Honeymoons, baby moon & now pre-moons, there are so many holidays related to big life events. Most make sense but why on earth would you go on holiday in the run up to the most stressful (sorry, magical) day of your life? Here are 5 reasons to book a pre-moon.

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What is a Pre-Moon?

You have probably heard of a honeymoon. A romantic trip with your newly wedded partner. It should be romantic, relaxing and way to unwind after the wedding. Well, with more and more couples delaying their trips to save for them, or to travel at a different time of year, even this definition is shifting a bit. If we are going to mess about with your honeymoon, why not add in a fun new idea? Enter the pre-moon, sometimes known as an earlymoon, the short pre-wedding trip that is all the rage.

OK, so Harry and Meghan, and Pippa Middleton and her beau, may have popularised the pre-moon but I like to think that we Fluskeys invented it back in 2016. Getting hitched on the Saturday, we popped over to Copenhagen for a quick city break the Monday before. We caught the first flight of the morning on Monday and flew home late in the evening the next day. With two tiny rucksacks, we were ready for a crazy city adventure. It was a revelation and we would love to share why you should book a pre-moon too.

What Should You Consider When Planning a Pre-Moon?

• How long do you want your pre-moon to be? A pre-moon is not intended to be a long break but a night or two. Of course it is entirely up to you, but ideally, it is a short, sharp minibreak.
• If you are going away for a night or two, what are your priorities? Do you want to completely chill out, have a digital detox and switch off? Do you want to go on a crazy city break with plenty of sightseeing and things to do?
• Are you ready to break your wedding diet for some of Italy’s amazing gelato and pizza? Do you want to head to a Scandi city with plenty of fresh fish and pickled veg? Food is always a good plan but if you are going to feel guilty about indulging, take it into account.
• What is your budget? You could put a small amount aside from your honeymoon fund for this trip, or like us, just go for the cheapest break possible (£20 return flights, £30 AirBnB room etc).
• A quick warning – Try not to get sunburned, fall victim to food poisoning, get munched by mosquitoes and avoid anywhere that has a big time difference (jet lag). If you are in Europe, stick to Europe. In North America, stick to your time zone +/- 1 hour (the USA/Mexico,/Canada)….you get it.
• A quick tip – If you are up for taking a pre-moon, book it early. Get that bit of planning done quickly and out of the way so it is not another little niggling task.

5 Reasons to Book a Pre-Moon

1 – To Disconnect

Wedding planning can be overwhelming. Leaving home and the preperations can work wonders for reviving enthusiasm and not wanting to kill somebody. You may not realise you are stressed and only by completely removing yourself from the bubble will your mind have the space to relax. Take two or three days to remove the table plans, napkin design ideas and confetti box constructions from your eye line. Out of sight and out of mind! You also won’t have anyone asking you about the wedding. Nobody knows you, so you won’t have a minor panic attack every time someone asks you about something that isn’t fully done, or can’t be done until the day.

2 – To Reconnect

The run up to a wedding can be so incredibly stressful. Sometimes it seems like all you are doing is wedding admin (“wedmin”) and ticking off list after list. Even if you are preparing everything together and talking often, it can feel like you are colleagues with your significant other. Going on a short trip gives you the opportunity to capture a moment without any wedding-related chatter. You can have a fun new experience together or chill out completely side by side. It is so important to remember why you chose this person to be your forever person. Yes, you can produce one heck of a wedding but also, you love each other without the big party, the flowers and the special day.

3 – For a Change of Scene

Saving for a wedding can put a stop to your travels for a year or two. We opted for a very cheap and cheerful trip within Europe but a pre-moon doesn’t have to be abroad. Some people opt for a night or two in a nice hotel or spa. You could even go camping or glamping and totally embrace the no-signal life. Staycations are a lovely way to spend an earlymoon. It could just an hour or two away from home, reducing the stress of travel and the risk of things going awry. There is a good reason that the expression, “A change is a good as a rest” is still popular.

4 – To Be a Little Selfish

Wedding days are all about the happy couple. That is true BUT when it comes to weddings, it is almost impossible to avoid politics. Families and friends will all have expectations, hopes and even demands. This can be heightened when finances are involved. Sometimes, if people are chipping in then they may well get a say in the planning. Popping off on a short holiday that is planned by you, paid for by you and only with the two of you means you can do whatever you want! Enjoy switching off from the ideas of everybody else and worrying about whether Aunt Doris is going to argue with Cousin Boris. A pre-moon is a chance to indulge in pure self-care for the both of you.

5 – It Can Help with Organisation

I know taking a break may sound something a very unorganised person might do but trust me on this one. We set the day before our pre-moon as the date for all our pre-wedding admin to be finished. If it wasn’t done by then, it wasn’t going to be. It was so nice to know everything we could do, we had done and that we didn’t have much to do when we got home until the venue let us through the door. Of course, we still had access to emails but actually, nobody required our attention so it was plain sailing.

Setting the earlier date gives its own kind of mental space. Maybe the holiday is just a bonus and removes the temptation to constantly add to or tweak things.

After the Pre-Moon

Now because I cannot help it, here are some snaps of the wedding just five days after our earlymoon to Copenhagen.

Final Thoughts on Your Pre-Moon

These days, there are so many kinds of “moon” holidays. You can take an earlymoon, a honeymoon, a “friends-moon” or a “baby-moon”…in fact, why not do all of them? You know we will always encourage you to travel as much as your budget and time off will allow, so use every excuse you have! Book a pre-moon, book the honeymoon…what’s next, a “Tuesday-moon”? I’ll see you there.

Rosie xx