Weddings are special. Whether grand or intimate, they are often lively and emotional. And after the time, effort and excitement in organizing the special day, what comes next is just as memorable.
The Honeymoon. The escape away from it all for a few days. The first chance to live together as a married couple. Every honeymoon is different: travelling home or abroad, getting there by plane, train or automobile; staying, somewhere homely nearby, exotic like Chang Mai or romantic like Monaco. Do you look for a property to rent, book a resort or hotel, or go on a cruise?
The honeymoon is such an integral part of marriage celebrations. But how did the concept begin, and where did the name evolve?
A Brief History of the Honeymoon
Several stories about the origins of the term honeymoon are floated on the internet. Most agree that ‘honey’ refers to mead, a beer made from honey, and ‘moon’ refers to a lunar month. The custom is associated with Babylon. The first recorded writing of the term honeymoon dates back to a published article by John Heywood in 1546. Literary figures used the words ‘honey moone’ to convey the merriment during the period after the wedding. Later on, the phrase was compressed to the word now used. Although the meaning is the same, it doesn’t accurately reflect how people celebrate honeymoons today.
The idea of a honeymoon as a vacation after marriage wasn’t adopted until the late 1700s by the Germans. It took almost another century before the modern concept of the honeymoon was widely used in the English language.
Many couples today take a break together before being married, but the honeymoon remains a special event for newly weds. But how did they become so special in the first place?
Your Honeymoon Is More Important Than Your Wedding
Many people say that a wedding is about the bride, with the groom tagging along as a necessary extra. Although this may be true, it is also about the people in your life who wish to celebrate you and your union, and show you off.
One of the main reasons why honeymoons are so important is because they help strengthen relationships. They are all about your marriage, commitments promised to each other and building the roots of your partnership. The honeymoon is for intimate and tender moments to spend with your spouse, without the need to put on a show for other people.
Your honeymoon is the first chance to be together as a married couple, away from the public eye. They offer a rest after the whirlwind that is wedding planning and celebration and give you time together to reflect on the impact as a married couple has on your relationship––from living together to starting a family.
Don’t Put It Off
View the honeymoon as a way to kick-off your first moments as a married couple. While some believe it’s fine to put it off, be careful of the reasons why. Work-related issues of your spouse may indicate where their priorities lie in the future.
The honeymoon is a marker of one of the happiest times and serves to remind a couple why they married in the first place. You’ll get to travel, explore intimacy, and prepare yourselves for a new chapter in your lives.
