HONEYMOON Ditch the Beach? 12268 views

It seems that British newlyweds are shunning the traditional two-week honeymoon in the sun in favour of holidays closer to home...

According to new research, 89% of couples didn’t opt for a honeymoon overseas on a beach, while 32% actually spent their first holiday as Mr and Mrs in the UK, the most popular destinations being London, the Lake District and Scotland.

The number of newlyweds opting for adventure-based activities, such as safaris and even mountain climbing, and twin-centred honeymoons has also risen, with 56% of those surveyed revealed the thought of having nothing to do on honeymoon and being surrounded by tables of other couples filled them with dread – and an honest 8% were actually worried about arguing with each other out of boredom.

With the average cost of a honeymoon topping the £2,500 mark, it’s no wonder many couples are opting out of gift lists and asking guests to contribute to their once-in-a-lifetime holiday instead – more than a quarter of couples now request honeymoon contributions rather than the traditional presents.

The survey commissioned by teletextholidays.co.uk also revealed that a lucky one in six couples were given their post-nup holiday as a present from a family member, while one in 10 were accompanied on honeymoon by other family members (which some might consider not so lucky – unless you’re taking your kids, in which case the in-laws can be indispensible for entertaining the little ones while you sneak off for some time together).

For those couples who did go long-haul for their honeymoon, popular destinations include the USA, Caribbean and the Maldives, while short-haulers chose Spain, France and Italy as the place for some post-wedding relaxation.

Photos © Yuri van Helten, Sheraton Algarve, Antigua

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