You did it. The wedding planning is behind you, and now you and your partner have one more milestone to look forward to: your honeymoon.
While honeymoons typically don't cost as much as the wedding itself, couples still spend a significant amount on their first getaway as newlyweds. According to a LendingTree survey, the average couple spends $6,260 on their honeymoon.
Of course, the total can vary widely depending on where you go, how long you stay and the kind of experience you're hoping to have. So, how much should a honeymoon actually cost? We asked Michelle Durpetti, founder of Michelle Durpetti Events and an event planner who specializes in weddings and honeymoons, as well as Claire Battista, a Gen Z trends expert at Affirm, for their insights.
Average honeymoon cost
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6.20% - 35.99%
$1,000 to $75,000
9.95% to 35.99%
$2,000 to $35,000
Experts weigh in on honeymoon cost
There's no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to how much money you should allocate for a honeymoon. Though LendingTree found a $6,260 average, the cost ultimately comes down to personal preference and the type of experience you want to have.
"Nowadays, people really make decisions based on who they are as a couple, as much as individual," Durpetti tells CNBC Select. "Couples are becoming a lot more intentional with their spending, and I think the tendency is less interest in spending simply for the sake of luxury, and more interest in investing in experiences."
Findings from a recent Affirm survey echoes this sentiment: Gen Z couples are being more thoughtful about what feels worth it when it comes to such big life moments.
"Nearly 40% of Gen Z respondents said they'd rather spend on a honeymoon or trip than the wedding itself," Battista explains. "How much to spend on a honeymoon is a personal decision, but understanding the costs upfront can help couples plan and make choices that align with their priorities."
How to pay for your honeymoon
There are many ways to cover the costs of a honeymoon, especially if you plan to spend thousands for a week or two away.
Savings
First off, plan to save up for your honeymoon. Instead of traveling immediately after the wedding, some couples delay their honeymoon for a few months to a year to give themselves extra time to save. A dedicated high-yield savings account is a good place to store your savings, since you'll earn above-average interest and you can continuously add in money whenever you have extra cash.
Credit card rewards
It's common for newlyweds to use credit card rewards to help pay for their honeymoon. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to earn points and miles after opening a new card before it's time to book your trip.
Redeeming points through transfer partners and booking travel through the issuer's travel portal are the best ways to stretch the value of your points. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card's (see rates and fees) points are worth 1 cent each for this redemption; with the card's current 100,000-point welcome bonus, that's worth $1,000 in value if you redeem the points through the Chase Travel℠ portal. New cardholders earn 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first three months.
As another example, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card's 75,000-mile welcome bonus, which you can earn once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, works out to be worth $750 in travel.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Gifts
Using gifted money to pay for your honeymoon is an obvious option, and it's something Durpetti says she sees frequently, with many couples including "honeymoon funds" on their wedding registries.
Surprise honeymoon costs
Any time you're traveling, you'll want to account for costs like accommodations, transportation, food, activities and sometimes souvenirs. But there are also other costs that sneak up on you and make the bill add up faster than expected.
Foreign transaction fees
Foreign transaction fees are surcharges that get tacked on by your card issuer any time you make purchases in foreign currency. The fee can range from 1% to 3% of the purchase amount, meaning larger purchases equate to higher overall fees.
If your honeymoon is somewhere overseas, consider signing up for one of these credit cards that has no foreign transaction fees beforehand:
Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card
Rewards
2.5% cash back on your first $10,000 of qualifying eligible purchases per billing cycle for Tier One Rewards (1.5% for all other eligible purchases over $10,000 per billing cycle). Terms apply.
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
None
Balance transfer fee
3%
Regular APR
16.49% to 26.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
N/A
Terms apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- High flat-rate cash-back rewards
Cons
- No welcome bonus
- Must jump through several hoops to qualify for the highest cash-back rate
The Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card is no longer available to new applicants.
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the most rewarding options for earning cash back in categories such as entertainment and dining without paying an annual fee. Plus, you can combine its rewards with Capital One's travel cards to convert them into transferable miles.
- One of the most rewarding cash back cards for entertainment and streaming services
- No annual fee
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- High APR
- Requires a good to excellent credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- For a limited time, earn a one-time $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.74% - 28.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
Introductory fee of 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account during the first 12 months that your account is open. After that, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that we may offer you at any other time.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
Resort fees
Durpetti also recommends paying attention to resort fees, which are extra daily fees that get tacked onto your bill and are used to cover access to resort amenities like the pool or gym. She recalls a five-night stay at a hotel in Hawaii that resulted in a $900 charge for the resort fee alone.
Resort fees can be steep but there is often no way around them. Make sure you pay attention to the fine print so you know exactly what you're being charged.
Peak and off-peak travel
Some destinations have peak and off-peak seasons. Peak seasons are often more expensive to travel and off-peak seasons are often less expensive and less crowded. You may be able to save on flights and hotels by opting to travel during a destination's off-peak season.
First class vs. economy
Some couples want to plan a luxurious honeymoon, from arriving to the airport to walking back through their front door — and that may involve flying first class to their destination. First class seats can feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but they can be significantly more expensive than standard seats. (That is unless your credit card rewards help you score them for less.)
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Meet our experts
At CNBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. For this story, we spoke to Michelle Durpetti, founder of Michelle Durpetti Events and an event planner who specializes in weddings and honeymoons, as well as Claire Battista, a Gen Z trends expert at Affirm.
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