Honeymoon Packing Made Easy

(ARA) - Honeymoons are big business in the United States. With more than 2.4 million weddings occurring each year, those happy couples spend $8 billion a year on their honeymoon (according to About.com.)

With that kind of serious money going into a dream (hopefully!) honeymoon, it's no wonder that brides spend a considerable amount of time and effort planning what to pack. After all, not every honeymoon destination includes a place to pick up a pair of jeans, especially if a couple chooses an increasingly popular honeymoon destination like a safari, hiking trip, mountain climbing, or a boat trip down an exotic river.

According to Jocelyn Leiser Herndon of The Art Institute of California - San Francisco, the key to successful honeymoon packing is "finding pieces that do double duty." That way, she says, "you're almost sure to have what you need no matter where you go."

For her own honeymoon, Herndon went to Greece which, she says, "is not exactly an exotic location." Herndon honed her considerable packing skills growing up in a family whose average vacation included canoeing and bike trips. "My family used to have a contest to see which of us could bring the smallest suitcase, but if you got to the destination and were missing something, you were disqualified. Needless to say, I was taught to be a light packer," Herndon adds.

Weather watching on the Internet also makes a honeymoon less of a risk. For Lindsay Rapp, a Career Services Advisor in the Media Arts & Animation and Digital Media Production department at The Art Institute of Washington, packing for a honeymoon trip to the North Shore of Oahu meant daily weather checks to make sure she and her husband were packing smartly. "With the Internet, it's much easier to plan around the weather, and to know if you need to pack that raincoat, or if you can leave it at home," says Rapp. Of course, for Rapp's husband, packing is a no-brainer, no matter what the weather conditions.

"My husband packs a few short-sleeve polos, khakis, bathing suits and voila! He's good to go. For me, not so much," she says. After packing seven bathing suits (one per day, she explains), lingerie (also one per day), cover ups, golf clothes, sundresses, skirts and tank tops, along with wraps for the evening, comfortable clothes, and not including toiletries, Rapp ended up with "a suitcase that weighed more than I did, and I didn't wear half of what I packed."

"Double-duty pieces are key," says Herndon. Whether you're going to a domestic or international location, remote or in the heart of the city, find items that can work in a number of different ways. "I always bring a shirt or blouse that is casual enough for the day, but that I can throw a cami under or a sweater over and dress it up for the evening." A pretty shawl is a must too. Not only are they a great cover up during the day if it gets cold, but also are wonderful to curl up in on a plane, especially since fewer airlines are providing blankets.

For shoes, Herndon recommends sandals for warmer destinations, comfortable but nice-looking sneakers, and hiking boots if you plan to climb a mountain or two, or even take an invigorating walk through the woods. A great pair of knit black slacks can be dressed up at night, or worn casually for shopping or museum-going. Knits are a good choice because they don't wrinkle, and are comfortable enough to stretch with you after a great meal.

A student accountant at The Art Institute of New York City, Elizabeth Kennel recently returned from a honeymoon in Cancun. While Cancun isn't exactly an exotic or remote location, Kennel did keep on eye on packing versatile pieces. "I was able to wear a fun sun dress casually during the day and translate it into a killer night-on-the-town dress by throwing on a pair of stilettos for my usual flip flops," she says. Fit and comfort were at the top of her list of priorities. Says Kennel, "It's your honeymoon -- the last thing you want to be worried about are shoes that hurt your feet, or clothes that don't fit. Nobody wants to spend their honeymoon shopping for a new wardrobe."

Mr. & Mrs. and Mugs

The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) located throughout North America, provide an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.  To learn more, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.  Courtesy of ARA Content