One recently newlywed remembers the holiday of a lifetime and shares with us her must-haves on the honeymoon hot list…
So much of our attention is poured into the wedding day itself – and quite rightly so. But speaking from experience – and whether you’re planning an immediate getaway or a honeymoon set back from the day itself – the first newlywed adventure you’ll ever take also needs careful planning lest you fall foul of the dreaded post-wedding blues. We catch up with real bride Marianne who shares with us her straight-shooting tips for the honeymoon hot list…
FEATURED IMAGE: markpugh.com

Chanel 1990s tweed set in pastel shades, circavintage.com
The Going Away Outfit
“I was determined to have a new ‘going away outfit’; something a bit special and certainly smart to mark my first trip as a married woman. This may seem ridiculously old-fashioned (and expensive!) but I knew that after months of organising the day itself, there was always the chance I might feel a little deflated and flat… and that’s before the trip of a lifetime! So I decided that the prep before the honeymoon was just as important as the day itself, and this honestly kept my spirits up. (People don’t tell you about the post-wedding blues but they’re real!).”
The Honeymoon Scent
“I’m big on different scents to mark different occasions and this is always a memory-enhancing gift. I chose a different perfume for my honeymoon – Clinique’s Happy – and whenever I smell it now or wear it, that’s exactly how I feel (and I’m right back on that beach in Thailand…).”

HoneyBirdette
The Va-Va-Voom Lingerie!
“If I’m honest, I’d spent the best part of a year in the gym before the wedding… there was no way I wasn’t going to take some sensational underwear on honeymoon! Even though it was hot and sometimes I couldn’t be bothered, I’m so glad I did – when you’re back from honeymoon and ‘life’ begins again, you’re lucky if anything’s matching so this was a real luxury and it makes me giggle.”
The Hottest Honeymoon Accessories
“I remember thinking I didn’t want to feel or look like another tourist couple on holiday; I still wanted to feel like a bride. A few clever purchases beforehand certainly helped me carry that ‘just married’ feeling well into the following month after the wedding day (and into a different continent too!). I personalised a sun hat from kittensinahat.com with ‘Mrs Hawkins’ in pink sequins and bought a bikini from the bridal couture range at afinalondon.co.uk.”

Afina Tiffany Swimsuit
The Honeymoon Wow Dress
“So much thought and attention had gone on the wedding dress, I wasn’t ready to step out of that mindset! I knew I wanted our honeymoon photos to be stand-out sensational so I bought a beautiful ‘honeymoon dress’ that I wore every chance I got for two weeks and still wear when there’s a ball dress opportunity!”

genol, pronovias
The Honeymoon Journal
“We spent a lot of time travelling and I knew I wanted a record of our time together. I bought a beautifully embossed and personalised leather journal from bathleathergoods.com and revisit it from time to time to remember. I’m seven months pregnant with our first child, a little girl, and I can’t wait to share it with her too!”