94% Of Couples Recruit Friends Or Rely On The Credit Card To Fund Honeymoons

Feb. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- In the wake of New Year proposals and ahead of Valentine’s Day comes the latest edition of the UK’s newest honeymoon magazine, Unique Honeymoons, and the surprising news that while a honeymoon remains an integral part of the ‘getting hitched’ process, 94% of Brits pay for theirs through friends as part of a wedding list (44%) or personally via a credit card (50%).

According to Unique Honeymoons magazine, which also names its hottest honeymoons for 2013, once we’ve rallied some friends to help fund the honeymoon, our priorities are “truly memorable and unique” experiences (81% reckoned it was key to experience something they had never done before) and location (63% stated “it’s all about the location” when asked how important the destination was to them). Far less important was fast transport (only 13% cited it as a key factor) and pure relaxation (just 25% viewed chilling-out as their prime aim).

The new edition, just out, is dedicated to that once-in-a-lifetime, worth-getting-married-for-in-the-first-place trip! The magazine is packed with flashes of inspiration as well as more offbeat tips, including how to have your union blessed by a shaman at Machu Picchu!

For planning there is an indispensable month-by-month calendar, detailing the best places to go and when. There is also an in-depth, eight-page feature on India for those who have set their heart on the subcontinent but cannot decide whether they want temples, tigers, beaches, mountains or desert romance.

The Top 50 Honeymoons For All Budgets feature has something for every couple – from breaks under £500 to blow-outs over £9,000. Brilliant bargains range from a house-swap in Paris to wild camping in Norway; for less than £1,000 you could join a charity fundraising cycle along The Great Wall of China; for over £9,000, opt for utter opulence in New Zealand, where you can have your own champagne and hot-tub helicoptered to the top of a mountain.

As well as expert-written pieces, there are insights from real honeymooners. Five couples reveal their unconventional honeymoons – which range from a Cuba/Mexico combo to a UK-moon spent walking the South West Coast Path – and pass on their invaluable advice.

Says editor, Sarah Baxter, "Honeymoons remain as popular as ever, but how we pay for them has evolved, with 94% of our readers reaching for the credit card or asking friends to contribute. Also creating memories through activities is more important than pure relaxation, with only 25% citing that as the most important element of their honeymoon.”

Included in the magazine, Unique Honeymoons name its honeymoon hotspots for 2013, including the best time of year to travel to each destination. Here’s a taster:

1. New Zealand – named the world’s largest International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012, perfect for stargazing in the Southern Alps.

2.  Kilpisjarvi – located in north Finland and the place to see the northern lights in 2013.

3. Colombia – new eco-hotels on Parque Tayrona’s dreamy Caribbean coast, national parks and coffee plantations.

4. Indian Kashmir – stay in a houseboat on Dal Lake, or trek in the mountains.

5. Brazil – aside from the Olympics and World Cup build-up, there’s the buzz of Bahia and jaguar-spotting in the Pantanal.

Unique Honeymoons is on sale now, priced at £4.99; it also has a companion website http://www.unique-honeymoon-ideas.com/

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For further information, publishing details, review copies, interviews, and extracts as well as high quality images please contact Fiona Reece or Claire Southern at Fiona Reece Public Relations

fiona@fionareece.com / claire@fionareece.com

07725 167 665, 07702 684 682/ 01242 211 192

Notes to Editor

*Sarah Baxter, editor of Unique Honeymoons, is a travel, honeymoon and romantic breaks expert; she is available for comment, trends and insights into the British honeymoon market.