Wedding Series: Budgeting

Is anyone else having a crazy time out there? I am having an extremely difficult time trying to budget everything. The main concern right now is the honeymoon budget. Due to some unforeseen costs, we have to lower our honeymoon budget. I cannot be selfish and ask for what I want neglecting the finances of it.

So, let me vent about what's going wrong. The month! December is such an undesirable month for me. I never wanted to have a winter wedding. But that was not in my control. Our honeymoon month comes out to be January, next year. Why is everything priced SO high between January - March? Oh, I know why. Because it's the peak season. Crowds as well as price tags on flights and hotel sky-rocket during this season. Prices start going down in April. Everything is so much more expensive than I thought it would be. It is what it is. We are stuck with the high prices in order to get what we want.

At first, I didn't have the liberty to plan a honeymoon because we wanted to skip the winter months and wait until April to travel and go on a luxury trip. We wanted awesome weather and cheaper prices. But then, we changed our mind because you lose the honeymoon craze if you wait months after your wedding. As of now, we are stuck with January to make travel plans. We have from 5 - 7 days.

Our hearts lie in the Pacific. We really want to go to Tahiti, Moorea & Bora Bora. And we all know how expensive it is... so we kind of have to branch off to other options. For some reason, he is really fascinated with living in an over-water bungalow. They can range from $200-$2000 depending on the location. The ones in Tahiti are coming up to about $600 a night. That is freaking insane. So, I told him... you've got to sacrifice something here. There are cheaper over-water bungalows in other locations that are not in French Polynesia. For example, Maldives is the cheaper alternative to Tahiti. You can definitely plan a comfortable trip to Maldives on a budget. Thailand and Indonesia are also along the same lines. But then we thought... we can go to any of these cheaper destinations on other occasions. We want to make the honeymoon special.

There is another destination that is special to me after Tahiti. It is Turks & Caicos. It isn't called paradise for no reason. I am a sucker for the white sands and crystal clear water. I've read a lot of reviews where people say it is on par with Tahiti & Moorea. And I was able to find a package that fits our budget. The meal plan was European but I don't mind it because we don't eat sea food. My fiancee is a 100% vegetarian and he might starve there, lol. It's better to go off to local restaurants and hunt for vegetarian options than to opt for an all-inclusive with seafood. I will try adding the American Breakfast option though.

If we change our mind from the Pacific and branch off to Asia, we would like to go to Fiji. Turquoise waters and glittering sands with extravagant luxury - who doesn't want that? They have some pricey honeymoon options but they provide you with nothing but luxury. They have so many options to make your honeymoon special including having an entire island to yourself as a couple! The only downside to travelling between November - April is the weather. This is their wet season. I personally love rain. But it doesn't fly well with the fiancee. I've been searching some Fiji packages and they seem to fit okay with the budget. But we can't seem to get along on this one even though it is breathtakingly beautiful.

The other option I looked up is Maui. Again, it's about the beaches, the Aloha spirit and the culture. There is definitely a lot to experience there. It is hard to go wrong with a honeymoon in Hawaii.

My last option is Aruba. There are 7 days all inclusive packages for Aruba in a 5 ***** hotel for about 4 grand! But that is a discount deal. And it will go away very soon. Some hotels are $900 a night in Aruba in the peak season. Aruba is about the beaches and awesome coral reefs.

I narrowed it down to 4 choices:
1. Turks & Caicos
2. Fiji
3. Maui
4. Aruba

Do you think we should revert back to our plan of Tahiti & Bora Bora in March/April in order to be truly satisfied with our travel? Or do you think we should stop being whiny and suck it up and branch out to the other wonderful locations I mentioned?

If anyone knows of any good deals on the above-listed destinations, please let me know. Also, do you think it's better to book through a travel agent or do it ourselves online? I could really use some advice. Thank you guys!