Honeymoons provide newlyweds with an opportunity to get away from it all, focus on each other and celebrate their marriage.  Many couples make plans to travel to an international destination.  After all, there’s something fitting about beginning a new life together by exploring a new country.

There is no shortage of exotic destinations for an international honeymoon.  For example, many newlyweds enjoy basking on the beaches of the Caribbean, which is packed with resorts that cater to couples. If you’re on a budget, try an all-inclusive resort to help you better predict travel costs.

Dotting the Map, a travel blog, just started a series of posts on budget international honeymoons. Their first recommendation is Nassau, in the Bahamas, which has some reasonably-priced hotels and cheap or free activities like sunbathing on the island’s  gorgeous beaches, shopping and a pirate museum!

If you are planning a honeymoon overseas, both you and your new spouse will need passports.   Now, here’s where things can get a little tricky. Usually, the bride takes the groom’s name after the wedding. However, you have to book travel reservations and apply for passports before the wedding.

The bride’s name as shown on her passport must match the name on the travel reservations. So, the easiest way to book an international honeymoon is to make the reservations for the bride using her maiden name.  The bride should apply for a passport in her maiden name at least 6 weeks before the honeymoon and should hold off on changing her name until she is back in the US.

Once the couple has returned from the honeymoon, the bride can request a passport with her new name on it for free using the US Passport Agency’s Form DS-5504.

If you want your honeymoon to be as close to perfect as possible, both you and your intended need to have your passports ready in time.  Getting your passports through a private passport expediting company simplifies and speeds up the process, so you can worry about other things (like memorizing your vows and learning to dance for the reception!)

What’s your favorite international honeymoon destination? Let us know in the comments!