Ever watched an episode of house hunters?

Sometimes, that is a lot like what honeymoon planning looks like. He wants a big party resort with non-stop entertainment and she wants a small resort where they can relax on the beach. He doesn’t want to plan anything in advance and she wants everything planned before take off. I am not judging, this is exactly what every vacation with my husband looks like!

This post was originally published in 2017 but has been updated in 2023.

My husband & I vacation better with friends.

My husband and I went to Mexico for the first time together about four years ago, just the two of us. Before that trip, I had absolutely no idea how two people’s idea of a vacation could be so different. We love each other, don’t get me wrong, but he won’t sit on a beach all day and I won’t bounce around from activity to activity all day (I mean we will… but it’s a compromise… ). It was during that vacation that we realized most of our future vacations will likely be with friends and group trips.

Sooooo while some people may say a buddymoon is a sign that romance is dying, I actually totally get it. It’s not like group trips can’t have romantic elements – you kind of get the best of both worlds. You and your significant other can escape the group and have alone time throughout the trip without feeling like you have to compromise all day every day.

A buddymoon might be the perfect solution to extend the wedding celebration!

I mean, Jennifer Aniston did it, so it must be a good idea, amiright? Not just her either – Priceline did an online survey and 12% of people reported that they had attended a buddymoon before.

QUICK FAQs

Don’t want to commit to a buddymoon (even though you can totally agree that I am making some good points here)?

Consider planning a ten day trip and inviting friends along for seven. Of course you can’t really choose your friends vacations for them, but if you and your friends want to get away for a week, you can always choose to extend your trip to ten days (maybe even check out a new location for the last three days?)

Having a Destination Wedding?

With Destination Weddings continuing to grow in popularity, many brides and grooms stay at the resort after the wedding to relax and continue to celebrate with their guests as a loose form of the buddymoon. When it’s time to go home many couples take a few extra days to unwind just by themselves – again, best of both worlds.

How many people should you invite?

I saw a lot of recommendations for under ten people but I am not sure I agree. I’ve always been a more the merrier person though. There are pros and cons for any size. Under ten people, you can really spend quality time with everyone which is great. Over ten people, you can usually get a group rate so everyone gets a great deal. You’ll never be bored but it will be a little trickier for everyone to grab dinner together. Ultimately, it really depends how many of your friends you actually want there (and don’t feel obligated to invite anyone you don’t want!)

How do we all choose a resort?

This could go a couple different ways. You and your fiance could choose a resort and let your friends know what you have chosen and invite them to tag along or you could have your friends involved from the very beginning. Whether your choosing the resort or your agreeing on it with friends, there are plenty resorts that offer something for everyone. A lot of chain resorts also offer exchange privileges with sister resorts which is amazing if you want a non-stop party a couple nights but you don’t necessarily want to stay at a party resort. An example of this is NOW Onyx in Punta Cana which is a resort that caters to a variety of people, situated right next door to Breathless Punta Cana which is a luxury party resort. You can still walk to your room from the club – no need to go far!

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