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Get the most out of your honeymoon.
By Deborah Roth — Written on Sep 17, 2019
You’re getting married! And after people ask “when,” the next question is, “Where are you going on your honeymoon?”
Playing with honeymoon ideas with your sweetie is like icing on the cake — the reward you get for surviving the whirlwind of planning that goes into making your big day really special.
When it’s all over, you really need that time to decompress, to disappear on a romantic getaway, just the two of you, and indulge in lots of yummy honeymoon sex!
So, here’s an idea to consider. What if you could also use that time to deepen your connection even further and to create an even stronger foundation for your marriage? We’re not talking about replacing any of that much needed flake-out time, cozy mornings in bed or romantic dinners under the stars either.
Instead, it’s about weaving in a few sweet moments where you can set intentions for the rest of your life together through words and actions. How can you take those vows you made to each other in your wedding ceremony and make them even more meaningful and powerful?
Here are 5 ideas to play with to make your honeymoon a truly magical launching pad for your marriage:
1. Tie the knot for real!
Many couples include a “handfasting” ritual in their wedding ceremony where their hands are literally bound together by a ribbon. It’s one of the most universal traditions in cultures all over the world and symbolizes your lifelong bond and commitment to each other.
Whether you included handfasting in your ceremony or not, you can still enact a little binding magic on your honeymoon (or after you get home) to further strengthen the promises you made on your wedding day.
For your honeymoon version of tying the knot, you’ll need to remember to bring a flower from your bouquet as well as your new partner’s boutonnière and something to bind them with. Set aside some quiet time to sit together — cross-legged on your bed with your bathing suits on, or on the balcony before dinner — whatever works for you.
Wind the ribbon around the flowers and re-state your promises to each other each time you tie a knot – feel free to do it as many times as you want… the more knots, the stronger your commitment!
When you get home, place your creation someplace prominent for both of you, infusing your shared space with all of your loving intentions.
2. Create a special “love amulet.”
Your wedding rings will always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect and a public showing of your commitment to each other. Imbuing a special honeymoon souvenir with love magic adds another dimension to that meaning.
It could be a beautiful shell from the beach or an unusual rock from a hike. It could even be a fun tchotchke or trinket from the local marketplace or resort gift shop. The idea is to pick two of them, then take some time to create a little sacred space towards the end of your honeymoon, as you did for your flower-binding.
Reflect on all the special moments you’ve had in this time-away-from-time, this precious, intimate cocoon you’ve been in before you return to the real world. Then infuse your little talismans with all of the wishes and dreams you want to take home with you.
Place them on your desks or someplace that you can see it regularly. Every time you connect with it, you’ll be reminded of your magical time away and all of those wishes and dreams you shared.
3. Conjur up some candle magic.
This is a favorite for many of the couples I work with, and like handfasting, can be included in your wedding ceremony. But if you didn’t get a chance to do it then, it’s definitely a playful magical arts and crafts project to plan for your honeymoon!
Be sure to bring a 3” or 6” pillar candle (those are the fat ones) with you, along with a pen and a plate (you’ll see why in a minute). Create a little sacred space for yourselves … hang the “do not disturb” sign on your door, put on some romantic music, maybe even sprinkle some rose petals on your bed! That’s also the best place to do your candle magic.
Using the pen (and the plate to catch the shavings) you’ll each take turns carving into the candle words and symbols representing your vows to each other. They can be your actual vows that you recited during your ceremony, or you can let your intuition guide you in the moment.
If you really want to get creative you can also bring some essential oils for love (rose, ylang ylang, and sandalwood are all great ones) and even glitter to cover your candle with when you’re done carving. It’s a little messy, as all good arts and crafts projects should be, and you’ll have to be careful transporting it home, but it definitely adds another layer of fun.
Then, every time you light the candle when you get home, you release all of those promises out into the world again!
4. Write love letters to each other.
This is an age-old practice that seems to get lost in the flurry of our busy lives. So, what better time to do it than on your honeymoon?
It’s really pretty straightforward, and if you wrote your own vows for your wedding ceremony, you’ve got a head start. The beauty of doing it during this romantic time away together is that you can say things you might not have been able to share in front of all of your friends and family. So give yourself permission to be a little risqué or outrageous, or just super mushy!
Find a quiet place away from each other to write your letter … under separate palm trees, or in different cozy corners of your resort.
Reflect on all the traits and quirks that you love most about your sweetie and your relationship in general. Write them down using old fashioned pen and paper — no electronics here. Professional writers will tell you that writing longhand allows you to be more creative and mindful, and to access your emotions more easily.
Then come back together (on your bed is a handy place) and read them to each other. It’s fabulous foreplay for another round of great honeymoon sex!
5. Bath or shower together with intention.
Lathering each other up in the shower or cuddling in the bath is always an uber-romantic practice, anytime, anywhere. When you turn it into a special honeymoon ritual, you take it to a whole new level.
To reach that place of maximum love magic, you’ll once again think about what you can do to create sacred space, this time in your bathroom. Bring in your newly-carved candle, get some sultry music going, and grab those love-infused essential oils.
If you’re in the shower, you’ll start by scrubbing yourselves separately as you declare what old habits, patterns or resentments you want to wash away to create a fresh body, mind and spirit for your journey forward together.
Then –the fun part—you’ll wash each other using the love oils, sharing all the things you love most about your partner’s body, mind and spirit. Definitely more juicy foreplay.
You can do the same thing in the bath, just eliminate the part where you’re scrubbing away the bad stuff since it won’t flow down the drain till you’re done and you don’t want to sit in it while you continue to snuggle!
All you need is a little planning, a clear intention, and the right “props” to create any of these magical honeymoon ideas – the components of any powerful ritual. Think of it as sacred play!
If you consider that symbols are the language of the unconscious, then what you’re really doing is anchoring all of your dreams, wishes and promises deep within each of you in playful and powerful ways. And – oh, by the way – it also just makes your honeymoon experience even more special and meaningful!
More for You:
Life and Relationship Coach Deborah Roth is also an Interfaith Minister and has married hundreds couples from different faiths, or simply those who are looking for something “spiritual but not religious”. To learn more about how you can create a unique, personalized wedding ceremony or plan for a really magical honeymoon, visit her website at SpiritedLiving.com.