Honeymoon Destinations by Season

The single biggest mistake couples make with their honeymoon is picking the place first and worrying about the weather later. Do it the other way round. Start with when you can actually go, then find the spot that's at its best in that window. A beach in the wrong month is just a wet beach with an expensive room attached.

So here's the year, roughly, from a British couple's point of view. Your wedding date does a lot of the deciding for you, and that's no bad thing.

If you're marrying in spring (March to May)

A spring wedding hands you one of the loveliest honeymoon windows of the year, partly because you can go somewhere that turns nasty by July. Japan in late March and early April is the obvious showstopper, with the cherry blossom doing its thing and the crowds not yet at peak summer madness. Book that one early though, because the whole country knows about it too.

Closer to home, the Mediterranean is waking up. Sicily, Crete and the Algarve are warm enough to enjoy without the August furnace, and prices haven't fully spiked. If you want long-haul, this is a good moment for Morocco before the desert heat sets in, or the Deep South of the USA before hurricane season starts thinking about it.

If you're marrying in summer (June to August)

Peak season, peak prices, and unfortunately the worst time for a lot of the most romantic spots. The Maldives and much of Southeast Asia sit in their wet season, and the Caribbean is edging into hurricane territory. None of that makes them impossible, just a gamble, and a honeymoon is a poor place to gamble.

What's genuinely brilliant in a British summer? Northern Europe and the Med, which are made for it. Think the Amalfi Coast, the Greek islands, Croatia, or a road trip through Tuscany. Further afield, the southern hemisphere flips the seasons, so an African safari in Kenya or Tanzania lands right in the dry season, which is when the wildlife viewing is at its absolute best. A summer honeymoon on safari is one of the smartest swaps you can make.

If you're marrying in autumn (September to November)

This is, quietly, the sweet spot. The Mediterranean stays warm well into October but the school holidays are over, so you get the heat without the screaming pool. Greece and southern Italy in September feel like you've been let in on a secret.

Autumn also opens up the places that were a no-go in summer. The Caribbean settles down by mid-November, the Maldives starts drying out, and Bali shifts toward its drier months. A late-October trip to Sri Lanka or the Indian Ocean can be gorgeous. New England does its famous autumn colours around then too, if you fancy something different and don't mind a hire car.

If you're marrying in winter (December to February)

A British winter is the honeymoon's chance to chase the sun properly, because you really, really need it. The Caribbean, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles all hit their dry, sunny stride between December and April. Thailand is at its best in this window as well, warm and dry across most of the country.

There's also the case for leaning into the cold rather than running from it. A snowy lodge in the Alps, the Northern Lights in Norwegian Lapland, or a steaming onsen in the Japanese mountains makes a magical winter honeymoon, and it photographs beautifully. Not everyone wants a beach, and a fortnight by a log fire counts.

A quick season-by-season reference

A few honest planning notes

Don't feel you have to leave the morning after the wedding. Loads of couples now take a "minimoon" of a few nights nearby and save the big trip for a quieter month later in the year, which can mean better weather and a much better price. According to Hitched's National Wedding Survey, honeymoons remain one of the larger line items couples budget for, so giving it room to breathe is sensible.

Three practical things that save money and stress:

• Book flights as a pair early, but stay flexible on the exact dates if you can; a midweek departure is often cheaper.
• Check whether your destination's "best" month overlaps with a local holiday, which quietly doubles prices.
• Tell the hotel you're on honeymoon. It costs nothing and often gets you a nicer room or a bottle of something.

If you've added travel and accommodation details to your wedding website, it's worth keeping the same site updated with your honeymoon dates so guests know you'll be slow to reply for a fortnight. Then put the phone down and enjoy it.