Editors' Picks | Vol. 8: Honeymoon Essentials

At Spoken Bride, we love a good book, a good meal, a standout statement necklace, a heel you can dance in, and the list goes on. And when we make those discoveries, we want to tell everyone. So every month or two, we're sharing our latest and favorite finds in everything engagement, wedding, and honeymoon-related.

In honor of our own Social Media Coordinator Elise Crawford Gallagher’s very recent nuptials, we’re sharing our favorite travel essentials for a romantic getaway as Elise takes this month to relax and soak in her first days of newlywed life with her new husband, Hunter!

Elise, Social Media Coordinator

Board & Card Games: I was so blessed to have one of my bridesmaids and best friends hand me a “honeymoon gift bag” the day of my wedding. She packed lots of yummy snacks, some coconut oil, and card games. After a crazy few weeks leading up to the wedding, Hunter and I had fun spending some downtime just playing games and relaxing.

Travel Bag: One of my favorite delights of wedding planning was receiving unexpected gifts in the mail! While I mostly kept my registry items to things we need for our new home, I decided on a whim to add this overnight bag to my Anthropologie registry. I felt so spoiled and special when one of our family friends sent it to me! I was nice to receive something just for myself and to remember our honeymoon by. Hunter was gifted this duffel bag and loves it as well.

Charger Roll-Up: It’s so simple, but this roll-up pack can help keep your chargers and wires organized during your busy travels. I hate having to dig around in my purse and luggage to find my chargers. This way, you can charge your phone as soon as you get to your hotel room!

A Shared Book: Although Hunter and I didn’t plan enough ahead to do this on our own honeymoon, I think it would be so romantic to read a book together while traveling. It could be nonfiction, or a piece of theology you’ve been meaning to read. You can take turns reading to one another out loud, and you'll forever remember that book as the one you read together on your special trip.

Jiza, Creative Director and Co-Founder

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes: We all know skincare is super important, but when you are traveling, the change of environment and/or eating out can wreak havoc on your skin. I always bring along gentle cleansing facial wipes for the ease of packing, particularly this brand since it's also free of dyes, artificial perfumes, or harsh irritants that can further upset your skin.

Yelp App: I heavily depend on Yelp ratings and reviews every time we go anywhere new. Particularly if you love discovering and supporting local small businesses, this is a great app to have on hand. On occasion, businesses will also offer deals and special savings to “unlock” when you go check them out.

Packing Cubes: Sharing a suitcase? Packing cubes are a nice way to keep things separate and organized. They minimize having to dig around in your suitcase just to find that one sock or elusive bathing suit bottom, and I also like that that the cubes keep you accountable with not overpacking.

Mesh Bag: This is for dirty laundry, because you will definitely have some by the end of your trip! Toss in your used clothes each day for the ease of washing them once you return home.

Andi, Business Director

Scott’s Cheap Flights: Daily emails for this service are free, or you can opt for premium service for $39 a year. In a nutshell, Scott's researches travel deals and shares the best finds and how to get them. If you’re planning to travel internationally in the next year, this one is a must!

Bobbi Brown Blush: I don’t wear a ton of makeup, but this blush is my daily staple. It helps in making you look alive after hours of travel to your destination!

Mass Times: My family uses this app whenever we are more than 20 miles from home and need to find a Mass. It’s never let us down, even with international travel.

Quart-Sized Baggies: I realize that this probably the least romantic thing to pack, but hear me out. Our family likes to bring home little treasures from wherever we visit. We currently collect a sand from every beach we visit for our sand jar, for instance, and on a recent hike, my kids brought home an insane amount of quartz. These mementos are such a sweet reminder of our travels, and you’ll need something sturdy to take home heftier items like sand and rocks. Other practical uses: TSA lets you take one of these with liquids on a plane, good for holding wet laundry, packing up leftovers, and keeping small things like undies and socks organized in your suitcase.

Christina, Associate Editor

All-purpose wipes: My husband Kristian and I honeymooned in a less developed country--Nicaragua--and did quite a bit of exploring. It was so nice having these wipes on hand for less-than-optimal bathroom situations, cleaning our hands before eating picnic lunches, etc.

Here Maps App: If you’re honeymooning in a foreign country and don’t want to purchase an international data plan, this app is a lifesaver. Kristian used it the whole time we were in Nicaragua to help us navigate to our various destinations--and it never steered us wrong! You can download an accurate map of any city/country that you plan on visiting before you get there, and it uses your phone’s GPS (which doesn’t need internet or data to operate) to give you directions.

Rental Car Insurance: This tip comes from my husband, who learned the hard way that paying for the full insurance package when renting a car abroad can save a significant amount of time and money. We honeymooned during the windy season in Nicaragua--and I mean windy! While we were en route to our resort, a giant tree branch blew straight into our windshield, cracking and splintering it. After we recovered from the shock (and said a prayer of gratitude that the branch didn’t come through the windshield and kill us), we realized our honeymoon had just gotten a lot more expensive.
 

Stephanie, Editor in Chief and Co-Founder

Journal: If you don’t already have a shared journal like Elise and Hunter do, your first trip as a married couple is the perfect occasion to start a space for recording your travel memories and, later, everyday ones and notes to each other. These handsome leather versions have space for your new, shared monogram.

Zomato App: For me, one of the best parts of traveling is enjoying special meals and off-the-beaten-path spots--on our honeymoon in Wilmington, North Carolina, my husband and I had the most fried, most delicious Southern food you can imagine at a tiny local buffet with melamine plates and checkered vinyl tablecloths, on a recommendation from a grocery store cashier! Zomato is a restaurant recommendation database that allows you to search for food by city, cuisine, meal, price range, and more, alongside reviews, contact info, and booking options--perfect for narrowing down dozens of options in a new-to-you city.

Multitasking makeup: Particularly if you’re headed somewhere beachy, a minimalist beauty look in bronzy or shimmery shades can mirror an inner sense of contentment, relaxation, and little fuss. This dual-ended stick from MAC for eyes, cheeks, and lips cuts down on the need to pack multiple products, has the added benefit of being non-spillable, and the coppery shade would flatter a range of complexions.

Kimono-style wrap: For layering over dresses, as a poolside cover-up, and for lounging in your room, a flowy wrap is pretty and versatile. If you can’t tell, I love the challenge of packing items that serve more than one use!

We love making new discoveries through you. Be sure to share your most romantic, practical, or pretty essentials for travel in the comments or on our social media!