There may be petals on the bed, but not everything will be coming up roses.
You'll forget to plan it.
Let's say you're planning a normal vacation. You'd probably take months reading up on the destination, researching flights and hotels, and creating your itinerary. But this no ordinary time in your life—this is your "wedding planning life," and you are busy. But set aside some time to orchestrate your honeymoon, because once you finally pick your head up from planning, you'll be so glad there's a relaxing trip on the other side.
It will be incredibly special.
Even if you swear all those clichés of couples cuddling at the airport or holding hands while checking into their hotel is so not you two, don't be surprised if all of a sudden you find yourselves acting just like those other happy couples. You're celebrating a very big, very happy event—not to mention, you no longer have the stress of planning on your shoulders. Enjoy it!
You might not feel relaxed until a day or two in.
If you expect that it will only take an hour or two of sun and a strong cocktail for you to feel rejuvenated and focused on each other, you may be surprised. You'll have so much adrenaline pushing you through the wedding that you may be exhausted or just feel kind of out of it for the first day or so. Prepare to go with the flow, be kind to yourselves and maybe push that adventurous scuba excursion or hiking to the top of the volcano until later in the week.
It won't always feel like a romantic fantasy.
After you've packed the fancy lingerie you got at your bachelorette party and pre-ordered the expensive champagne for your hotel room, you imagine romance will be in the air all day every day. But sometimes, too much sun, surf or sightseeing can really take its toll, and you can bet that at least one night you'll just want to do something sort of lame, like watching a TV show in a foreign language (and trying to decipher the plotline) while eating some room service.
Mishaps might happen.
On a related note, be prepared for unexpected—and unwelcome—events. Your hotel room might not be as lovely as it looked in the photos, you might miss a connecting flight or you might even get sick, but if you roll with the punches when things go wrong, you'll be able to enjoy all the amazing things that go right. And keep in mind that most hotels have doctors on call to help and medicine in the gift shop, but pack a few Imodium and Advil in your suitcase just in case (it'll be way cheaper than buying it there).
You won't want to come home.
Whether you've already been on tons of vacations as a couple or this is your first big one together, coming back from your honeymoon is a quick trip back to reality (sorry!) and everything you've been neglecting while you were planning your wedding, like a stack of work, your taxes or cleaning the bathroom. Planning your next trip can ease the pain a little, as can scheduling a fun date night for the weekend after you're back.
