedding?

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It seemed like a no brainer. We both remembered the ‘high’ we felt straight after we got engaged and knew we’d feel the same once we were married. We love Italy and there was so much of it we still wanted to explore, so why fork out for two lots of flights when we were already in our dream destination, one that meant so much to us?

We booked our honeymoon in Sorrento straight from our wedding. We’d drive to Rome for a few days with friends first, then catch the fast train down to Naples, just the two of us. We booked a gorgeous hotel in the centre of Sorrento, and organised trips to Capri, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello, plus a pizza making class and a day at a luxury beach club. It was perfect.

But I was knackered.

I didn’t anticipate quite how tired I would be after our wedding. By the time our honeymoon began we’d already been in Italy for 11 nights. The night before our wedding I’d averaged about three hours sleep, and I had no idea how much all the emotion of planning a wedding or the adrenaline crash would take its toll. Rome was wonderful but intense, and there’s no time to chill when you’re averaging 20,000 steps a day! I didn’t want to nap or sleep in and risk eating into precious time where I could be enjoying my honeymoon, but the reality was – I needed a rest. 

While my husband would argue that he usually has to drag me out of bed on a weekend, I’m not someone who tires easily. I’m generally one of those people with a “sleep when you’re dead” mentality, so I had no idea I’d feel so shattered after our wedding.

We had an amazing honeymoon and made memories I’ll treasure for my lifetime. But I think if I was to be totally honest with myself, I’d have gotten more out of our honeymoon if I’d given myself a bit of a break. There was one night my husband and I ate a gorgeous meal in our hotel and then went for drinks on the terrace, and I fell asleep on his shoulders.

I’ve always said the difference between this site and the planner-based sites is that here you can get unfiltered views from a real destination bride. And while each bride is different, my honest experience was this: The ONLY thing I would change about my wedding is that I wouldn’t have honeymooned straight from our wedding.

That being said, I don’t know what it feels like NOT to honeymoon straight from your wedding, and the grass always seems greener, right? So here’s my personal list of pros and cons, which could help you come to the decision that’s right for you.

Pros:

  • I stand by that there really ISN’T anything like that ‘just married’ feeling, and it doesn’t last forever

  • Saving on flights! Not having to factor in two sets of flights meant we could spend that money elsewhere

  • Delaying the wedding blues: I think flying straight home after so much planning would have hit us HARD

  • Knowing we were honeymooning straight away meant that a few guests bought us experiences (like cooking classes and fancy meals) for our wedding gift, which was gorgeous

  • Enjoying our first look photos and teaser video overlooking the bay of naples from our balcony, prosecco in hand, was a wonderful moment

Cons:

  • You’ll have got this already, but I was far, far more tired than I ever could have anticipated

  • Being in Italy for so long was EXPENSIVE, and towards the end of the honeymoon I started to feel anxious about how much we’d spent all in one go

  • With the wedding having consumed me in the lead up, I felt like I didn’t give enough attention or budget to some of the girlie things I’d have liked to do, like plan cute outfits (I know those things aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something I’d have done if I’d had the time!)

  • Although friends and family members took lots of things home for us after the wedding, we still had a lot more luggage than we’d have on a regular holiday, so travel wasn’t as straightforward as it could have been

  • Because we’d been in Italy for so long already, our actual ‘honeymoon’ only lasted a week, whereas I think if we’d have gone at any other time of year we’d have stayed longer. It went by so fast!

I had the most wonderful time and am so grateful to have had that experience, but when we got home I felt a little bit sad as I didn’t feel I was the best version of myself, or was as present in the moment as I would normally have been. The good news is that I talked it over with my husband, and we’re going to revisit Sorrento for our one year anniversary.

This is only my personal experience and you will have the best time whatever you decide, but if you’re stuck between the decision then hopefully this blog will help you consider some things you might not have thought of.

I’d love to hear your own experiences too so that I can offer a wider view – email me at ciao@italyeverafter.com

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