Chicago Wedding & Party Resource 2017 Spring / Summer

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H O N E Y M O O N & T R A V E L
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
60
The Bride’s Guide
to Honeymoon Packing
Wedding experts offer tips for packing perfection
By Anna Sachse, CTW Features
CLOTHING
Bring at least three pairs of shorts or skirts and five different
casual tops for lounging, lunch, day tours, etc. For romantic
dinners, pack three dresses, including a little black number
that you can dress up or down with jewelry and shoes. If
you will be honeymooning by the beach, pack four bathing
suits and cover-ups for an eight-day trip — tropical air is
often quite moist, making it difficult to dry a suit in a single
day. If you plan to do any sporty activities like tennis, bring
along a support bra and fitness outfit so that you won’t have
to buy pricey items in the gift shop. And if hiking is on
the agenda, it’s worth it to bring hiking shoes in addition
to your walking-around sneakers. Other shoes to bring
include comfy flip-flops and at least one pair of
versatile heels.
Finally, bring along all your fun, new lingerie! Pack double
the delicates you think you’ll need, especially bras if you’re
in a steamy environment on your honeymoon — otherwise
you may end up having to launder sweaty bras in the sink
every day to have enough clean ones to make it through.
TOILETRIES
In terms of toiletries, you should bring shampoos and
cleaners, floss, shaving supplies, extra contact lenses and
solution, makeup, prescriptions, birth control and/or sensu-
al supplies, over-the-counter painkillers, an anti-diarrheal,
Neosporin (antiseptic ointment), Purell (hand sanitizer),
tweezers and nail clippers, and honeymoon-specific items
like sunscreen, aloe gel for sunburns, and both bug repel-
lent and a bite-treatment stick like AfterBite.
ENTERTAINMENT
Bring your digital camera and camcorder, but, in addition,
stock up on a few of Kodak’s one-time-use cameras, includ-
ing the underwater version, so that you won’t have to worry
about damaging anything during rugged adventures like
waterfall climbing. Don’t forget the chargers for your digital
cameras, as well as for your phone.
Also, most couples would feel smothered if they spent every
single second interacting, even in paradise, so bring along
a great novel to read in a hammock while your spouse is off
taking a scuba lesson or picking up snacks.
PAPERWORK
For any location off the mainland, you’ll need your pass-
port, visitor visas if necessary, and an easy-to-use language
translation dictionary or phone app. Stock up on local
currency, especially small denominations, so that you won’t
have to pay top dollar at the airport in order to catch a cab
to your hotel. And instead of toting bulky travel books and
maps that might signal you’re a tourist to potential thieves,
bookmark your favorite tourism and restaurant sites
on your phone.
As for paperwork you can leave behind - all those thank-
you notes. It might seem smart to get them done during
a long flight, but your honeymoon is not supposed to be
about filling every second with something productive.
Instead of chipping away at your to-do list, settle in with
that trashy beach-read and let yourself unwind!
© CTW Features